We will never sleep again.
You know, I find it kind of funny when moms talk about babies and sleep. I've been there -- the nights when Ava won't fall asleep and both Frank and I can barely keep our eyelids open or the mornings Ava wakes up at 4am and I feel like my body won't allow me to move. And while I know that I have it far easier than a majority of parents out there, it still makes me chuckle a bit when a mom talks about how she cannot wait to sleep again.
Sorry to break it to you, but once you become a mom, a great night of sleep is gone for good. And it's so worth every minute.
The Newborn Stage: Your baby has to eat every couple of hours to keep putting on weight and they won't sleep unless they're right on mama's chest. And who can fall fast asleep with a tiny, delicate baby sleeping right there with you?
The Baby Stage: Whether you have a great sleeper or not, there will always be late nights and early mornings and regression after regression where it seems that there is no sleep in sight.
The Toddler Stage: Welp, now that they can talk, they understand the power of rebelling and that toddler bed is put in place, getting them to sleep at night may be more difficult and letting them just lay in their cribs in the morning while you wake yourself up definitely won't happen when they can open the door.
The Elementary + Middle School Stage: One word: Homework. Hours and hours of late night projects and work after sports practices, typing out reports at midnight because it'll be way faster than the kids typing it out until 2am, and then we're up early on the weekends for games and competitions and still, a full night of sleep is nowhere in sight. Maybe next year? Oh yeah, and sleepovers at friends' houses are a whole different story.
The High School Stage: Curfews are in place but who can sleep when their teenager is out with friends and driving around on their own? Yep, I said it. Your baby will one day drive a car all by themselves. And then come the first dates and movie nights with friends and parties, dances and proms. I don't know about you but there's no way I'll ever fall asleep before my babies are home in their beds, safe and sound.
The College Stage: I think I may turn into an extreme worrier when college comes around because I partied and I saw the things that went on while I was in college. And I can't even imagine sleeping well during those four years when I know by babies are out and about and living their lives under another roof. Am I right or am I right?
...and when that next baby comes around the entire cycle starts again from scratch.
So all of this "I can't wait to sleep again" talk is a whole lot of wishful thinking and I'm not complaining one bit. Isn't it funny how you don't realize much about your own parents until you become one yourself? I just totally get it now and I'll take being a mom over sleeping well any night of the week.
