I don’t know about you, but my pre-kid idea of what it would be like to have children of my own was waaaaayyyy off base. Actually, my hard dose of reality hit with pregnancy. Being host to the parasite inside me was not all rainbows and bunnies like the books made it out to be. Oh no. The nausea, the swelling, the weight gain….oh, and let’s not forget the genetic predisposition to having big babies (my last one weighed in at 11 pounds 11 ounces). You get my drift.
And then there were the daydreams of what my children would be like. I’d sit in public places and look at other families and just shake my head. My children would listen to me. My children would eat only healthy foods; in fact, they would love veggies and fruit and turn their noses up at nuggets and fries. My children would be able to play on their own and not need my every waking bit of attention. As mom, I would keep an awesomely clean house, cook amazingly healthy meals, and pursue all my hobbies and interests.
My god, what was I high on?!?
The biggest lie I told myself, though, before I had children: My children will love to sleep as much as I do.
I had my first child in 2007. I think I’ve gotten about 20 hours of uninterrupted, quality sleep since then.
What is up with my children waking up before sunrise every morning? Why are naps their sworn enemy? Why do they find my bed, cramped with me, Dad, two dogs, and two cats, to be more comfortable than their crater-free beds?
Every night I go to bed wishing I could just sleep in the next morning. This morning, I woke up at 9. Nine!!! That’s two whole hours later than usual. And it’s all thanks to the iPad.
Here’s what happened: Sometime before sunrise, my 5-year-old crawled into bed with me. Shortly thereafter, the 2-year-old crept out of bed, retrieved the iPad, and entertained herself with it until her mom and sister made their way downstairs at 9. End of story.
But oh my goodness, what a glorious story!
