So I knew I was in for it when I started having kids. I regularly had naps before I was pregnant and definitely enjoyed more sleep during my first pregnancy. I was thrust into the sleepless nights right from the get-go with Lucas - my labor started at 6:00pm and my little darling was born at 6:45am - 12 hours awake straight through the night. Can you believe I was actually falling asleep in between contractions at the end?
Now I have two little ones and I can't remember when I got an uninterrupted night of sleep. When Lucas was just about learning to sleep through the night I was so pregnant with Elena that I would have to get up three times at night just to pee.
All moms know all about bedtime routines and nap routines and hope that with a lot of hard work, patience and a dose of luck, the kidlets will learn to sleep through the night sooner rather than later. Of course, that doesn't account for colic, poopy diapers in the middle of the night, teething, sickness, and siblings!
I had a handy chart that I used for nap/sleep reference and it told me how many naps the average child would take, for how long and how long they would sleep at night. Of course it's not as simple as 2 +2 = 4 and if I shorten one nap, another will be longer, and if I cut out all naps the night time sleep will be longer. If only!
Some days I wish I had the magical sleep formula that would guarantee me at least 7 hours of sleep. But alas, it evades me and every night I go to sleep thinking, "tonight may be the night" - and it never is. Of course, I know veteran moms will tell me "this too shall pass" and I will long for the nights when my little boy comes crawling into bed to cuddle with me - but couldn't I just get one good night's sleep?
**disclaimer - my kids really are pretty good sleepers - we have just had about 6 weeks worth of sickness in the family and it's thrown them into a loop and mommy's sleep bank is depleted :)
Dump them at Grndma's, and lock snorry hubby in the living room and have some blessed sleep
ReplyDeleteDad
I've just noticed how much I dislike being told "this time will pass". Well duh. Yes it will. But how do I live with it before it passes? I don't want life to escape away completely! I cannot even tell you that because I'm not a mother but I'm glad you're a mum who loves her kiddies as much as you obviously do! Love ya dad's advice, too.
ReplyDeleteIm gearing up for this in my life, Taara! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely one of the "some" as well. That line made me chuckle ;) I feel your pain on this one Taara. I remember so well being so tired that I could hardly see straight when my kids were lil. Sleep or the lack there of has always been such a coveted thing to me, that I almost had to step back at one point and let it go. SO, I'm not going to be one of the Veteran mom's who says "this too shall pass" because when you get to where I am now your body will probably be so used to sleep deprivation you won't be able to sleep even if you could!! SO I will say, just Let IT Go!! Know that sleep will come, but just like you said those precious moments won't ever return so soak them in deep ;)
ReplyDeleteHa ha , hope that wasn't too depressing!