I'm admitting that it's my fault now so please don't say, "well, you have no one to blame but yourself." I get it...so let me whine, OK?
Let's start with Thursday night. I put Peanut directly into her jammies after dinner. I normally don't do this, but I thought since she SOAKED her day clothes with water during dinner and it's so close to bedtime, why find a new outfit to wear?
(this will be important later...remember this)
I'm getting Peanut to sleep and I put a binky in her mouth - a freshly rinsed one. For anyone that has rinsed a binky and put it into a baby's mouth knows that it makes a squishy noise (from a little water getting trapped inside the nipple). Peanut starts to squirm and wake up from this noise. I frantically find a new binky and settle back into the rocking chair with her - now our typical 10-15 minute bedtime routine is now a half hour.
I go to bed way later than normal. I'll blame the siren song of the internet and ShankRabbit for that one.
That brings us to Friday...
At 6:45am I hear wailing from the baby's room. It is way to early for her to be awake...so I go in there thinking the job will only require a replaced binky and some back rubbing. I look in her crib to find a HUGE wet spot on her bed. Remember the early pajama time? Well, I forgot to change her diaper before her final bottle of the night - hence the overflow.
I call in ShankRabbit to change out her bedding and make a new bottle (hoping the soothing warmth of a bottle will lull her back to sleep). I realize this is fruitless when she starts smiling and barking at me. She's awake, dang it all! I'll just take a nap when she does...yeeeeah right.
We go upstairs to our TV room and cuddle on the futon to watch some kid shows. She's done with "cuddle time" around 9am. We do breakfast and then play a bit. 12pm rolls around and she's rubbing her eyes heavily. She has to eat lunch before her nap since she has a tendency to sleep right through meal time. We do lunch, get cleaned up, and it's time for a nap!
She's 3/4 of the way through her bottle and it dawns on me - I didn't change her diaper AGAIN! Seriously...where are my brain cells?! Instead of having a repeat of this morning, I decide to change her after the bottle. Oh great...she's sleeping. What do you think happens once I expose her girl parts to the cold room air - I'M AWAKE!
I try soothing her any way I can. I even leave her in her crib (praying that she'll lay her head down). For a while, everything is quiet...then I hear the binky tapping on the crib. Then her head. Then a cry. Then the binky, then her head...I think you can guess what's next.
I was upstairs listening to her over the monitor, so I decide to go save her before she knocks herself out. Once I hit the kitchen, I'm overwhelmed with the smell of crap. I sniff the garbage disposal, the garbage can...nothing. It's not until I give up searching and reach Peanut's room that I find the source.
I've heard of a sound barrier before, but never a smell barrier. I crossed the line between the bathroom and her room and about died. No wonder she wasn't trying to sleep...she had a diaper full!
I clean her up and try to get her to sleep. Giving up, we go back to playing. She so tired she's sitting up, with a blanket to her face, rocking back and forth. I try this nap thing again. Success! Now my turn, I lay down and I'm just about to enter the world of rainbows and flowers and sunshine when....WAAAAAAAAAAAH!
20 minutes. That's all she had to give.
Fast forward several hours and here we are. It's midnight and I'm still awake. Why, you ask? Because I like to torture myself, obviously.
5 comments:
Oh it is so lovely to look back on those sleepless nights (and days) as vague memories. I think if someone asked me to go through them all again I'd do a Herod act. It sometimes amazes me our species doesn't die out. The consolations when they are grown up can be worth it though.
This is why I think I want to adopt one already potty trained. Or one that comes with a diaper-changing fairy (hope she does a better job than my laundry fairy or cleaning fairy). I hope you (and Peanut) eventually found some sleep!
I'm breaking out in a sweat remembering those times. I think the only thing that got me through it all was that my wife and I had both been trained for years working in film production to go long hours with very little sleep. Otherwise, don't know if I would have made it. She also said she thought having kids killed some brain cells because it made her forgetful all the time when it came to simple things like changing a diaper.
I so totally relate to this story. So frustrating! Thankfully #2 has been a much better sleeper for me (even going back to bed after those little wake-ups!)
I wrote about the ADORABLE elephant on my blog today!!!! Thank you so much!!!!
@ Scriptor Senex - All it took was a good night of rest and Friday is already a vague memory for me. No matter how frustrated or tired I get, the moment she gives me a look or makes a noise at me...I can't help but smile. There's something magical in those babies, I tell ya.
@ Call Me Cate - I don't know where you hire out your fairies, but we must use the same agency - and I'm guessing they are all on strike.
@ the21stcenturyman - LOL. I wish they could explain what happens to a woman's brain after she has a child. I'm absolutely amazed by what things I forget now.
@ C. Beth - I'm thoroughly jealous that Zoodle has been a better sleeper...though, after hearing some of the adventures you have in your household, I think you deserve it more than me. :)
I'm glad you liked the elephant! It made ShankRabbit and I smile seeing the photo on your blog.
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