Crazy Night

Sooooooo, Matthew slept through TWO night feedings last night! But I was still awakened every couple hours...

8:30 PM
Matthew falls asleep, due to eat next at 9:15. I put on my PJs and tell James good night for the last time (he's been staying up later in his room lately). I make the mistake of telling him I'm going to go lie down in my bed. He runs up to me at his doorway and asks in a quivering voice, "Me lay down in Mommy's bed, too?" My sleep-deprived and emotionally tipsy heart almost bursts on the spot and I say "Okay." Bobby is out of town that night, so there is plenty of room :)

10:45 PM
I get kicked in the face by James who has somehow migrated all the way across a king-sized bed and turned 90 degrees. I take him to his own bed and go back to bed alone.

12:05 AM
The fire alarm starts beeping because of low battery power. I replace the battery. I wonder why Matthew is still sleeping...he skipped the 9:15 feeding and should be waking up about midnight to eat. I wonder if maybe he's experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning, then I realize we don't have a carbon monoxide detector and we could all be poisoned in our beds tonight! I barely suppress the panic, manage to cram the paranoia deep down inside and put "carbon monoxide detector" on the shopping list for tomorrow. I go back to bed.

2:00 AM
I hear crying, but it's not Matthew. It's Robert in the midst of another episode of growing pains. I rub his toes and suddenly I hear James scream-cough and then start to cry in his room. I fear vomit and start to panic. I run down the hall to wake my sister who is visiting/helping this week. She rubs Robert's toes and gives him pain meds while I assess James' needs. To my relief, there is no vomit. I soothe him back to sleep quickly (I suspect Robert's crying woke him up) and go back to Robert. We rub some more and say a prayer together. Robert tells us the pain is now manageable and he sends us away. I go back to bed.

3:15 AM
Matthew FINALLY wakes to eat. Hallelujah. Skipped feedings can be quite uncomfortable until the body adjusts. I go back to bed.

6:30 AM
Alice and Robert wake up ready for another day. I ignore them. James wakes up and I must get out of bed or terrible things will happen. I make waffles (why not?). The kids don't like them (apparently lemon-blueberry-coconut isn't a winning combination) and we get on with the rest of our day.

What a night!