Night time again.
Am I the only parent in the world whose day begins at 22 hours? Sometimes I wonder.
I have just survived two consecutive days of through-entire-night screaming.
The scenarios went something like this:
Bottle? Nod. Whimpered Yea... Shove. No bottle.
Cookie? Nod. Nod. Excited Yea... Shove. No cookie.
Diaper? Vigorous Yea... begin changing diaper - MEGA SCREAM. No diaper.
Get it? That's nice, because I don't.
By the first signs of sunrise I was composing the Ad I was determined to place on ebay first thing in the morning:
Coppercurled Baby with toothy grin and penchant for music. Very musical - anything goes - self compositions included, nocturnal symphonies in particular. Going for a song.
Luckily for the both of us she fell into a drunken stupor (drunk on woe) just in time for me to gain some sanity with a couple of hours of first-aid sleep. I bundled her off to nursery before I did anything else this morning and returned to send off the others before meditating on the joys of motherhood. After that I decided to keep her. (But if anyone out there is looking for a baby, keep your eyes posted. Who knows - my baby might get really reckless and stay up one hour too many next time round - that might just be your lucky day).
Seriously now - my husband and I have spent over eighteen months waiting for our baby's fussy stage to roll by. It is rolling - in the wrong direction. Volume up instead of volume down. We have become satellite residents of the local health-care clinic - turning up there three times a week on average, begging for salvation. Our pediatrician doesn't have much sympathy by now. He told us long ago that Coppercurls is a High-Needs child. With all the hubris of a mother of six, and two centuries worth of British prejudice I poo-pooed his diagnosis with a rapid chuckle. "Yanks. Everything has to have a label. Perhaps I have some sort of sleep disorder, too - after all I haven't slept in months..."
Today I looked my arrogance in the face, and googled High-Needs Child with decided despair. You are invited to do the same. I simply do not have the patience to cut and paste ninety-seven million pages for your further education. But it certainly proves the point - it wasn't a figment of my pediatrician's Hollywood-inspired imagination. I shall have to remember to send a card and some chocolates before he sues for libel (don't ya know - you can get sued for anything in the USA).
Anyway - I guess I owe my darling tot an apology as well. (Mind you - I don't think one from her would be remiss either... ).
The last thing she tried on me before laying her cute little head down to sleep last night was "byyyyye, byyyyye...." - with a puppy-eyed look that would melt the rock of Gibraltar and a dimpled elbow outstretched, finger pointing at her bedroom door.
Byyyye, Byyye... Now ain't that just a marvellous idea? But who's going to put you to bed then, m'dear?
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2 comments:
Hi dear Saphire
just got to tell you how much i enjoy u'r blog.
if not for the fact that your coppercurls is a high-needs child i'd say my two youngest can create just as well at night. they share a duet nearly every night. if i had enough strength at 4 a.m then i guess i too would sit and write a blog, and share my troubles (and jokes....)
Please carry on writing, that way at least i have entertaining reading material that ung-dly hour of the morning.
hope you have a better night tonight
Becky
This is great info to know.
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