7 Quick Takes on Sleep (March 20th edition)

-1-

The hardest part about solo parenting?  Lack of sleep.  There is no way to roll over and go back to sleep.  If R is crying:  I am the only one here.  When it's time to get the kids to school:  I am the only one here.  There are no naps, there is no break, there is no time to sleep.  And since R was sick, I'm operating on a severe deficit.  I do miss K, but even more, I miss SLEEP.

-2-

The sad thing is that he will be back on Saturday night, and he will be tired.  Jet lagged.  So I will not get to sleep.  

-3-

Even worse, I signed up to bring the youth breakfast this Sunday.  So I have to get up early and make breakfast and make sure it is there EARLY.  Youth (junior high and high schoolers) go to church at 9:30 for their youth service, then go to the main service with the adults too.  We usually just drop them off.  Scratch that.  We usually just drop them off.  K usually takes them and I sleep or lounge around until 9:30 because we don't have to be at church for main service until 10:45.  Nice to be a grownup who doesn't teach for the kids (birth to 6th grade teachers go to a short service at 9:30.  They teach one month on, one month off, so they don't miss main service all year long.).  

-4-

You know how you should never ever drop the kids off wearing PJs.  Because that's the day that you'll have to go in the school or something?  That hasn't happened to me yet.  But I think about it every time I leave the house in pj/lounge type pants.  Because even if college students seem to wear them as outdoor clothes, that doesn't make them outdoor clothes.  I usually remember to pull jeans on instead at least.

-5-

Sleep is the most wonderful thing in the universe right now.  If it were a monetary unit, 9 straight hours of sleep would be worth more than all the gold in the world.  Who am I kidding?  If I could just get 6 straight hours, or 5... or 4... Gah.  How did I deal with having a newborn?  I am such a wimp.  

-6-

Newborns ARE hard.  I think that it's the hardest time in babydom.  But they're so cute and sweet and snuggly and they SMELL good.  5 year olds?  Not so great.  Especially when you're tired and cranky.  But then he waves Elmo at me and says "El-MO!" and I melt.

-7-

Adding to my sleep deficit this week - R has what appears to be hives.  He was up a lot last night, miserable.  I'm waiting on a call back from the pediatrician's office.  Good news:  I don't have to drive to Big City for therapy, which is good, because I'm really too tired to drive on the highway right now.  Bad news:  On top of having the rash, R is missing school and therapy.  Oh well.  Maybe we'll get to take a nap next time he takes the antihistamine?  Which would be VERY good news for me.  Yawn....

And that's all I have to write today.  For more Quick Takes, go here.

Comments

[Kacie]

You sound like YOU need a weekend off! Bless you through this stage of newborn parenting!

[Tracy]

Oh, I'm sorry, I looked at this and it did look like I am parenting a newborn. But no, I was just saying that newborns are hard, that I'm losing so much sleep this week that I was wondering how I managed that stage :-). No newborns here, just a 5 yo who isn't sleeping well because of illnesses and then I have to get up in the morning anyway!

[Amy]

Hopefully a dose of Benedryl (or whatever) will clear up those hives AND get you both some much needed sleep! Hang in there!

My 7 Quick Takes post today is a random collection of thoughts as I'm just returning from a blogcation. Have a great~ and hopefully restful~ weekend! :)

[Lerin]

You poor thing! I hope you get some sleep tonight!!!