Welcome back to another edition of Monday Mamalogues:
'sharing the beauty and breakdowns of motherhood'
This week I'm ranting sharing about that topic so many of us face:
sleep-deprivation.
How many of us could easily be in the cast of the Walking Dead... (and I'm not meaning as the pretty humans)?! I find myself staggering around mumbling... "braaaaiiinnns.." because it often seems I don't have two of those cells left to rub together on a given day.
It's a wonder we're even allowed out in public,
let alone behind the wheel of a car.. or in the workplace.
Now I know why sleep-deprivation is used to torture people.... because, it works!
Speaking of that... how many of us mamas get an almost sick pleasure out of hearing other parent's horror stories in child-rearing? (Just me... oh, um.... never-mind then).
When faced with a 'rough patch' we tend to think we're the only ones who have it this tough.
Until other mamas share the chaos happening in their nest, right?
Mom A: "Johnny got up twice last night, twice!!"
Mom B: "well my Jane got up ten times... TEN!!"
Mom A: "Oh, coffee??"
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This is the part where I share what I consider to be our personal year of utter chaos!
*Ever since Hudson was born.. it's been a cluster-cuss of sleepless nights.
*That big boy still wakes up throughout the night.
*Despite his cuteness in the day... he can be a night-fury.
Don't fall for that angelic face (he's still a rascal).
***
Anyway, you may recall about half a year ago I was dreaming of the day when our two kids could finally share a room...
(read: my man and I could have our room(ance) back!).
But we're still playing musical beds around here...
So, all in all an average night in our nest looks like this:
6:30ish.. everyone, but mama, to bed (even the 'baker' husband!).
10pm.. mama sneaks/creaks/slinks into bed.
12am... Hudson is crying... nurse, burp, bed.
3am... Baker is up to go to work!
(I now lay awake wondering if there's much point to falling back asleep)
4:00...Hudson likely needs to stretch his lungs again.
5:30... Azriel gets up and jumps in to snuggle with me.
6am... stumble out of bed being dragged by a toddler.
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the truth!
So tell me mamas, how do you survive this stage of parenting?
Sleepless in Ontario,
Mel ;o)
*All mamas are welcome to join in this weekly link-up here... and feel free to grab the Mamalogues button from the right side bar here --------->*
ok, i don't have any miniature humans laying around..but what i do have are three dogs. one of which is horrible and the second of which is "horrible in training" (the third is my angel and sleeps through the entire night, mama can be lucky with one child right?!)
ReplyDeleteso my "horrible" dog will get up usually starting at 2-3am and begin this crazy jumping in and out of bed every 10-15 minutes (sometimes more frequent) until you finally get up and feed her (i refuse to fed her at least until 5:30am - because then she will want dinner at like 3pm!). then "horrible in training" (aka the puppy) decides this must be play time and follows suit. It's an endless cycle. Its been years since Ive gotten a full nights sleep. I have no clue what that even is.
so..while i don't have a talking miniature keeping me up calling my name..i do (semi) understand the no sleep of being a mother.
xx
trisha
veranellies.blogspot.com
Oh goodness... I am getting the shakes just thinking about sleeplessness! Eekkkkkk!!! All I have to say is that you are one amazing mama... AMAZEBALLS! Warning... attachment parents may get weak in the knees... tough love ahead (don't judge... only stating our little way of doing things that worked for our fam to stay sane). ;-) I may not be popular saying this BUT all 4 of our monkeys were sleeping @6 hours by 4 weeks, then tweaking here and there to get to @8 hours by 8 weeks and so on up to 12 hours. I like to think I have my good points/patient moments as a mama bear, however lack of sleep isn't one of them! DH and I stood firm on in their own cribs from day 1 (yes did nurse/cuddle from time to time in our bed as those first weeks are crazy nuts but baby went back to their crib for sleepytime), started a bedtime routine early on (bath, cuddles, last feeding, bed) and didn't respond/pick up to every cry at nap/bedtime (as long as baby was safe, fed, clean, cuddled). Did you know that babies don't know how to fall asleep or self sooth/fall back asleep, that it is a learned behaviour? Who knew! Thankfully the kids are still good sleepers and we are usually the ones waking them up in the mornings! I sure hope you get some solid banks of regular sleep soon sweet mama! If you are getting through day after day like what you described above you will surely rule the world on a good nights sleep!
ReplyDeleteoh my.... maybe 6:30 is too early for bed? maybe a later night time might buy you a later wake up time? Lily on most nights is in bed between 7:30-8pm and most nights she sleeps all the way through and 12 hours straight. she has had that schedule for a while now. i don't even know how i managed to be somewhat human when she was a baby and during night feedings. i think i intentionally forgot or maybe since i was so out of it, it's all a blur. get some rest!
ReplyDeleteHah.. it's a crazy time isn't it? Yes, I've wondered about putting Azi down later.. but she's just so ready (often asks to go to sleep) by that point!! The times we have kept her up later, she just gets up early anyway - and is more cranky... I dunno.... it's likely going to be later soon enough with her age regardless! Thanks for being here today. xx
ReplyDeleteHa! You're always a sweetheart, I love your comments Danielle.. and I hear you on the 'schedules'... we definitely were trying for those things here.. but it was a lot harder this time around than with our first (who was sleeping thru by 3 months). The hard part is not having an extra 'sound proof' room right now to let him self-soothe to sleep.... ;o) Thanks for the encouragement... I don't know what will happen if I get a full sleep either... utter giddiness likely!!
ReplyDeletexx
dog-gone it, Trisha.. that's a royal pain! You're a patient 'mama' to not have them out in the doghouse for that craziness ;o)
ReplyDeleteOh my... having one sleep through so early must be making this second baby sleeping journey all the more... PAINFUL! lol. With your sense of humour you will survive it... but hopefully you won't have to for much longer. Common little man you can do it!
ReplyDeleteHehe! Yes, sleep deprivation is a killer! I still don't get enough sleep but it is much better now than it was for many years. Eamon has never gone to bed earlier than 8:30pm. I tried to force it for a long time and then realized that it just was not possible for him to wind down. But a bedtime that late meant that in the evenings, I would try and steal away some time for myself that would often turn into very late nights. We still play musical beds a little bit around here when the kids don't feel well, or they just wake in the night and hop into bed with us. Overall, we really enjoyed co-sleeping even though sometimes it was hard for us all to get a good night's sleep and now, for the most part, everyone sleeps in their own beds all night long. I honestly can't believe it! According to all the 'this is what you should do as a parent' books out there, we did everything 'wrong'- our kids were in our bed every night- nursing, snuggling, kicking, stealing the covers for years... Then we felt it was time for the kids to sleep in their own beds and I got a bunk bed and they moved into it quite easily and happily. But, I don't mind when they sneak into our bed in the middle of the night the odd time- I kind of miss the cuddling all night long and before I know it, they'll be big and won't be into snuggling anymore!
ReplyDeleteYou keep shining a light for me at the end of this tunnel Andrea, thank you!! I do love the snuggling, would gladly do it if it meant they slept all night... I just know a certain 'mister' would not be as big a fan of the crowded covers. ;o) Don't think you could've done too much 'wrong' for how sweet those ones are growing in your nest! xx
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