Night of a Thousand Somethings

Steve is away on a business trip this week, which really throws off our whole routine. For one thing, I can't put Nick down for a nap or to bed without hearing him ask for Dada four or five huindred times. Getting up in the morning is the same story. No matter how many times I tell him "Daddy is NOT HERE" he just doesn't get it.

Last night I ended up putting the boys to bed 30 minutes earlier than usual, just because there was no Daddy there to rush around with, to say goodnight to - or for me to talk to, for that matter. I had 30 blissful minutes of freedom where I contemplated the night I had ahead of me and the reading, the working out, the cleaning and organizing I would fill it with.

And that's when it started. Nick woke up crying. I spent 20 minutes listening to him scream, and then 45 minutes putting him back to sleep in his own bed. 20 minutes later Nathan woke up screaming. I fed him and put him back down. But by then I was so cranky I just climbed into bed. Nathan woke up once more, and then at 3am I finally took him into my bed with me - something I never would do if Steve were here because there's not enough room in the bed for the three of us - that Nate takes up more space than you'd think.

At 5am Nicholas woke up screaming and by the time I got to his room he was standing at the baby gate doing that frantic pick-me-up dance and wacing his arms. Desperate for some sleep, I picked him up and took him into my bed, also. For the next hour I tried to sleep as I nursed Nate on one side and Nicholas stared at me on the other.

At 6am when I finally gave up I realized that Nick's diaper had leaked and I needed to change my sheets and do laundry.