MamaZayha
I stay up much of the night with Zayha. He starts in the co-sleeper, then joins me in bed around 2:30. We eat, and he falls asleep against me just like he is with Jamie above.
He wakes up again around 4:30; I roll him onto my hip to burp (or river), then roll him to my other side for the next snack.
Repeat at 6:30 and 9:30. Then I get to dream until 11 or noon.
Fortunately, sleep deprivation is always my favorite high at festivals.
Unfortunately, a month of it changes things a little. I can do basic things like load the dishwasher, but I can’t focus on anything that moves my career & income forward. All my time is spent feeding, burping, soothing, changing, and staring into his eyes. I have to wear him in a sling all day while he sleeps. He’s only awake a few hours, and can only entertain himself for less than an hour. And when he’s asleep and I try to put him down, he usually wakes up crying in a few minutes.
After a month of this, it occurs to me that this is nature’s way of ensuring that moms don’t ignore their infants to the point of neglect or worse. If I didn’t have sleep deprivation limiting my ability to function in my Type-A way, I’d be working 12 hours a day as usual, with Zayha being a peripheral concern.
By being tired and semi-delirious, my baby gets all my attention so he can grow up trusting and loving, knowing mommy is there for him at all times.
Yay Mother Nature!
Cuddly bears!
Friday, July 7, 2006
Sleep Deprivation: Nature’s Way of Ensuring Survival
