Sleep...such a good idea

If you are a parent, sleep is a bit of a touchy subject.  When we had #1, we bought a book that told us how to put our baby on schedule that would result in him sleeping through the night at 2 months (or something like that).  I LOVE schedules!!  And we had baby #1 on a great schedule.  We did just what the book told us to do and at 9 months, our sweet #1 was still waking up early in the morning to eat...Funny thing is...he is still an early riser...so were we not doing it right or is he just maybe naturally programmed to wake up early.  He also gave up his naps at a really early age (still crying about that). #2 was on a good schedule and was always a better sleeper than #1.  As she has grown, we have noticed that she needs more sleep.  She continues to need naps and usually sleeps later than #1 in the morning...she is  also a night owl.  She wakes up around 9:00 p.m.  Now #3...

First...let me say that I haven't got a full night sleep in oh...5 years.  It is always something.  Prior to baby being born, it is being uncomfortable and having to go to the bathroom every five minutes.  Once baby is born, it is having to feed every three hours.  These are the hardest nights, I think.  But even after nursing is over, it is always something--a nightmare, wetting the bed (baby not me), a drink of water...something.

I write this because something monumental happened last night.  I fed #3 at 10:30 pm before I went to bed.  He slept until 5:30 am. I got 7 consecutive hours of sleep!!!  I'm a whole new woman...okay not really.  I'm still tired.  I've been sleep deprived for 5 years.  That isn't going to go away with one night of good sleep but I am SO SO thankful that #3 slept those blessed 7 hours.  Let me just say that of my 3 kids, he is on the most inconsistent schedule.  I feed him about every 3 hours.  That is the only thing that I stick to.  I try to make sure he gets some kind of nap between feedings.  Sometimes he sleeps the whole the time and sometimes he doesn't.  Sometimes he goes to sleep immediately after eating and sometimes he stays up for a bit and then takes a nap.  I don't even really know if he has put himself on a schedule...I'm too busy trying to keep up with #1, #2 and the mounds of laundry.  And then look at him...sleeping through the night.  I could just kiss him all over...okay...I do kiss him all over.

....And then before I know it, they will be sleeping until noon and I will be using my third voice on them and reminiscing about the days when I could hold them in my arms...and they needed me...even in the middle of the night.  You know?

tara