Forever If You Could
These days, we have been waking up at 5am every morning, regardless of the weather, regardless of what time we called it a night. Charlie, that adorable bundle of gurgling and spit-ups, yells her way out of sleep at 5am. In the grand scheme of things, I suppose a toddler crying her head off at 5am is what you’d call normal. But a toddler yelling with joy? Calling out to everyone happily at 5 in the morning? It’s an anomaly. And, it’s been jolting us out of sleep.
Now that Alex is sick, we’ve been getting even less sleep. I’m not surprised; we expected this when we signed up for parenthood. Sleep, like privacy, is a luxury harried parents like Wett and I would be lucky to catch for two hours after lunch — if we’re lucky. On days when we’re not, we drink tea or Redbull or coffee like crazy and suck it up like Spartans. Because we’re parents. Because we have to keep going like energizer bunnies. And, on days when a sick child + worry + tea keep me up, I like to hole up in my comfort zone. In this house, that would be the stairs outside. I sit there for hours and stare at the world beyond. You’d think this inactivity is retarded. I call it “recharging”.
I like comfort zones. They never close and they will let you stay forever, if you could.
I hope it’s not dengue. We will know for sure, after her CBC tomorrow.
Hi! My name is Chin, and this is where, to quote Jane Austen, I "run mad and as often as I choose."
October 26th, 2009 at 7:32 am
Hope Alex will get better so soon. i can totally relate with the sleepless nights you encountered there when the children are sick or when they wake up early in the morning. my employer her has the same problem.ang akong alaga na 2 years old, since he started going to school, lisod na kaaju pakatugon, ma abtan pa ug 30 min to 1 hour before matug..unja mohilak ug kalit at around 3 or 2 am..then wake up at 6 or 7am..atott, mura man ug wa kapoya bataa..kami tawon looy ky puli puli lng mi ug pang mata..
October 26th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
andi on the other hand is the energizer bunny, sleeping as late as 11pm whenever she can sleep for 4 hours at daytime. and intawon, i have great difficulty keeping my eyes open just to spend more time with her. she wakes up late though.
i hope it’s not dengue too. it’s bad enough that she’s sick. i wish she’d get over this soon.
October 28th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Chin, Id take the jolly scream over a whine and squeals early in the morning! I agree, sleep is somewhat a luxury especially if you have a sick child. But be very glad that you work from home. Otherwise, harried would be an understatement.
November 5th, 2009 at 4:54 am
I couldn’t imagine myself being a parent someday! I am always afraid of responsibilities. Maybe I am thinking this way because I am not in the situation. And I could tell as well, that I am blessed with my parents.. They really take good care of us, their children. And just like your children, they must be lucky having you both as their parents…
Ciao!