We have a 3.5 year age gap between our kids for good reason. We had to get enough sleep first after the first one to start to forget just how bad sleep deprivation can be. But this week, I’m left wondering how I could possibly have forgotten what this was like?
To be fair, we’ve had a good run of it. We did things a bit differently this time around, choosing the option that suited us better rather than the one society at large seemed to imply was right. So we co-sleep when necessary to maximize our sleep. Instead of worrying about bad habits, I rejoice that breastfeeding helps me put my daughter back to sleep. And mostly we get the shut eye that we need.
But last week she was sick and now her entire system is out of whack. Last night she settled to sleep and I laid her in her cot sometime after 7, where she slept beautifully. Until she didn’t.
Between 11pm and 1.30am she woke regularly for feeds. At 1.30am I was desperate to get some sleep, so I decided we’d try a new approach. I asked Charlie to fill a bottle of cows’ milk for her and see if she’d take it and go to sleep.
Twenty minutes later, the bottle of cows’ milk had been guzzled and the baby energiser bunny was ready for playtime. I knew we were in trouble when I laid her in the cot and instead of closing her eyes she started playing peekaboo with us and laughing. Funny how the very baby laugh that you gives you a warm fuzzy feeling during the day gives you a sickly ominous feeling at 2am when you see your precious hours of potential sleep slipping away.
In the end Charlie took her downstairs so I could get some sleep and wouldn’t be a danger on the road for my commute.
And at 6am when I was getting up, she was passed out cold looking like butter wouldn’t melt. Of course she was!
Looks like I’ll be skipping the House of Cards marathon on Netflix and heading for an early night tonight instead. What’s consoling me is that bad and all as last night was, it was nothing compared to what her big brother used to put us through, and these days he would sleep through anything. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
photo credit: demandaj via photopin cc
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