Ode to Sleep

Since Ever posted about Spencer, his neglected friend, I thought I could post on a neglected friend of my own...sleep. Ah, sleep and I used to be such good friends, I looked forward to it every night. I thought about sleeping in on the weekends with an excitement that almost equaled that created by a trip to Disneyland. I could stay up late (well late for me anyway) on Friday and Saturday nights because there was no rush to get up early the next morning. I would snuggle down beneath the covers and slip off into blissful dreamland, a happy escape from the long day just finished. Alas, times have changed! Sleep is no longer a welcome break between days but is now something squeezed in between night time feedings and sunrise. I've become something of a "sleep Nazi," enforcing my bedtime with military-like precision. There is no staying up late even on the weekends because the baby does not seem to realize that mommy would like to sleep more than 6 hours during the course of the night. He finds it equally unconcerning that I would dearly love to have those 6 hours be consecutive. Yes sleep deprivation does strange things to people. I've never had such bizarre dreams before! The other night I dreamed that I was in China, alone, and that I'd manged to get separated from the only woman there who spoke English in a giant, underground shopping mall that was made up of miles of narrow tunnels lit by neon blue lights. Weird! Now if anyone out there is worried that perhaps Ever's sleep is being disrupted as much as mine, I can safely report that he is completely unaware of what goes on over on my side of the bed with all the ups and downs and tuckings-in and feedings and diaper changes. I honestly don't know how he can get up in the morning and have the nerve to tell me he's tired. It's a wonder I haven't done him bodily injury! To sum up my feelings on this matter, I have penned a short poem. Ahem...

Sleep, dear sleep you once were my friend,
Though now our sweet moments have come to an end.
While others at nighttime do still dream and snore,
I wake with the baby 'til I can take it no more.
Someone please tell me when will this boy sleep
Through the night so my poor mind I'll be able to keep.
On that happy night I'll be heard to exclaim
"At long last my sanity now I'll reclaim!"

A pathetic rhyme perhaps but the best one my befuddled mind can come up with. I must say though that no matter how tired I am, Ezra is worth it all. He's such a joy and a blessing in our lives that when I stand over his crib at night so tired I literally can't see straight and he smiles up at me, I know that every second is worth it and that I wouldn't trade motherhood for anything in the world.