Sleep My Child, and Peace Attend Thee

"all through the night".

For about two and a half weeks, Samuel only woke up once a night, occasionally twice.

This period in his life is now over. I miss it.

But at least I've done this before, and I know it doesn't last forever. My mom's words, "you'll just be tired for six months," keep running through my head, and believe it or not, they're still comforting. Seven hours of broken sleep a night is not, I'm discovering, going to kill me, and it's not even going to turn me into a monster, though it might try. You do what's needed, and by God's grace, it can even be done cheerfully. And sometimes I fall apart, but then I've done that, and I can keep going. Again, by God's grace.

I mean that last part. Me, Jessica Jean, I need at least nine hours of sleep and coffee and good food and nice people and no headaches to be a nice person. But apparently the Holy Spirit working through me can make do with less. And He's kind enough to give me some sleep and coffee and good food and kind people. (btw, I read in Fr. Reardon's book that the actual Hebrew in Judges says that the Holy Spirit "put on" Gideon, as if he were a piece of armor. Isn't that an awe-inspiring picture? Reminds me of the Curse of Chalion, except this was REAL. Was that just an OT thing, or is that what Christians are supposed to be: the Holy Spirit in sheep's clothing?)

Okay, I know I'm babbling. But I just have to add: I'd prefer, I think, to get five hours of sleep straight, and then wake up every hour on the hour after that, than to get four two hour stretches. It's funny what a difference it makes not to wake up in the middle of your REM cycle. Last night I got a 3 1/2 hour stretch. It was nice.


I've also discovered that I handle night-wakings a lot better if the last thing I tell myself before falling asleep is, "Remember, you're going to have to wake up to feed Sam." Otherwise, when he wakes me up with his grunting-turn-crying, I'm too confused for a few minutes to figure out what's going on, to his and my frustration.


This boy is also capable of keeping himself awake till he's crying not out of hunger or pain, but just out of tiredness. This mostly happens during the afternoon, when he'll spend five hours or so mostly awake. It ends when he can't take it anymore and wails, which is our signal to bink him and rock him to sleep somewhere quiet.


Also, while we're on sleep issues, I've discovered that while walks are great for both my physical and mental health, they cause my children to have nap schedules that don't match. Because Brie gets stimulated by walks (there are, after all, often ducks to look at and trees to point out), she tends to nap when we get home. But that's just when Sam, having been lulled to dreamland about two seconds after being put in the Baby Bjorn, is ready to be UP, UP, UP for the afternoon hours. I can't decide whether this is good (because kids are easier to handle one at a time) or bad (because I don't get a kid-free hour or two). I think it just is.


'Kay, I really AM stopping now, because all this talk is making me think longingly of bed.

-Jess