*Please note I am writing this instead of taking a nap. I need a nap but I also feel a need to document this so I can look back one day and say "I can't believe I survived"*
When your a new mom you hear things like "4 month sleep regression" and think psh..."I'll get through it no problem." or even worse "it won't happen to me". Sure there are babies and moms out there who gracefully embrace life without too much hassle but if you like most moms, you probably have a baby who will go through tough crap like sleep regression. When Audra was headed into 4 months old I went to bed with a permanent cringe in my body. We had a rough 2 weeks but then all of a sudden she was sleeping through the night and everyone was honky dory. Enter the 8-10mth sleep regression, baby's first cold, a new developmental leap, possibly teething, possible growth spurt. Good bye sleep. Good bye sanity.
The Lord has a sense of humor for sure. I prayed for more moments spent with Audra asleep on my chest because it hadn't happened in so long. Now it happens a lot. Usually before the sun comes up.
Now I do consider myself pretty lucky. Seeing as Audra was born smack dab in the center of cold and flu season she never had anything more than a runny nose for only 24hrs. She is truly a happy baby. Or according to the lady at Aldi's yesterday "the perfect baby". Follow by the question "does she EVER cry?". Why yes nice lady, she does cry but she chooses to do it at 4am. Because...why the heck not?
I mentioned before that Audra has been waking up before the crack of dawn and I typically have to nurse her back to sleep. Add that to everything aforementioned and you have the perfect storm of all things dreadful.
Our nights consist of going to bed when Audra goes to bed but now I have that permanent cringe again. She now will wake up several times during the night. The first one or two she is happy to be rocked back to sleep but if it's near 4am she's hungry and will not be satisfied with anything but eating. If I'm lucky she will then go back to sleep for a while. This morning I was not so lucky. The girl was up and babbling at quarter till 6. It was still dark outside. "The sun ain't even warm yet" as Lorelai would say. She was at least happy. I was only happy there was coffee brewing.
Our days consist of lots of saline drops, booger sucking, and vicks rubbing. I am honestly so tired of hearing the snot in her nose and sucking it out. Or worse yet, hearing it and going to suck it out to find that there is nothing in her nose and it's more in her throat and chest. I finally gave her some Tylenol and a steam today which seemed to help. We've also raised one end of her crib so she sleeps at a slight angle. I am still in doubt that it's working but I'm too lazy to lower it yet.
I have read in her Wonder Weeks leaps that she is at the point where she may temporarily resort back to her newborns habits. Being more fussy, eating more frequently and sleeping less. Whether or not this is really what is happening I feel like the mom of a newborn again. Sleep deprived and filled with thoughts of "why did I have a kid again?"
Oh yeah because moments like these are amazing.
And moments like this are exciting and hilarious.
First perogies and with her frenemy Sue the cat.
But at last we've made it to Friday. I find joy in making it to Fridays, immense joy. I continue to pray over this sweet child that her cold will disappear and that sleep will resume. I pray for patience and strength because nobody likes a child who whines. And I pray for a coffee cup that stays full so I can stay sane.
And when all else fails you put on a pretty bow and make it through the day.
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