I want to be in all senses of the words, All. Things. Mama.
As far back as I can remember I've wanted to be a mom, not just any mom, but the mom that stays home with her kids full time. The mom who loves even when she is not loved back, who can't breathe without thinking of her kids first. The mom who loves teaching, playing, cooking, baking, laughing, and kissing owies. The mom who is ALL THINGS MAMA. My husband and I scrimp so that dream can be fulfilled. Being a mom is not part time for me. It is something that has captured my heart. All of the going ons of my life start with thoughts of my kids. My kids consume my love and my life and I allow it because, with God's help they are the essence of what makes me a mother. This is me...

kids: the reason for moms

kids: the reason for moms

Sunday, November 21, 2010

I sleep through the night..most of the time.

How many people have heard these sarcastic remarks after announcing they are going to be parents? "After you have kids you'll spend the next 18-20 years not getting a full night of sleep." Or my personal favorite: "Congrats, say good bye to sleep" followed by a huge bout of laughter.  NOT funny nor original and a real nice way to make something happy and positive into something negative. Although, in the last three nights the no sleep thing has been somewhat true in my life, besides those last three nights, and since having two kids, I've been getting some pretty darn good sleep. And it isn't because my husband is getting up with the kids.
I can't decide.  Was I just blessed with great little sleepers or did my husband and I do something miraculous to train up sleeping babies?  A little of both possibly?  Who knows.  I do know that when we brought each baby home they started sleeping through the night quite quickly.  Melanie stopped getting up to eat after 12 weeks and Easton only took 4 weeks.  We also found that both our babies preferred sleeping on their tummies.  Go ahead, say it, "You're not supposed to let them sleep like that!"  Well, we did.  And they survived and they got LOTS of sleep.  The second we put them on their tummies from their back they would fall asleep and I'm talking THE VERY SECOND.  I remember the first night we gave in and let Melanie go on her tummy.  She was laying in the bassinet on her back fussing, crying, and definitely not sleeping.  We turned her onto her tummy and it was INSTANT sleep.  Keep in mind, both Easton and Melanie were huge when they were born and were able to lift their heads the day they were born, so we were not worried about letting them sleep on their tummies.  Doctors do not recommend letting babies sleep on their tummies and I'm not saying this is what you should do.  Just saying it worked for us.
We also rarely let the kids sleep with us.  If they're sick, that's one exception, but other than that they are on their own.  I think this taught them to put themselves to sleep, because we also just laid them down and left them alone.
Every baby is different.  Who knows how we really got good sleeper babies.  I'd like to think it was my good mommy techniques, but maybe God knew I wouldn't be good to anyone if I didn't get enough sleep.  Maybe just maybe He was giving not only me, but the whole world a gift by letting me have sleep because He knew what I would be like to others without it.  I would probably be a monster. :)
 

2 comments:

  1. I've loved reading about your babies being good sleepers. I also had big babies and they slept better on their tummies. Not sayin' that's best for every baby! I think my babies had big appetites and that helped them get full and content. But I think the very best advice was given to me by an elderly lady who'd been a pediatric nurse for decades. She said to let your newborn sleep when they want to sleep. The more they do that from birth, the faster they adjust their own circadian rhythms to night time sleep habits and daytime/daylight wakefulness. It is so true!

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  2. P.S. I can't see you being a monster no matter what!!!

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