Don’t Wake the Bear

After months and months of nightly wakings and below average sleep quality, I’m not so good when I have to get up at unexpected times or just plain too early.

I never was very good at it, but found ways to make exceptions for Abigail before Lauren came along.

It’s been over a year since either Jen or I have had a week of decent sleep…

Anyway earlier this week Abigail was waking multiple times a night in addition to Lauren’s routine wakings. She wasn’t feeling quite well and waking up anywhere between 1 am and 5 am.

After going in a few times herself, Jen would send me in as the backup. I’d go in. Abigail would say she needed to blow her nose, go potty or that she was really really sick and needed to sleep with us. In my semi-awake not-so-happy stupor I’d asses the situation, determine she wasn’t that bad and try to tell her to go back to sleep – in not so tender ways. This in turn would backfire, make her more upset, and make me more not-so-happy.

This went on for a couple of nights.

Just about the time she decided to stop talking to me altogether (even during the day), I realized my faults.

I felt horrible.

That’s just no way to treat your kid in the middle of the night when they’re not feeling so well – no matter how well or not they actually are.

So I went home Wednesday night and told her. I told her I was sorry and that waking me up at night sometimes makes me a bear, but I’d try to do better.

Amazingly she got it. She understood I recognized my faults and her feelings and she lit up like a Christmas tree. It was probably the best thing that happened all week. We were friends again and all was good.

Now I’ve had less sleep and the week itself has gotten worse (Lauren’s taken to waking up for good at 5am).

Hopefully I remember my lesson and carry on accordingly.

It’s for the better of all of us.

– b