The Wee Hours

I love my daughter.I love my daughter. This is something I repeat over and over because it’s true and it’s fun to say. I can also prove that I love my daughter. How? You ask. Well, because I also love sleep. Sleep, which has become much more precious during motherhood. That same sleep that I squandered as a young married lady: staying out late with our friends, watching movies and living life. Sleep, who’s worth I truly learned 2+ years ago, while I was sitting on the floor in the living room. Bubba in the swing, my arm swaying back and forth holding the pacifier in his mouth, my head bobbing with exhaustion. Yes. That sleep. At that point, I used to repeat I love my son. I have yet again come to the understanding that sleep is to take a back seat. I love my daughter.We are quite lucky right now as Little Bear will eat (or snack) right around 9 pm and then sleep a good 5 or 6 hours. Sounds awesome at not yet 3 months old, right? Yes, it’s awesome. But, I’m the Einstein who doesn’t go to bed at 9 or 10 or even 11 (especially with the Olympics on) at night. I’m the smarty-pants who has decided to meander up to bed somewhere between 12 and 1am. Only to drag my exhausted hindquarters out of bed to attend to Little Bear around 2 or 3 in the morning. A young gun I am no longer. What I find most interesting is that there is an enormous difference between 2am and 3am.At 2am I’m wishing she’ll just fuss for a moment and go back to sleep- not yet, baby girl, shhh.At 3am I’m up without major complaint. Let’s do this.At 2am it's chilly and my hair is a disaster.At 3am I can easily locate a blanket and my hair has stayed in its ponytail without much fuss.At 2am I know the next time I’ll be up is at FIVE AM!At 3am there’s the possibility that it’ll be light the next time we are up.2am or 3am? You say what’s the difference? I say it’s huge!When you have a baby they say “You’ll be tired, make sure you sleep when the baby sleeps.”…*blank stare* ... Do you have a toddler at your house? No dice my friend.When Bubba was a baby I could definitely sleep when he slept. We took many naps at the same time, I didn’t know it then, but it was luxurious.I happen to currently have two fantastic children that refuse to nap at the same time. Little Bear naps hard in the morning, Bubba goes down for a snooze after lunch. What about Mommy? Those visits in the wee hours of the morning tend to catch up with me around 3pm. But, I’ve found a band-aid solution: Coffee. I used to drink one single cup of coffee in the morning. Now, it's two kids, two cups. Two thumbs up. From what I understand I’ll get to catch up on sleep when the kids start grade school or when they go to college or when they move out or never. But, I do know, it’s worth it. I love my son and I love my daughter. See you at 3am.Be Great,M