If you’ve been following this blog, you probably know that girlie is a climber. We put her in a toddler bed just before she turned two because she was climbing out of her crib.
For the first few months, she did great. We were pleasantly surprised. But over the summer she started doing what we would have expected – coming to visit in the middle of the night. Sometimes she just stares at us until we wake up. Other nights she climbs over my husband’s face to come snuggle with me.
With the boy, I was a pro at going right back to sleep after taking care of his nightly needs. But since I turned 40, I just can’t go back to sleep.
Last night she came in, and all she needed was one snuggle and one song to go right back to sleep. I was up for three more hours. Hot flashes, mind racing, Candy Crush frustration, Pinterest. Everything was keeping me from going back to sleep.
Usually, after an hour or so, I start cleaning. Tonight I did the bathrooms and organized the playroom. My husband knows when he smells bleach in the morning to give me some space until the third cup of coffee has kicked in. He offers some compliments about the playroom. I just look up from my coffee and grunt. He gets the kids dressed. I look up again and mumble, “Thanks”. He changes Girlie’s diaper and I make a snide remark about how many I change.
Just keep the coffee going, please. Put on Amazon Prime so the kids keep quiet while the caffeine is slowly bringing my body back to its human form. At this point, hugs and compliments are nice. Coffee is better.
The day goes on. The kids play outside while I watch from the deck, reading a book and counting the minutes until nap time.
Photo by Ben124. 