Overwhelmed

There’s so much to keep track of, document, and post.

By the time the kids are in bed and the house is back in order, it’s 11pm and way past my bedtime.

Lauren’s basically crawling now. She’ll be driving in no time.

I’ve been meaning to make a post about Abigail’s “Cast of Characters” – the dolls she sleeps with every night, because it’s so necessary for her each night to have everyone setup just right for sleep. I wanted to take pictures and introduce them all for memory sake, but I doubt I’ll get to that. Instead here’s the quick rundown in order of appearance:

• Woobie – tiny little rag doll like thing she’s had since birth or near to it.
• Tiny Baby – the little baby doll she picked up in Boothbay Harbor, ME last year and didn’t let go of for 3 or 4 months. Now only needs tiny baby to sleep with her.
• Susie – larger version of tiny baby that my Mom got her for Christmas in addition to a baby stroller and other baby maintenance items – toy sippy cups, etc.
• Maggy – similar to Susie but found a yard sale this spring and just had to have.

Each night she goes to sleep with Woobie, Tiny Baby and Maggy in her arms. Susie sleeps next to her with her own blanket. It has to be this way each night or sleep isn’t happening – at least not as easily. Luckily everyone stays in her bed, so we don’t have anymore frantic searches about the house and/or yard for so-and-so right before bed.

Then there’s the mouthwash.

After my dentist suggested I start using mouthwash (bad breath? lovely) in addition to brushing my teeth, Abigail had to use mouthwash too. Since she’s too young for real mouthwash, I bought a travel size bottle of mouthwash and filled it with water and blue food coloring. She loved it. Every night we’d swish and spit together before bed. That lasted 3 or 4 weeks and now we’re onto new things.

The two of them playing together is awesome. With Lauren’s new mobility and desire to explore and grab everything, she and Abigail have started their own adventures. It’s great for both of them and us. Granted it won’t be long before there’s competition and screaming, but we’ll take the pleasant playfulness while we can.

Hopefully with the playing comes sleeping. Lauren’s killing us. Long term sleep deprivation is torture. Physically I’ve become more clumsy than I’ve ever been. My coordination is shot. My memory is also gone. I can’t remember things to save my life or even simple words to continue a conversation. Jen and I repeatedly ask each other where something is or what happened to this or that, and repeatedly the answer is “I don’t know.” Truly we have no idea.

I’m sure one day we’ll look back well rested and fondly remember these times, but that’s only because we’ve forgotten.

– b