New Single Mom and Baby Sleep Habits

I love sleep. Before having my son, I would sleep ten hours a night... and even sometimes take a nap. I love sleep.

Then my son was born and sleep is no longer my friend. I still love sleep, but for some reason, it's mad at me. I'm not sure if it's jealous, because I'm spending more time with my son than with it. But I want to spend my time with it. My son hogs me to himself... he just won't let me. At two months old, my son was definitely "a Rector," sleeping 10-11 hours night. I hit the JACKPOT, baby! That is until two months ago... when my son started getting up at 730 am instead of 930. He was still getting 8-9 hours, so I was okay with it. By the time I got in bed, I was getting more like 6-7 hours. I want the 8-9 hours back!

Then along came insanity, where he wakes up anywhere from 6-10 times a night, no joke. Three times in an hour for two hours, and then spread the rest of the times out. So when I'm just about to fall into my deep sleep, he wakes up... SCREAMING! So instead of the 8-9 or even 6-7 hours of sleep I'm used to, I'm now getting about 4-5 non-consecutive hours. After a few days, you would think you would go bonkers... and I might have if I hadn't already lost part of my brain post-baby... aka baby brain, which is a whole different post.

So, when someone tells me how tired she is, I want to smack her and say, "You don't know the definition of tired. Try having a baby... then try having a baby on your own."

"Welcome to momhood... no, welcome to Single Momhood, where nothing goes according to plan." So, my friends, just when you think things couldn't get any worse; let me assure you, Oh.YES.THEY.CAN! And when you're a mom, that time is just around the corner. So how will you handle it?

Do you crawl up and throw the covers over your head or do you stretch out your arms and say, "What's next? Bring it on!"

Your attitude about it makes all the difference. If you decide to think it's the worst thing or to concentrate on how tired you are, then that's what it's going to be. If you decide that it's great. You have a precious baby, who loves and needs you. You are a mom, and that's a wonderful thing, then that's what it will be. It will become whatever you decide for it to be. Good or bad, you make the choice. You can still love sleep but make up your mind to love the sleep you are getting. Love the time that's here, because it will zoom by quicker than you expect.

You never know what's in store for you. But when you have a baby who needs you and doesn't care how much or how little sleep you've had, you better put on your chipper face. If you don't, you're in for a long, bumpy ride... and you haven't even had breakfast.