Sleep...or lack there of...

Wait, your baby is how old?  He’s not sleeping through the night yet? Have you tried…..

     Honestly…I’ve heard that line more than necessary.  You know what is more frustrating than not getting any sleep?  Listening to everyone else’s magical tale of how they got their baby to sleep through the night.  When are people going to understand that having a baby is not a cookie-cutter type of situation?  Every baby is different, every parent is different, and for pete’s sake, every baby’s sleeping, eating, pooping, and playing pattern is different.  So just zip it already!

     I’m totally all for getting advice, WHEN I ASK FOR IT.  But if you yourself are a mom and know what it feels like to be sleep deprived, why on Earth would you give unsolicited advice about how to put a baby to sleep so that they sleep through the night?  You’re just going to end up the making the overly exhausted mother feel like an even bigger failure.

     On that note, Landry had his first night where he didn’t exactly sleep through the night,  but he also didn’t wake every two hours to eat.  No, I’m not going to list here step by step what we did to make that happen because guess what,  no matter what I say, your baby is different and you might get different result.  On the other hand if you’re interested, just ask, I don’t mind sharing.

     All I really wanted to tell you is that we all have been there and you aren’t alone.  Nothing can prepare you for the exhaustion you are going to experience as a mom.  Or guilt, but that’s a whole ‘nother blog post.  I just hope you find comfort in knowing that those bags under your eyes and your hair that hasn’t been washed in four days, is all very normal and accepted here in mommy-land. As hard as these nights and days can be, just embrace it, because all too soon that baby that we are getting up for, won’t be a baby anymore and you’ll miss the late night hours of mommy-baby time.

     Ending this blog post with my true feelings…there is nothing that compares to the love I have for my son…I’d stay up every single hour of every single day if I could just to soak up every little ounce of him.  I’m beyond blessed and I’ll never forget the struggle I endured to conceive such a miracle.  I’ll sleep when I’m dead :)