Soulmate and I have had a shock course in night-time parenting. The ear infection wasn't a big deal, after all, I'm an ENT doc, so we didn't even have to endure a night visit to the ER like so many new parents. Even the teething issue is no big deal; Katie has such a sunny personality that we only deal with short bouts of teeth related crankiness.
No, it's the jet lag that's killing us. Specifically, it's Katie's slow move to Central Daylight Time that is killing us. Last night she finally drifted off at 2am. The night before it wasn't until 7am, and she then slept 10 hours straight. Before that it was 9am and 8 hours of sleep. The trouble is, we don't really know whether a particular sleep session is a nap or the real deal.
So we tend to try to "get stuff done" while she's sleeping, only to have her sleep all day after staying up playing all night. She's a true party girl: she's happy, smiling, and dancing at 3am. All this without any mind-altering drugs. Well, OK, Soulmate's cousin got us on to a homeopathic med for teething that's supposed to help your teething toddler go to her happy place. The thing is, Katie is almost always in her happy place already.
We've tried to heed the advice of other parents to sleep when she sleeps, but the lure of organizing, going riding, or blogging is just too great. Sometimes sleep just overcomes one of us while playing with her or (in this case) just waiting for dinner. The dogs have been angelic since Katie came home. Semper fidelis isn't just for the Marines, you know. Dogs have had it dialed from the first day they were domesticated. Or maybe Buddy and Pippin are just waiting for dinner.Anyway, as I write this, Katie has been asleep for over an hour. It's now 9:50, so the big question is: nap or the real deal? We don't have anything to do in the morning besides sleep, so if it's just a nap, it'll be party time in another hour or so.
Oops, I hear a little voice over the monitor--guess the party's about to start!
3 comments:
We, the "almost 16-year old nephew from Washington) and I were just looking at your entry and he said "wow Dad, and you get irritated at us when we have friends over and are up until only 2:30am!) Of course, I had to remind him of a few things 1) Katie is adjusting from living just about one year on China-time 2) she isn't up playing Xbox 360 at wee hours 3) well, I know there's a #3 somewhere, but can't think of it!!!
Nonetheless, I'd like to encourage you that her, and therefore your, hours will adjust, but I can't seem to find the evidence at least in my experience. I suppose that's why they call it retirement, although I'm convinced the outside letters cover up the real deal...namely TIRE! Sigh...
where were you. you let Williams, Dahl, and Bell crush me like a bug. i'm whooped.
Jon (and Sam): right now, any time of the day in which Katie sleeps 8 or more hours continuously is de facto nighttime. The whole curfew thing will have to wait at least a couple of weeks, hopefully more like 14 years.
Dan: I had a premonition about this Tuesday night ride thing. Actually, I've ridden them and suffered mightily even when I had logged a lot of training miles and races. I was happy that Katie's pediatrician ran way behind so we were still finishing with her at 5:30. Next week I promise, definitely maybe.
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