Sleep? Who needs THAT?

So, over the course of the last however many weeks - so easy to lose track of them - it has become apparent to me that "getting a good nights' sleep" is not a perk of motherhood. During Don's last underway, James just decided he'd start coming into our room and climbing into bed with me around 3 or 4 in the morning. Really I welcomed the fact that he'd climb in bed and go back to sleep, because before that he'd just get up and decide he was ready to start the day. It didn't matter to him that it was still dark outside, he was awake and it was time to play. A squirmy, wiggly 2 year old is not exactly sleep conducive, but at the same time even restless sleep is better than none!

A few nights ago, after James had come and crawled in bed with Don and I, I had just drifted back to sleep when something else was just...not right. I woke up realizing Paige was calling me from her room. Paige never does that - but she was calling me, and said she was scared. I crawled out from the James and Don sandwich I was in and went to rescue my sweet pea. She had a dream about a monster on the wall. It threw her in the trash. "But it's ok mama," she said "I climbed right back out!". Still scared her though, enough to not want to sleep alone. She asked if she could come crawl in bed with daddy and I, and I chuckled as I told her there was just no room - and to slide over so I could climb in bed with her. I stayed there for the remainder. Her bed is pretty comfy, but then any bed is comfy when you are cuddling with your babies.

Then there was this last Thursday, wee morning hours. James came into my room as always, but he was whimpering. I flipped up the blanket and said "come on bud". He climbed in bed and then scooted right out again. That's just about the exact moment that I smelled it - and I knew. UGH. Puke. Yep. He was sick. I glanced at the clock, and really wished I hadn't when I realized it was 1:45am. So I got out of bed, stripped James' bed and threw his sheets in the wash. Remade his bed and rocked him back to sleep. He was sick a few times the next morning, but as with any 24 hour bug he recovered splendidly.

For the last 2 years I've wondered when I would finally start to get decent sleep - and last night drove home that it will surely never happen. Poor Paige. Just as I found myself on some tropical beach, basking in the sun and drinking a cocktail out of a pineapple shell, the cabana boy came to adjust my beach umbrella and said "Mom, I threw up..." Funny - that cabana boy sounded alot like my little princess. The fog closed in on my tropical paradise as I responded to another unfortunate episode of regurgitation. This time it was 3:30am. Sheets went into the wash, and she got settled back in. 4:15 rolls around, and James is back in my room... "come on bud". He climbs in bed and drifts back to sleep - 10 minutes later Paige is back in my room, sick again. I got up to help her, and James followed. SOOOO, we all got up. At 4:30. Nick Jr. has some pretty stupid cartoons at 4:30 in the morning.

Puke, poo, attitudes, fighting. Whining, crying. Worry.

Kisses, hugs, giggles, laughter, tickles. Love, growth, learning.

Crazy to think we moms volunteer ourselves for this...and even MORE crazy to come to the realization that I wouldn't want it any other way.

Though I must say, if I could just have 6 solid hours of sleep...once a week would be great! I'd be incredibly grateful.

Until then, thank God for Keurig... :)