There have been a lot of transitions lately: From a family with two kids to a family with three. From a kiddo in a crib to a kiddo in a toddler bed. From a newborn who clipped along at a steady pace to a baby with the need to nurse and/or say hi every fifteen minutes throughout the evening.
And the transition from a relatively normal Mama to a drooling, hilariously exhausted one.
So we implemented new stuff: new bedtime routines, new important talks about Big Bed Responsibility, and new sleeping arrangements. (Including having P.J. and I switch sides of the bed, because when Jasper did come into bed, he was losing all the hair on the side I nursed him and so I wanted to even him out- oh, it even sounds crazy to me.) In terms of the middle kiddle, it went from amazing (staying in bed for naps and overnight) to not so amazing (becoming drunk on power and climbing in and out of bed 17 times a night just to check that she still could). Remember when I gave up yelling at my kids for Lent? WELL PLAYED, GOD, WELL PLAYED!
I am so tired.
And I’d weep about Jasper leaving his bassinet in favor of his crib if I weren’t already weeping at the inability to feel my own face.
Just for funsies, here’s a sample night. Specifically last Monday night. Enjoy:
7:30pm: Big girls in bed. Easy! Happy! Goodnight, children!
7:45pm: Little boy in his room. Easy! Happy! Goodnight, little man!
10pm: I realized I was- stupidly- still awake. Headed up to bed, and said I’d wait for Peej and we could watch a short show or high-five or play Backgammon- pretty much anything which would insinuate married parents of three do stuff besides fall asleep on one another.
10:45pm: Woke up when P.J. entered the room to turn off the light. Became irrationally angry. Fell asleep.
1am: Poked P.J. when I heard Jasper fuss in the monitor. Convinced one to give the other a pacifier (I cared not which, overmuch). Fell back to sleep.
1:15am: Heard Susannah crying in her room, unable to find her lovie. Got up. Found the lovie.
1:30am: Woke up to Suzy smiling demonically into my face. Tamped down fear and (calmly, I think), walked her back to bed.
2am: Woke up yelling “What is that sound?” Turns out it was P.J., who had fallen asleep on Jasper’s floor and was snoring into his monitor.
3am: P.J.’s back in our bed! So is Zu! Waved goodbye at the both of them as my husband walked our monkey back to her cage- err, bed.
3:30am: Hi, Susannah! GET BACK IN YOUR BED, I told her, quite politely. OR I WILL EAT YOUR STUFFED ANIMALS.
“Why are you weeping, Mom?”
4:15am: Woke up to P.J. and Jasper in our bed. (God bless P.J.’s monitor-listenin’ abilities. I possess no such thing after 2am.) Fed Jasper. Told him, quite nicely, that he was the only one going with the new plan. And that, had it not been for his sister’s extracurriculars, I’d probably be disgustingly rested.
4:16-6:37am: Fed Jasper. Fed Jasper. Fed Jasper. Cried a little.
(6am: Attempted to convince Nora that “eating breakfast” would be more fun at lunchtime.)
6:45am: Decided to try The New Sleep Plan again that evening.
6:46am: Realized that “that evening” was roughly 13 hours away.
6:47am- (roughly) 7:30pm: Cried a little.
(Insert witty-ish closing zinger here.)
(Yawn.)
Speak Your Mind