time management

I used to be awesome at it.  Awesome I tell you.  Am more than happy to blow my own trumpet on that one.  I am a Virgo after all - it's what we do.  Organised, fastidious, industrious, methodical, efficient.  Anyway, that was until this little treasure arrived.

Sure, he looks cute.  And innocent.  Butter wouldn't melt.. ok so all of that is true.  This little guy really is a treasure, a dreamboat. Happy all the time, smiley and chatty, good little eater.  His downfall is the sleeping.  This one was cut from a different mould than the other two.  R&C both slept through from 8wks, then began waking again for one feed a night from about 5-10mths.  They would sleep in big chunks during the day as little babies.  This one, he's been on two naps a day since about 4mths.  And when I say naps - I mean the 'one sleep cycle' kind (which means about 40mins for those not versed in hideous parenting book lingo - I have never read one, I learned the term from many a friend!) Occasionally he would drop in a third nap, and sometimes stretch it out to 1.5hrs here and there.  I couldn't understand how such a tiny baby could survive on such a tiny amount of sleep, and be so freakin happy all the time!  I must say it hasn't worried me at all, because he is so happy.  If he was horribly irritable and cranky all the time, then yes, it would definitely be an issue that needed addressing, but I totally agree, having had bubs at both ends of the spectrum, that some babies just don't need as much sleep as others.

So the days don't bother me, but the nights over the past couple of months - that's another story.  His day sleeps have actually lengthened to 1.5 - 2hrs morning and afternoon, but I think he's just compensating for the broken sleep at night.  He has become really windy at night time the past 6wks or so which means he is waking up often with a pain in the tummy when he rouses from sleep if I haven't been able to get a really good burp out of him before putting him to bed.  I monitored what he and I were eating, but nothing is out of the ordinary.  He is trying to cut his top teeth which in itself doesn't bother him, but the MHN said it can affect their feeding, taking in more air when they are feeding because of discomfort.  Who the hell knows.  All I know is I would kill for a decent night's sleep.  Scrap that - a half decent night's sleep would be fine.  Like 3 solid hours in a row.  I'm sure my sweet boy would too, but then he gets to be happily tucked up in bed during the day when his eyes can't stay open any longer.  I have to settle for toothpicks and a strong coffee.  I know this will pass, but waking up tired every morning is driving me a little nuts.  I HATE waking up cranky.  It sets such a shitty precedent for the day ahead.  Hence the shitty time management.

I shouldn't complain, after all this is my first real taste of sleep deprivation and it took third time round to get here. Which is probably better than if it happened with #1??  More experienced, you just get on with the job, you can plough through the day on three hours sleep, because you have no choice, simple as that.

But of course I wouldn't trade it for anything.  The little challenging parts of motherhood, like right now, pass so quickly, so so quickly.  I still don't know how my baby just turned into a four year old?  I always remember my dad saying to us when we were kids, how fast the years fly by when you get older.  Of course, being young and thinking you know everything, it means nothing to you.  Until you become a parent  - and then you get it.  I am positive last month was February.  When our sweet Eliot arrived to make our home, and hearts, fuller than ever.

What was I complaining about again?  {Yawn}