SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT

The principle of opposition operates in the fact that you can't really appreciate something until you've experienced the opposite, so being grateful for an uninteruppted night's sleep is a big one for anyone who has ever had a baby. Those first few months are so hard. How you can give around-the-clock care for a completely dependent and uncommunicative (with words anyway) infant, a being who you love more than you can imagine, but who also is so incredibly demanding, is amazing to me. And I've done it five times! I think we definitely have help from angels to get us through those completely sleep-deprived months.

So even though my youngest is two and I usually get a good night's rest (other than the occasional five to ten minutes to help a child with a leg ache or bad dream), a couple weeks ago I was up several nights in a row with barfy kids (is there any more disgusting smell than vomit (not to mention how disgusting-sounding that word is)? I'm a nurse and have smelled a lot of gross smells, but I still think that one still might be the worst).

And just three nights ago I was up scrubbing my bathroom floor at 3:00 A.M. Fun times. I'm sure you can guess why: a child who begged for more drinks before bed, which we unwisely, although not without warnings, gave. In fact, this child laughed at my husband's warning that he would be up 48 times to go to the bathroom. No, he just saved up all 48 times and it ended up all over the floor.

Anyhoo, going without a decent night's sleep really makes me appreciate all those nights that I actually get to sleep all the way through. Most the time, actually. What a blessing! I just can't function without good sleep. Sleep is one of those essentials that you don't really appreciate until you don't have it for a while (like food, water, air... :0)

And just for the record: no, I do not let my preschooler sleep though the night on the couch, but it's a funny sleep picture. This child has a history of falling asleep in funny places or positions: standing up leaning against his bed, behind the door, on the couch, and my personal favorite: under the laundry basket, among many others.

Yay for sleep!