2. Write a blog post inspired by the word: sleep.
This is an extremely uplifting message to all parents of young children.
“Last night was even MORE exciting than usual because after being up with him from two to three, Laina woke me up around 3:45. Nothing major. Just needed a quick hug and to be tucked in again. I did my duty and found my way back to my bed with my eyes closed.
The MOST exciting part came about 15 minutes after that when I awoke to a presence at the end of my bed. Let’s just call this presence “Maile” and let’s just add that instead of speaking or shaking me awake, this presence was sighing deeply.”
In 2010 I had expected the sleep to start happening again for me, but was disappointed:
“It’s natural for people to sleep right? It’s just something we all have to do. We simply cannot function all of our lives on two to three hour chunks of sleep at a time.
Or can we?
Because it’s been three hot damn years and I’M STILL GETTING UP!”
And then in 2011 I wrote that even still my children were not allowing me to sleep:
“No sooner was one out of my bed did I find another crawling in. It was like they were on some kind of tag team mission to keep me from sleeping for any longer than an hour at a time.”
“I willed myself not to think about how many hours are between 2am and 6am and how that lack of sleep probably caused it.
DON’T think about the HOURS! Just think about how you FEEL…”
Well parents…it’s 2016 and I have an update to share. I. Am. Sleeping. PHENOMENALLY. Aside from an occasional sleepwalking Kainoa, nobody is waking me up. On the weekends, I can sleep in until 9am with nary a whisper if I wanted. Nobody is screaming for me. Nobody is standing at the edge of my bedding willing me awake with a creepy stare. Nobody needs water or to be covered up.
The question is will YOU ever sleep again and this here is a powerful message of hope and encouragement. You WILL sleep again parents!! Maybe not tonight. Maybe not next week. Maybe not next month or next year. In fact, it might take ten very looooong years, but it will happen eventually and it will be amazing.
Tina says
My kid is 8, and I still don’t sleep as well as I used to. It’s like I can still hear the baby monitor! You give me hope that eventually my sleep will improve.
Mama Kat says
Those baby monitors gave us PTSD. When my baby niece leaves for the night I’m still jumpy thinking I hear her all the time!
Stef says
Oh, man. I remember those years. I have 5 kids. Do you know how many years that was of little to no sleep? I am guessing about 13 years. You know it has been a long time when you sleep for 5 hours and wake up rested. Now my oldest is 16 and youngest 7. Yes! But instead of waking me up in the middle of the night….they won’t let me go to sleep at a decent hour. So I am looking forward to age 70….when people tell you to sleep. 30 more years to go.
Mama Kat says
It has to have been at LEAST 13 years! I definitely remember craving ANY amount of uninterrupted sleep. 5 hours would have been the best gift ever. I know my kids won’t let me sleep anymore when they’re teens. I’m scared. lol Cheers to 70 when they can stay up at night worrying about US for a change. ;)
Lori says
So true! That creepy feeling of someone watching you, then you open your eyes and there’s a face right there! That happens to me even now that my daughter is in her 20’s. Usually it’s because I go to bed early and she’s still up and needs to (or think she needs to) ask me something right then. That last picture – so precious!
Mama Kat says
Waking to a staring face is a sure way to a heart attack. I don’t care how cute they are!
Amy says
My son is a month and a half old i can’t even imagine the price I would pay to sleep for a straight 8 hours!
Mama Kat says
Newborns are the most DIFFICULT creatures on this planet!! Add in a sporadic sleep schedule and we are absolute zombies. Taking care of my baby niece has been a big reminder!
kelley says
Oh my heck she is adorable, and there is a definite resemblance. You never sleep again after you children. You can’t sleep when they are little, you can’t sleep when they are teenagers and then when you are old your body won’t let you sleep. :/
Mama Kat says
I think I’ve hit this magic soft spot where they are not teens yet and they’re not restless babies. I’m going to cherish it for exactly ONE more year before it all comes tumbling down. ;)
Vanessa says
Look at those cute sleeping babies!!
I was free. Seriously. 4 kids back to back. #TeamNoSleep for years. They were finally all out of my bed, my room and into theirs. Then what do I go and do? I decide sleep is for the weak and plan for another one. So now add 19ish months to that of team no sleep. At this point I think I’m basically just functioning on caffeine and insanity.
They’re lucky they are so adorable ;)
Christy says
We brought our youngest home from Liberia at 11 months old. She had almost starved (crooked trachea). She woke up for milk in the night until she was about 7. Sometimes multiple times in the night. It was truly blissful when she stopped needing that assurance. Our oldest son (now 16) would come in when he was about 5 and tap his finger on my hubby’s temple if he needed something in the night. Hubby broke him of that only to have him rub his arm or his leg…hubby wasn’t sure which was worse, lol. These children are so worth the loss of sleep, but it is truly wonderful when they are older and not so needful…
madamdreamweaver says
I was reading through link-ups and hit upon Stephanie Jeannot’s link post and it’s not on any of the topics. Seems to be about something else entirely. Just letting you know.