Lack of Sleep

I have never been one to sleep much, so I really should understand where Max is coming from, I think. But, since being pregnant, I have never needed so much sleep.

I could sleep for 12 hours a night and still need a nap during the day, when I was pregnant. Thank goodness I'm not as tired now as I was then. It was nice when Max started sleeping for more than 2 hours at a time, so I could get some decent sleep. Even better when he started sleeping through the night.

But, for some strange reason, now, at 14 and half months, Max is waking up through the night. He wakes up around the time I go to bed, but the nice thing is it's a 5 minute cry (and it's what I call the "fake" cry, the one that turns into "hi" with a big cheery smile when I walk in the room) and then he's back asleep. Provided I don't go in and give him motivation to keep crying. Then he starts again with crys at 4 or 5am. These ones have started getting longer and longer and he does not always go back to sleep. Last night was particularly unwelcome for all of us, as Max was crying from 3-4am. Eventually he went back to sleep, but not for long, I'm sure. I had to get up for work at 5am. Uggh!

Now I am left to wonder if Max does not need as much sleep as is typical. Apparently I was not much of a sleeper when I was an infant (payback?), so maybe he doesn't need as much sleep? I find that hard to believe that would warrant getting up at 3 or 4am though. Especially when he is only napping for 1, maybe 1 and a half hours during the day.

So, as I prepare to write an exam Friday and Saturday, I am going to try to be patient and calm.

I love Max and the time I get to spend with him, (even in what feels like the middle of the night). I am so thankful that we are all healthy and happy (for the most part, although I'm not sure that happy is a word I - or anyone else - would use to describe my demeanor at 3am).

I am reflecting on all this, and am now starting to think of how unimportant it really is in the grand scheme of things. Max is only going to be this little and needing me so much for such a short period of time, I would like to enjoy every moment,e ven if it isn't what I've planned.

On the flip side, we had a great time yesterday playing at the pool, visiting the dentist (he didn't even do anything with Max, just talked to me, at least he had some neat toys in the waiting room), and playing in London Drugs (almost getting run over by the employees and the customers was a fun game, Max laughed and laughed and laughed, every time there was an "oops!").

A beautiful day

I am sitting here reflecting at what a beautiful day we had.

I love waking up to Max chatting in the other room (well, I love it when it's after 7am, not so much when it's 4 or 5 or even 6am). I crack open his bedroom door and peek in. Most of the time he is standing up smiling at me saying "hi" in the perkiest and happiest little boy voice. I unzip his blanket bag and pick him up and which point I get a huge hug and kiss and we crawl into my bed. On Friday's this is the point that Max starts saying "daddy? daddy?" and looks under our down comforter for Ross, unfortunately he is at work. So we snuggle and cuddle for 20-30 minutes and then start our day.

Outside it was cold and rainy, but inside Max and I were warm and dry and laughing. I love this time I get to spend with Max, laughing and playing.

After swimming, we come home to play with Max's "puppies" (these are his stuffed animals: a big brown teddy bear, a little white teddy bear, a blue elephant and a bear/blanket). It is such a fun time to see Max moving things around and getting everything "just right" (for what, I'm not sure) and then moving it all around again. All of this gets us ready for nap time.

Max never stops moving, even when he sleeps. It is so neat to see how he falls asleep moving from end to end and corner to corner in his crib, talking to his puppy. Every time I go in to check on him, he is in a different place and position and often cuddling his puppy.

As for the Puppy's, Max seems to refer to all animals as "Puppy's", so at Grandma and Grandpa's house, Christopher the dog and Seymour the cat are "Puppy's". As the dog moved around throughout the house today, Max would hear his dog tags and start yelling "Puppy! Puppy!". Christopher and Seymour seem to really enjoy it though, as they seek out Max if they have not seen him for a bit. It is so amazing to see Max with the animals, they all have so much fun together!

It is so great to sit here and reflect on what a beautiful day we had, in spite of the cold and rain outside.