Tuesday, February 10, 2009

I used to be a morning person

And then I had kids.

Part of it is the oh-so-strong temptation to stay up too late. That's the only time I have to myself or with my husband. It is quiet. It is short. And so I stay up longer than I should, and even half an hour makes itself known in the morning.

Most of it is the multiple night wakings. And those are a problem right now! Josiah is waking so frequently that I lose track of what time it is, how long it has been, and sometimes wake to find him in the bed and wonder how he got there (obviously I must have put him there, but I have no memory of it - it is incredibly worrisome). He has decided that the only way to go back to sleep is to nurse: not for food but simply for comfort. Sometimes he'll latch, not suck, and go back to sleep. Oy!

So that has to stop, and as of last night I'm trying to teach him that snuggles are quite enough. But I'm so groggy that sometimes I defeat my own efforts: last night I looked at the clock, took Josiah to bed to nurse, and realized afterward that 11:30pm was NOT 1:30am. That time he got to nurse after one hour instead of three. Aghh!

I used to feel good in the morning. I remember thinking that the mornings were the best time to get things done. But now I just feel this overwhelming torpor. Everything sounds too difficult to even start. Dishes? Blech. I'm tired. Breakfast for the kids? Well, ok, but only to stop them fussing at me. Chores, and a walk, and playtime with the kids? Sigh. I do get myself going, but it takes so much willpower now, and even then I don't feel good until nearly 10am.

I miss my energy.

4 comments:

Linds said...

So if I have kids, will it turn be into a morning person? :)

Shelle-BlokThoughts said...

Oh yea...that unfortunately happens when we get those lovely things that attach themselves to us and their itty bitty little stomachs that can't hold enough food for a good 8 hours at night! lol!

Guess what...my youngest is 4 and the "being a morning person" actually WILL and CAN come back...

But I feel ya! :)

Allie Z said...

I can't help but snicker. Sleep is for people without kids!

I work full time, manage the kiddos and the finances and the meal plans and the grocery shopping and the cleaning. Ugh! Sleep is nothing I see often. Maybe one day?

Love your blog!

~Allie

~C~ said...

My children could all be up until midnight and still at 6am bright and early someone will be in my room poking me in the shoulder requesting breakfast. This weekend we decided enough was enough of that, they get up at 6 or earlier even on the weekends and get a small bowl of milkless cereal and watch some cartoons until the rest of the house wakes up. But once I'm out of bed, for anything, I have a hard time getting back to sleep. So I made them wait, gasp, until 8 to have their breakfasts. My poor 8 year old was both in shock and concerned. "Jake, Mom said we have to wait, I don't know if we can make it to 8, I think we're gonna starve, what do you think?" to which my 3 year old replied "sneak me some cocoa puffes" oh the joys of boys. My daughter will wake up and just play contently in her crib for about an hour before she really wants up. Hopefully your little one will learn night time is for sleeping and you're force yourself to either go to bed earlier (which is hard for me too) or just that it'll get easier. Check out FlyLady's website, she has some good morning tips.