Sweet, deep sleep

OK, as a mom, you just know sleeplessness is part of the gig. It's what you sign up for.

In fact, I always find myself saying to someone fixing to deliver a baby (especially their first)... "Go home and sleep, DEEPLY, because you may never again."

I don't do well without sleep. I think I require more than the average person. It's just in my DNA.

I was never one of those "I'll sleep when I'm dead" kinda people. No, no... I'm much more the "I sleep, or you're dead" type.

I tend to have the same change in personality if I'm not fed every 3 hours. Much like a newborn.

It's not pretty.

With Trace, it was easy. You're up all night nursing, you sleep when he takes a nap the next day.

With the second... not so much.

Please hear me when I say I am NOT complaining! I have a lot of help and am so thankful to be a stay at home mom. I honestly don't know how working moms do it all.

I am so incredibly thankful for my babies and would rewind the clock back to February 4th and start all over again tomorrow if God granted me that wish.

I kept thinking that I wouldn't mourn the loss of every stage with my second, yet I found myself fighting back tears after stocking my cabinets with pureed squash and rice cereal the other day. And pulling the exersaucer out last night nearly did me in.

What??? Already??? Didn't I just bring her home from the hospital???

So we are phasing out of the newborn stage and most would think the dreaded "sleepless" night phase. But, for some reason, the sleep Gods are yanking my chain.

First, we went through the "let's lift our legs in the sleep sack (picture double leg lifts) and SLAM them against the crib mattress" stage.

Repeat... and now repeat... and repeat again... until the sun comes up.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed this stage is behind us.

(Although on the bright side, her rock hard abs at 5 months are impressive.)

We had a couple of good solid weeks of sleep after that. Occasionally having to wake to put the paci back in, but other than that... sweet, deep sleep.

Then early last week we began what I call the "beached whale" or "turtle" phase.

She has been rolling over on the floor for some time. But has now decided she wants to be a "side sleeper" like her mama.

Do you know how many pillows it requires to get me in my desired "side sleeper" position? It has taken years to perfect.

Unfortunately, she has yet to master this skill and therefore does the dreaded "over roll"... resulting in the beached whale and/or turtle position.

If you've ever seen a swaddled, half asleep infant in a sleepsack stuck on her belly with her hands pinned under her, it's a pitiful sight.

On one of the worst nights, I counted. Lame, yes, I know. But between 1 a.m. and 1:37 a.m. I turned her over 7 times.

SEVEN TIMES. That's an average of once every 5 minutes for the non-mathematical type.

Are you exhausted yet?

I have started unswaddling her in the hopes that she will learn to do this on her own, so I can regain my sanity.

I tried to remember in the middle of the night, when I went staggering to her bed for the umpteenth time, that this too shall pass. And oddly, one day I will miss these sleepless nights.

Hopefully, we will be phasing out of this stage sooner rather than later. But Lord only knows what's next.

Until then, if you pass me walking down Lower Mill Road in a catatonic state wearing my panties over my shorts, please stop, bring me home and put me to bed. :)

I'm almost afraid to say it but we've had 2 wonderful nights in a row and I'm actually starting to feel human again! Right now at this very moment, this is my sleeping beauty...


on her side...but for how long???