Tuesday, February 17, 2009

I Don't Sleep

Hello, my name is William, and I am a not sleep aholic.

For the past 7 months, William's bedtime has become more and more tortuous.  I will spare you the details, (because I might lapse into profanity) and let you know that it has finally gotten so bad that I have let William give up nap time.  
It pains me even to write it.  Nap time is my sanity in my insane day.  Nap time is the one hour, 30 minutes, or even 10 minutes where there is quiet, no one is asking me for anything, there are no snacks to be made, bottoms to wipe and did I mention quiet?  Not any more.  We have traded it for "rest" time.  Ha!  We have also traded it for earlier bedtime, which is working, but what a price to pay! 

You see the problem is that William doesn't like to sleep.  He is last to fall asleep and the first to wake up.  Actually, he does take lovely naps.  He will fall asleep in minutes and stay asleep for hours.  The problem with that scenario is that he will then be completely unable to fall asleep at bedtime.  

In the beginning this caused me a great deal of stress.  Tears, passionate pleadings to God, a few episodes of fist pounding, begging, bribing, spanking, hugging, and probably more things that didn't achieve the outcome I desired. Finally (it has been a long 7 months) I let go.  I didn't just let go of nap time.  Because by the 3rd day of no naps, you can't keep that boy awake after 1 pm.  He literally fell asleep talking to me.  And those nights he goes to bed late.  On those nights I give up my evening.  I realized that I could stew about it, or just relax and enjoy my son.  I am learning to be a better Mommy.  
So here we are, at 9:30 pm (see the clock in the first picture) having a bowl of cereal.  Because, of course, when one stays awake until 9:30 pm, one gets hungry.  So one sits down with Mommy and enjoys a bowl of cereal.  
 

He really does enjoy his cereal.  Down to the last drop.  
On this particular evening, he finally fell asleep at 10 pm.  I think William is going to be my night owl.  Maybe he and I can stay up and blog together.  
Signing off at 11:45 pm.






1 comment:

Erin McDonald said...

It seems like only yesterday he was a baby Jackie Chan we should of known by his enthusiasim he'd be your night owl! no napper!! Well I am glad to hear that you are being flexible and learning to enjoy his spontanious stuborness! He may be a busy guy but that will be good when he is having to stay up late finishing a paper for collage or when he has a wife with three kids and can stay up all hous of the night so his sweet little wife can sleep a little longer! Well that said he sounds like a great guy and not a wild boy who hates to sleep! it's all in the perspective! Well enjoy him while you can like you said before time flies and they will be all grown up before you know it! keep bloging so you can look back and laugh when he is older and not only staying up all night but staying out all night with out calling! haa haa vengence is mine sayth the LORD! haaaaa I crack my self up!