"Where are your pajama pants, Lila?"
"I took them off because they fell in the sink and they got wet."
Apparently, this is the sort of thing that happens at Lila's new wake-time of 4 a.m. when she is wandering the house alone while we are upstairs trying to get in a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. This morning we were particularly comatose because both Rosalie and Violet have colds again which has left them unable to sleep for more than 45 minutes straight. Translation: we were up all night long. Rosalie has her trademark River O' Snot fully flowing which leaves me no hope of not contracting this cold, what with all the snot being smeared and sneezed on every possible thing. And Violet is needing breathing treatments every four hours again. Winter, I hate you.
All this wakeful time has left me with lots of thinking time. Sleep-deprived thinking time, which is very dangerous if you've ever been there. First, you're sort of in a constant state of desperation: desperate for any morsel of sleep, quiet or general stillness your children might throw your way. Second, you're exhausted so you tend to not think too clearly. Third, because you are desperate and exhausted, everything prior to the beginning of the sleep deprivation is glamorized in your mind. Remember how wonderful it was when I used to be able to sleep in to six a.m.?
Lately, I've been reminiscing about what life was like before kids. If I could go back to the time before we had kids and do it all over again, what would I do differently? Travel through Europe? Train for a marathon? Dine out every night of the week? See every movie ever released?
No.
I'd sleep. All the time. Lazy late mornings with the sun pouring in. Early bedtimes under comfy quilts. Naps, maybe even multiple times a day.
So for you ladies who haven't had kids yet, it's not too late for you. Go take a nap today in my honor. Just don't tell me.
18 comments:
Oh my friend. Reading this makes me cringe! I feel that this type of sleep starvation is cruel and unusual punishment. Maybe you could commit a petty crime that could land you in jail just for a few nights? I'm sure you could claim insanity-by-sleep-deprivation and have the charges dropped. You know, after a few blissful nights of sleep in the slammer.
What a great idea Heather! I may steal that one, except that my crime would probably enough to land me in the big house for a while, then I'd have extreme guilt when my family had to come visit me there. I don't have a particular crime in mind, but I also don't know what deciphers petty crimes and time in jail, so throwing a rock at a jerks car that almost ran us off the road would end up being like 10 months, or accidentally forgetting to pay for the stringed cheese Easton ate at the grocery store would be like 3 years. Clearly I'm bad at this criminal minds thing.
And I'm tired too.
The thing I miss most about pre-kids was my sick days. When i was sick I could BE sick and lay on the couch with a blanket all day and watch Lifetime movies. Now? Impossible. I never get to just be sick and sleep it off. Haven't watched a Lifetime movie in forever.
You know it's bad when you're looking forward to giving birth to your 4th child not just because it will be your first son, but because you know you get to spend the night in the hospital! One night of just waking with the new baby cuddling and going back to sleep. That was many years ago. I know you've heard this but, it does get better. More sleep is in your future. For now, I know it's very difficult. Ask a friend to help, reach out. Ask a neighborhood girl to play with the kids just for an hour or so and hang in there!
Great advice, though for me it is a little too late! I think If i could go back i would sleep in, and also to eat an abundance of icecream, as i would have so much time to go to the gym that i wouldn't feel guilty.
You know, I could sleep all the time, I don't have children. The truth is that we don't honor sleep when we can get it but if we can't have it it is all we want :)
And my Mom wants you to know that it gets better :)
you are too cute! i know what you mean and i only have one who sleeps until 8 am haha. second one on the way tho which makes me fear i'll never sleep again. i don't know how you do 3! good for u. my one is napping right now haha
My husband let me "sleep in" into 9(!!) today....felt like a miracle! Remeber when that was early on a weekend??? I hear you, sister! And my Lila was short a pj TOP this morning....what gives??
my roommate in college had a regular babysitting gig for this family that would occasionally call our room at say, 8:30 or 9:00 on a Saturday morning to see if she could sit. I remember thinking to myself "what is wrong with these people?!" because how could they be so rude to call so early? and I now I have to laugh, because I'm sure they had been up for hours already, biding their time, waiting to call until what they assumed surely must be a "reasonable" hour.
As to your post more specifically - I feel for ya. Although, I must say that the "sleep now!" advice that I got when I was pregnant was something I would politely smile at but secretly roll my eyes at, because unfortunately, it's not like you can bank sleep! At least I was a lucky pregnant gal who actually could still sleep - I know many people get so uncomfortable that they kind of can't.
We have the sickie sicks here too :( I swear my daughter was born with a runny nose. Hope you get some sleep.
I think if I went back in time before kids I would have worn pretty clothes more often and had my hair done, pedicures, massages, all those things that go away after kids.
I am with you. Hubs and I always talk about how great it used to be to sleep in. Even when we go away for the weekend, we are incapable of sleeping in. It's just sad.
Isn't it crazy to think back to when you could just sleep ANY TIME YOU WANTED? It seems like another lifetime.
We had very similar nights last night. My 18-month-old was up every 15 minutes from 2:30 until 5 a.m. because of a cold. Then, an hour after she finally settled down, my 4-year-old bounced out of bed for the day. Gooooood times.
I hear you! I do not do well without sleep! Good luck over the next couple days...my heart goes out to you (and your missing sleep).
Oh sleep. How I miss thee.
I probably shouldn't tell you how late I slept yesterday. It just wouldn't be right to detail the glories of such luxurious decadence to one so wrongfully deprived of the same.
It sounds like you need a sleep vacation. It can be cheap - it only requires a sitter, a somewhat shady area preferably with a bed or other padded surface (gym mats are acceptable) and relative quiet.
Sleep past noon, grab a snack and then take a nap. You won't regret it.
this is too funny, I too am in the throes of sleep starvation, so I feel ya!
I had my kids young, way before all my friends, and I used to say the same to them, sleep now while you can, once you have had kids, its broken forever, or at least until the little shits leave home. My brother is 35 and just moved back in with the folks (i know, so lame) and stays up all night playing WoW then sleeps all day, I think my folks are about ready to kill themselves.
Oh I hear you! Nap away you lucky girls. I will nap again when I'm about 50!
It's been a while since I had a bitty one at home, but I watched my 2 1/2 yo granddaughter for two days and I had forgotten how you have to ALWAYS. KNOW. WHERE. THEY. ARE!!
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