It was 10:20pm.
I was talking to John on the phone. I told him I had ten minutes until my self-appointed bedtime. I was also working on a design and nearly beside myself with bewilderment over a glitch. The day was long and full and I was more than ready for bed.
At 10:38pm, I hung up with John and started turning off lights and making sure the doors were locked.
Then I heard Troy stirring and whimpering. I waited.
Pleaseohpleaseohpleaseohplease. Go back to sleep. Please?
I guess I didn’t ask sweet enough.
He apparently got some sort of real or contrived tickle in his throat and was soon coughing, hacking and crying up a storm.
Going into his room, I scooped him up gave him a drink of water and a hug, and then laid him back in his bed. I leaned over the side of the crib and patted his little round tummy.
I thought he was asleep when I slooooowly started lifting my weight off the crib railing. It creaked a little.
He opened his eyes for two seconds, saw me frozen, arm in mid-air, and closed them again. Good, Mommy’s still there.
I tried again a minute later. This time I got my arm all the way out of the crib and was slowly standing up, about to take my first silent step toward the door. He opened his eyes again.
“Mommy. Mommy, hold you?” His groggy toddler words asked if I’d hold him. I could hear the tears beginning. Give him thirty seconds and they’d be wails–wails that would wake up his brother sleeping in the next room.
“Shhhh, baby. Go to sleep.”
I leaned over and started patting his tummy again.
So it went, two more tries.
Then I did it. I actually got completely away from the crib and three slow, quiet steps toward the door.
And then.
The cat walked in. And meowed. Loudly.
(Why do we have a cat again? Because I’m beginning to think it’s a bad idea.)
It is now after midnight. Troy is asleep.
His baby brother, on the other hand… well, he just thinks now is as good a time as any to be awake and fussy and clingy. Oh, and did I mention awake? Because he’s awake.
Good times, peeps.
1:45am–Merritt just drifted off. Troy cried again, but this time, he went back to sleep on his own.
6:03am–Good morning, peeps. Merritt decided four hours of sleep was more than enough.
A night in the life of an ordinary mom. Ah, fun, don’t we all agree?
O.k…I know this one. I KNOW this one! Yippee!
When Fifi was a baby, she pulled that sleep-with-one-eye-open business for three nights in a row. Here’s how I fixed it: I wore my hubby’s long, bold, multicolored robe into her room to pat her back to sleep and then draped it over a chair back at the side of the crib so that when she peeked, it was still there, even if I wasn’t.
It’s worth a try next time. Take heart, before you know it, those babies will be hiding inside much bigger skin and you’ll wish they needed you just a little longer. :)
[Reply]
Oh man I dont know if Im ready for that, and by that I mean not sleeping. I know they say your body will adjust but I just really love sleeping! I can only pray that my kids will love to sleep as well. Don’t worry I wont hold my breath. :)
I pray that you will get a chance sometime today during nap time to close your eyes for a while!!
Love you!!!!
[Reply]
Sounds *way* too STINKIN’ familiar!!! Ugh… I have to remind myself– thou shalt not envy (the mommas who get more than 4/5 hours of sleep at night!) :) LOL
My sleepiest days are often the grouchiest ones. Today I had such a frustrated moment that I stepped outside and jumped up & down really hard, laughed at myself through tear-filled eyes, and then came back inside to be the mommy. It actually made me feel better! Mommies can throw tantrums too, right? :)
P.S. Thx for the comments! You can come over ANY time! Call me if you’re ever in the area again. But we should definitely plan another play date soon.
[Reply]
You know I had to smile at this. : ) Ahhh, remembering those times, of slowly lifting my hand off of your back, thinking I’d make it out of the room–only to hear this little voice say, “Ruuub baaack!”.
It’s true, one day you are going to miss these days…
See you soon, Baby Girl! : )
[Reply]
Just a thought: how about switching him from the crib to a bed? I went through the same thing w/my little girl, and as I would raise up to go back to my own bed, the crib railing would squeak! So –since we didn’t have a bed for her yet– I took the mattress out of the crib, & placed it by a wall in her room. (That way I could sit/lie on the floor beside her until she was asleep.) Like I said, just a thought–however goofy it may be! :-)
[Reply]
Four hours!! Wow, do all three of you have nap time during the day?? I hope you all will be able to have a better night tonight!!
Ginger~
[Reply]
I will say you will miss these YEARS, but nights like that? Mmm not so much =) When I hear a new mamma say she is so excited she got 5 hours of sleep, I don’t think “I miss those days” ~smile~
[Reply]
I sometimes feel bad that I don’t have William in his own bed, yet… well, until I read posts like this. ;-) Call me lazy, but I am really enjoying the 9-10 hours I am getting at night these days…
[Reply]
Moms are made a some tough stuff. Especially YOU! Many prayers going your way for a blessed night of 8 hours of sleep. God’s in the business of miracles, it can happen :)
[Reply]