It's 8:45AM and my sons are still sleeping. They must have been tired. I know they were asleep at midnight because I got up to get a drink and they were snoring away. One of the things I love most about our lifestyle is that we get plenty of sleep. Not only plenty of hours, but uninterrupted and at the time our individual bodies really need it. It wasn't always like that for all of us!
When Tom was tiny, he was not a sleeper. He slept for a total of about 45 minutes at a time, day and night. It was a chore getting him to go to sleep. No matter what I did, he was awake. A story we like to tell around here is when we drove to my mothers house, ten hours away. We decided to do it in the middle of the night. We left late evening, so we thought he'd be tired. It would be dark and quiet, no distractions. Then he wouldn't go crazy for ten hours in the car. We drive. Some talking and singing, playing. Then silence....for twenty minutes or so. Then a little voice from the back of the rented van, "Mommy?" He only napped here and there, just like every other night. I couldn't believe it. What kid doesn't fall asleep in the car!?
Fast forward, he goes to bed on his own time. He reads until tired, turns off the light, and then sleeps until 10am every day. If we need to get up early, he goes to bed a little early. No problems getting up...usually. It used to be a nightmare to get him up early.
When Jake was tiny, he slept when he was tired, regardless of what was going on. You'd find him under the coffee table during a party, sound asleep. He fell asleep at his half-sister's "Rock-n-Bowl" party! For years, at bedtime, we would read Tom's book, then Jake's book, then Mom's book. I would lay down with Jake until he fell asleep, then Tom. Then I'd go to my bed only to be followed by Tom. Jake would (and still does) tell us he was going to use his "time skip" in the car, lean up against the window, and conk out.
Fast forward for Jake. He's on his own at night as well. He is usually asleep way before Tom and is irritated that Tom insists on telling him things when he is sleeping, or that he has a light on at night. Jake would love to have his own room to sleep in. He gets up earlier than Tom usually. He's a morning person for sure. Up and dressed, things he has on his to-do list done, and playing whatever game he's focused on, first thing in the morning, while Tom is still laying there thinking about getting up.
Me? Finally, twelve years into the parenting thing, I'm sleeping, in my own bed, all night. I have ear plugs and sometimes I take a sleeping-aide. I've never been a deep sleeper and wake up to the slightest noise. Sometimes those noises are imagined. It's just crazy.
Dad sleeps like the dead and nothing will wake him. He goes to bed, rolls over, and is out. I envy him, but then I think who would hear the fire alarm or notice the boys are crying if we both slept like that?!
It's 9AM now and I still haven't heard any stirring in there. I guess I'll have to go jump start them! I love going in and sitting on their beds. I pet their hair and snuggle them, sometimes they wake up, sometimes they just stir and go back to sleep. We have some of our best times like that. I hope I remember them like that always.
When Tom was tiny, he was not a sleeper. He slept for a total of about 45 minutes at a time, day and night. It was a chore getting him to go to sleep. No matter what I did, he was awake. A story we like to tell around here is when we drove to my mothers house, ten hours away. We decided to do it in the middle of the night. We left late evening, so we thought he'd be tired. It would be dark and quiet, no distractions. Then he wouldn't go crazy for ten hours in the car. We drive. Some talking and singing, playing. Then silence....for twenty minutes or so. Then a little voice from the back of the rented van, "Mommy?" He only napped here and there, just like every other night. I couldn't believe it. What kid doesn't fall asleep in the car!?Fast forward, he goes to bed on his own time. He reads until tired, turns off the light, and then sleeps until 10am every day. If we need to get up early, he goes to bed a little early. No problems getting up...usually. It used to be a nightmare to get him up early.
When Jake was tiny, he slept when he was tired, regardless of what was going on. You'd find him under the coffee table during a party, sound asleep. He fell asleep at his half-sister's "Rock-n-Bowl" party! For years, at bedtime, we would read Tom's book, then Jake's book, then Mom's book. I would lay down with Jake until he fell asleep, then Tom. Then I'd go to my bed only to be followed by Tom. Jake would (and still does) tell us he was going to use his "time skip" in the car, lean up against the window, and conk out.Fast forward for Jake. He's on his own at night as well. He is usually asleep way before Tom and is irritated that Tom insists on telling him things when he is sleeping, or that he has a light on at night. Jake would love to have his own room to sleep in. He gets up earlier than Tom usually. He's a morning person for sure. Up and dressed, things he has on his to-do list done, and playing whatever game he's focused on, first thing in the morning, while Tom is still laying there thinking about getting up.
Me? Finally, twelve years into the parenting thing, I'm sleeping, in my own bed, all night. I have ear plugs and sometimes I take a sleeping-aide. I've never been a deep sleeper and wake up to the slightest noise. Sometimes those noises are imagined. It's just crazy.
Dad sleeps like the dead and nothing will wake him. He goes to bed, rolls over, and is out. I envy him, but then I think who would hear the fire alarm or notice the boys are crying if we both slept like that?!
It's 9AM now and I still haven't heard any stirring in there. I guess I'll have to go jump start them! I love going in and sitting on their beds. I pet their hair and snuggle them, sometimes they wake up, sometimes they just stir and go back to sleep. We have some of our best times like that. I hope I remember them like that always.
