31 July 2008

Love: The Gift of Sleep

 
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There was a time when waking at 5:30 was normal. Never acceptable, but usual. That was too often in the first year of both kids. Longer winter nights and increasing age of the kids stretched wake-up time, but not often beyond 6:45. 6:45 is awesome. Awesome in my new view of the world. The problem is that if I'm not sleeping in, my body prefers 7:30. For a very long time, I woke early six days a week. Sundays were my day to sleep. Sometimes I lingered until 9. I bitched about it so much that every so often, Augusto woke to avoid my wrath. Then my second maternity leave ended. There was no way I could be up with the baby at night, get up in the early morning, and work all day. On my three workdays, Augusto got up with the early riser, and I slept. On the other days I rose first then tried to nap.

Then I discovered the hidden benefit of weaning. I left the morning feed as the last, so after the last time, Augusto did the final weaning. After a ten day stretch, I tried to get up with Otto, but he clawed at my chest and cried for 45 minutes. I couldn't hack it.

It's been six weeks since we nursed, and our household has done a schedule switcheroo. Augusto gets up with one or both kids, and I sleep. Except on Sundays, when he gets his turn. It has become a blissful, miraculous norm. Today I only had a half day at work, so when Otto sounded off earlier than usual, at 5:40, I offered to get him. Augusto protested, then thanked me for doing what has apparently become his job.

This is LOVE.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I figure your style of writing and
your personality deserve a comment.
your post'don't prune when you are
drunk' struck home. I prune pecan
trees every fall and winter and i'm
think it would probably be a lot
more fun with a glass of wine.
I'll let you know.

Askew To You said...

I agree. Lovely photo. :D

Happy Love Thursday!

M.M.M. said...

This photo totally threw me for a moment. At first I thought you had chopped Stella's hair off, then I thought, "why did she post this really old photo of Stella?" Then it hit me is a flash...This id Otto! Gosh, they look so similar now that he is getting bigger. Do you see it too...or are they like night and day to you because they are your babies and you know them so well?

kim the midwife said...

it's funny how everything gets fuzzy with time. the pruning wasn't so bad after all... and the kids are different to me, but so many think they are twins 2 years apart.