Last night looked promising, with a quiet house and the last kid bedded at 10 pm. My eyes were wide open and I did laundry, read a book, then finally became sleepy by 2 am. Just as I cozy up to my pillow, there are sounds of a sick child in the other room (Mom radar says: Carter. Top Bunk. Vomit.)
I leap out of bed, like Elastigirl in fast forward, one hand reaches into the bathroom to swipe a washcloth as the other hand flips on the hall light, and I am at his side. Poor baby. Bathtime. Cleanup. Sheets, pillows, blankets folded up in one big wad down to the basement laundry. Start the load and basket up the clean clothes out of the dryer. Gray wakes and giggles at the middle-of-the-night excitement. All three of us have a party watching cartoons and folding laundry. 3 am passes us by.
At morning, all are miraculously sleeping and I assess that no one will be going to school. I make the necessary call and see hubby off to work in my car as his decided not to start today. As he pulls out of the garage I reach longingly and yearn... no Starbucks...
With all three boys home, there was no window for a Mommy nap. Instead, delirium kicked in and I caught up on all the laundry, made soup, read a book, played mom, and baked pumpkin seeds. All on maybe 4 hours of sleep in the past 24 hours. If that.
I read the sad story of another mother this afternoon and I wonder if she knows all too well the midnight steamy bathroom remedy for her baby's barky cough. Or the sweet half-asleep chatter, as you kneel beside the bathtub in the middle of the night and your son says I love you Mommy and Thank you for taking care of me. The wrenching of your heart in the most tender corner, twisting with hurt for how much you'd do absolutely anything for your child to be ok. To know he's loved. And that you will always be there to take care of him.
Or the feeling that a hundred days of no sleep is worth even just one moment of this marvelous thing called Motherhood.
Cross posted at The Chicago Moms Blog.
So beautiful, Steph! You are such a great mom!
ReplyDeleteJane, Pinks & Blues
Oh, as I say with tears in my eyes, it's really worth no sleep at all. I'm so thankful to be a mommy.
ReplyDeletei'm right there w/ you on the no sleep thing right now! (okay, well, not MUCH sleep, let's just say that)
ReplyDeleteBut--it's so, so worth it. AMEN, Steph! :)
so beautifully said! i never thought i would be happy just getting 4 hours sleep in a row & now if i ever get it (very rare) its a miracle - your 100% right though, its worth every sleepless moment :)
ReplyDeleteI strice to be teh kind of mom you are steph. I am SO thanksful to have you as such an important part of my life!
ReplyDelete*Jen
Yes, being a Mom is worth any sacrifice. Hope you get a good night's sleep soon!
ReplyDeleteIt is SO worth it!! Even when all we need is just some rest.
ReplyDeleteI definately know the lack of sleep thing, I am just barely getting to sleep again after weeks of crazy interupted nights every single night. Sam would FINALLY go down for keeps just before the alarm would go off.
ReplyDeleteI keep saying "and this too shall pass" but after 18 years of parenting I'm still doing it.
We do need sleep, though. LOL I bet even elastagirl had to sleep from time to time. I'm hoping you are able to catch up soon and that the boys are feeling better.
ReplyDeleteBritt...oh what can I say? I think that poor thing has PPD, among other problems.
She needs help, but nobody can help her if she doesn't want it. I hope she gets her act together for those babies sake!
Its 3:11am, and I'm still up with baby, so I have no idea what you are talking about.
ReplyDeleteI'm starting to think I just might have mutant genes to be able to still "function" on this little sleep (I'm using air quotes as I say that, because "function" has now become entirely relative).
I hope tonight was better for you, because, seriously? Seriously.
Oh and I totally agree that Brit has PPD, and I've thought that ever since she suddenly got divorced. Poor thing is a runaway train.
Geat post Steph, Thanks very inspirering!!!!
ReplyDeleteBeing a mother is a wonderful gift from God, Yes it come with a great deal of pain (He said it would) But I would trade it for having my husband's part of the curse (I prefer my share of the curse)
You have such a wonderful and touching way with words.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. And you know that only another mom could call a post about vomit in the middle of the night beautiful. ;-)
ReplyDeleteWell.....I do hope you get some much needed sleep soon. But the words the little ones say are oh so sweet and worth it all. Hugs your way dear friend.
ReplyDeleteSleep? What's that? You don' need no *Bucks, girl! You da WonderMama!!
ReplyDeleteYou never told me Jeff's car was on the fritz! Good grief.
ReplyDeletePoint made, by the way!
Lori
It's amazing how much we can do on so little sleep! Beautifully stated!
ReplyDeleteThat is not fun! We didn't have a good night here last night either...with both kids awake for different reasons at 3am, I will be a walking zombie as well :)
ReplyDeleteyou write so beautifully. everyone seems to be sick. prayers said for you, your family.
ReplyDeleteyou write so beautifully. everyone seems to be sick. prayers said for you, your family.
ReplyDeleteI love how you said that...exactly what my heart is thinking and feeling - no matter WHAT time of the day or night it is, no matter if it is barf or giggles that I am getting, it is SOOOOO worth being a mommy, and I would never give up even 1 second of it!!!
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written. And I know that tiredness very well.
ReplyDeleteThe feeling of no sleep dulls in comparison to the magnitude of the feeling of the love that comes from your child, does it?
ReplyDeleteReally touching post, Stephanie. And while I may be in the majority of your readers (being a dad and all), I can somewhat relate to the no sleeping, particularly with our 2-year-old who's prone to croupe.
ReplyDeleteI normally can sleep through most things, but when he's cough/barking in the middle of the night, I'm the one who's up like Elasti-Guy to check on him. My ears are tuned for night coughs I guess.
Hope everyone's feeling better today!
Oh gosh, I hope you get some rest soon girl! You're a great mom Steph!
ReplyDeleteMy baby seems to be his sweetest in the middle of the night - he's no fool! The cuddling and relief that you are there to soothe make the exhaustion a little more bearable.
ReplyDeleteOh Steph. :( I hear ya, sister. I'm thinking of you.
ReplyDeleteBetter days are ahead...for all of us hopefully.
xoxo
Oh sweetie. =( You're such a good mama. I would bring you Starbucks if I lived even remotely close to you. xo.
ReplyDeleteAh, that's one sound that can wake a mom from the soundest sleep. As flu season approaches, I just keep praying it will bypass our house!
ReplyDeleteMy pneumonia has been enough to deal with.
Oh Steph .... sending HUGE virtual hugs to you. Having just gone through the plague here, I can identify with the blurr that those days can bring. But I can also agree with you wholeheartedly that you would never trade any of this for the world. Being a mom is a true blessing.
ReplyDeleteAlthough ... I would have begged and pleaded to have hubby drive to Starbucks and bring me that coffee first thing in the morning.
Hope the little ones get healthy soon and that you don't come down with the pukes yourself cause who would come in and save Elasta girl?
No starbucks?
ReplyDeleteyikes, that's hard alone, let alone without sleep.
I do hope you all get sleep tonight.
Mommyhood is wonderful like that isn't?
You are the BEST Mom. Leave it my dear Steph to make 3am baths, vomit clean up and laundry sound like fun!
ReplyDeleteGirl I am with ya. Last night I got maybe 2 hours of sleep. :-) Oh btw I love the new header and button. I will get mine updated one day. LOL!
ReplyDeleteYou have such a wonderful attitude. I hope he's feeling better. Your note about the cough this morning made me so sad. I hope you all get the well-deserved rest you need soon.
ReplyDeleteSleepless nights, the worst part of parenthood. Hope you get some sleep soon
ReplyDelete