Just another night

No night is every the same in our house.  Sometimes, Avery is up all night, sometimes Brady pees the bed, sometimes Jackson falls out of the bed, and sometimes, on those special nights, its everything all wrapped up in one sleepless party. Last night, thankfully, was not one of those nights.  However, that does not make it restful.  Here is an average night with my beautiful family.

8pm: Avery is down and boys are in bed. I'm exhausted and contemplate going to bed but a) I live for post-bedtime time and b) I have stuff to do.

8:45: Eric is sawing z's on the couch, clearly exhausted himself. This happens approximately 72% of nights.

9:30: A HUGE clap of thunder makes me jump out of my skin. Eric doesn't flinch. I wait for the inevitable....yes, there it is. Avery is crying.  That's my cue to head upstairs.

9:45: Avery is back asleep. She fussed for a few minutes but popping the paci back in did the trick. I'm feeling pretty good, maybe I'll get another few hours of peace, so I am going to bed. A wide open bed!  Let's see how long this lasts (the bed and the silence).

10:00: Ok, not long.  Avery is back awake. How annoying, but thankfully I haven't fallen asleep yet. I'm just reading CNN.com about how Trump won Indiana, basically ensuring his victory as the Republican nominee. Reading while listening to Avery cry. Avery=America. 

10:05: Another short crying session complete.  Avery has still not come out of her crib...small victories.

10:40: Ok, now I'm pissed. Avery is awake again and like me, seems more pissed this time. I've been asleep for maybe 20 minutes and the temptation to nurse her back to sleep is strong. But I do some mental math and realize that although this is her third time to wake, Avery ate only three hours ago so she really isn't that starving.  I'm gonna let her cry.

10:55:  15 minutes of some pretty intense cries. I go in a few times to give her the paci but frankly, it seems to tick her off more. The last time does the trick and she gives in.  My bed is still empty, lonely, begging for someone to please, please, just sleep in it. I eagerly volunteer.

12:45.  Avery wakes. 5 hours since her last meal so I feed her and she goes right back to sleep. My bed? Still empty.

3:45: After three straight hours of sleep, Avery realizes that something is amiss. Too much sleeping! I debate letting her cry and work it out herself, but end up nursing her back to sleep, using the excuse that I don't want her to wake up the children.  Frankly, I just don't want to wake up myself.  After a quick bowl of cereal for me (breastfeeding is a high calorie burning activity), I am back in bed, which Eric has found his way to, as well as Jackson.

4:30:  Avery is crying. I poke Eric with instructions to give Avery her paci. Mercifully, it works!   Brady has joined the family so our bed is now full.  I'm too tired to care.

 

6:15: In a rare morning where Avery isn't the first to wake, Jackson wakes up asking for a lost paci. I find it and enjoy some morning snuggles, which he excels at.

6:30: "Avery is awake!" Jackson is first to hear her and is slightly more excited than me. I send him in to entertain her for five minutes while I revel in the last moments spent with my beloved. Until we meet again, bed.  I'd love to meet your for a elicit mid afternoon rendezvous, but my other loves are a jealous bunch.

So there it is. An average night in the Hoots house.  The biggest problem is that this is average, not a particularly bad night. And that it's been going on for 7 months (well, to a degree, 5 years).  My hope is that one day when I am nostalgic about my babies and romanticizing about how life was back then, I can bring myself down to reality.  I know these monsters are good at that.

 

I do love them so.