6 to 8 hour stretches of uninterrupted, blissful sleep become a distant memory as late night and early morning feedings and diaper changes take their toll. The last time I remember being this exhausted was when Matthew was a newborn.
Elizabeth is typically up at least two or three times in the middle of the night, roughly every two hours. I can usually set my clock to it. I've been using the alarm on my iPhone to anticipate her waking up. I figure that if I can be awake before she wakes up crying, I would be less disoriented and more prepared to take care of her.
Some nights, Bill and I tag team feedings so I can try to catch up on sleep. Even when we tag team it, I still set my iPhone alarm to wake me a few minutes before she wakes up so I can pump milk while Bill gives her previously expressed breast milk. Our strategy generally works well, except when Elizabeth is up every hour or less - like last night. And that's when this dynamic duo becomes the delirious and disoriented duo. Apparently whatever I say is incomprehensible and incoherent and Bill starts to hear Elizabeth's cries in his head - whether she's awake or not - and we can't make sense of each other or anything - like last night.
At 1:57am, I was half asleep, half listening for Elizabeth. My iPhone alarm had gone off a few minutes earlier. Soon enough, Elizabeth woke up and her cries were loud and clear through the baby monitor. I dragged myself out of bed and into her room to feed her and pump.
At 3:04am, I had just gotten done pumping and was storing the milk in the fridge when I heard Elizabeth crying. I headed back to her room. Bill, bleary-eyed, was already in there getting her out of her crib. We were surprised to see each other.
Me: Oh, you're here.
Bleary-eyed Bill: You're quick!
Me: Uh, I haven't gone back to bed yet. I just got done pumping.
Bleary-eyed Bill: Oh...I thought you hopped out of bed right after I did. You go back to bed. I got this. I'll just rock her back to sleep.
Bill settled into the rocker-recliner with Elizabeth. I went back to bed and set my iPhone alarm for the next anticipated feeding time.
At 4:37am, Bill woke me up. I had not heard my iPhone alarm yet.
Bill: She's crying.
Delirious Me: Huh? What? Where? No, she's not crying. Look! See? (I showed Bill my iPhone).
Bill: Really?
Very confused, Bill turned up the volume on the baby monitor. I heard her crying. Then I saw the red lights on the monitor - the visual indicator that Elizabeth was indeed crying. Then I looked at my iPhone, still disoriented and delirious, but suddenly realizing that my iPhone was NOT the baby monitor. OH!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
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2 comments:
Oh bless your tired little heart. I remember those days oh too well! But, they don't last long and hopefully soon she will be sleeping through the night, so you both can get some much needed rest.
oh my gosh....I HAVE FORGOTTEN THIS ALREADY!! This post was hilariously written! Too funny...but before you even know it girl, you'll be sleeping through the night and the next chapter will have begun.
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