Dawn. Something I rarely saw before I had children, in fact I think up until age 29, I had seen dawn only a handful of times. A few times I saw it to get to the airport to catch an early flight. Occasionally, in my late teens/early 20s I saw it after staying out all night. Once, on the 1st of January 2000, we got up to watch the sunrise, after all, New Zealand was the first place in the world to welcome in the new millennium. But, I must confess, I am not a morning person. Even when I was nursing, I managed to wrangle a position that allowed me to work the much more lady like hours of 8am-4.30pm.
Recently, I was talking to a good friend who has recently become a mother. She was bemoaning the lack of sleep and she was adamant she would never adjust to getting so little of it. The funny thing is, you do. You really, really do. These days, if I get to sleep in until after 7am, I consider myself lucky. I can honestly say that in the last two and a bit years, I have seen more dawns than I have had hot breakfasts.
When Holly was a baby, I hated the night waking and early morning starts. I longed for her to sleep through the night. Since Isla has been born however, I have grown to like the night wakes.... just a little bit. Being a second child, you just don't get that same one on one time that you do with your first. So, there is something lovely and special about those times in the middle of the night when I take the little one into bed with me. When she snuggles up close and I can hear the rhythmical sounds of her feeding and feel her little hand stroking my side. It is our time, lovely, quiet, peaceful.
One day, I look forward to sleeping all night and not starting my days before the sun but for now, I try to appreciate these times because I know they will be over before I know it.
Lou i share your sentiments completely! my first born has always been an early riser as I never thought i would adapt - then when number two came along i loved feeding her in the middle of the night as it was just me and her, in silence (bliss) - so 7am is a big sleep in for us too! We joke that once they are teenagers we'll get them back and wake them at 6am!!!!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more! Isn't it funny the way that having children changes absolutely everything about you and, I think, makes you a better person. My firstborn stopped waking in the night at 7 months and I thought I was doing it tough. My second child stopped waking at 17 months and i was kinda sad!
ReplyDeleteGulp. I have a lump in my throat no after reading this sweet, tender, and treasured post. Just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLOVE this post.
ReplyDeleteI was a horror on the sleep deprivation in my first year of parenting and then, at the end of that year, I eventually adapted and fully embraced being a parenting. It is so true that we do adjust - eventually!
I am 7 year's into being a parent now and no longer pine for a lie in.
I have a 4 month old and don't yet think, 'Ahhhh, I wish she would sleep through!'. When people ask me if she sleeps through I simply smile and say, 'No, she's only 4 month's old, I don't expect her too'.
I have her in bed with me and go to bed early most nights. I treasure the time I have with her in the midst of the night, whilst the rest of the house is sleeping (and my iphone for the sanity it gives me to surf the Internet whilst feeding her!).
Lovely post. Sweet dreams x