Sunday, August 2, 2009

Trial Run...


Looks sweet huh?? The Lord created sleeping babies to help parents endure to the end.

Gabriel and Stephen put up his glow-in-the-dark solar system last night. Both boys thought it was, "so amazing", and "fantastic", and "so cool". Gabriel kept singing "Jupiter de dupiter". Garrett wanted to "sweep" (sleep) in Gabriel's room so he could see the night light planets. We figured we'd give it a try and see what happened. We've had them separate until this point for several reasons. Among the reasons are quiet time isn't quiet if they're together play/fighting, Garrett is a 5 am kinda kid and Gabriel is an 8 am kinda kid, and chill outs from each other don't work if they're in the same room as the sibling they're annoyed at. Soon, I'll be waking Lincoln up with my thrashing at night. It's ironic that the kids go from waking me up at night to me waking them up. Lincoln is 5 months now and at about 6 months is when they don't sleep well in our room anymore. I knew the time was coming that we'd have to put the big boys together in a room....I've been dreading it.

So this is how our trial run went.

9:00 pm
(we were running an hour late) Finally get them in beds. Give VERY clear directions to each that the first one awake MUST leave the room quietly WITHOUT waking the other.
9:10 pm Gabriel comes running out saying Garrett needs to go potty. This is only a ploy because Garrett has no intention on using the potty....ever. I hope the MTC has a big changing table. He did come up with a little squirt of pee.
9:30 pm Finally get them both back to bed after peeing....and the darn clean up that always follows. Seriously, their Dad can aim what's wrong with them? I think they need a Father/Son aiming talk.
9:45 pm Gabriel is back out saying Garrett has to pee again...yeah right. Each steals a pillow from the couch and run back to the room...I tuck them back in.
10:00 pm They come running out "afraid".... and have to go potty again. They have 4 night lights plus all the glowing planets; they can see just fine and are not afraid of anything, except accidently going to sleep.
10:15 pm Stephen returns from dropping off some stuff for side work he's picked up this week. "They asleep?" "I doubt it, but at least I don't see or hear them anymore."
10:20 pm Listen to the funny boy conversation about Mt. Everest, picking which planet they will live on, and Gabriel's assurance that he will take care of Garrett in the dark.
11:00 pm It's been quiet for long enough I can go to bed....go in to re-cover with blankets and find them in the same bed. I would have left them together, but they both thrash like their Momma and Garrett always manages to get himself wedged into little spaces. The mattress is a little off the wall so we had to move Garrett back to his mattress on the floor.

Ahhhh, restfull slumber...ha just kidding. Lincoln has major allergies and is so congested he can't sleep well or eat well either. I was up 3 times, for a pretty extended time with him. I'm not sure why but several other times I shot wide awake to check on him. There was no noise or anything, it was just BAM and I was awake. I don't know why. Between the heat, Lincoln's restless or not sleeping, and weird pain I keep getting, night is really becoming a time I dread everyday. Yet, I'm soooo tired...

5:00 AM
Yelling and scuffling from down the hall. Garrett is awake and trying to wake up a super cranky Gabriel. Stephen flies out of bed (I was tending to Lincoln again) gets Garrett to the family room to change him. Night is over...way too early...and we've come to the conclusion that they'll stay apart till the bitter end.

9:15 am Both back in separate rooms, after a cracky breakfast, and a cranky flooding the house bath, for their quiet time before church. Garrett's asleep again and I hope Gabriel gets that way. I'm praying it'll sweeten their moods before it's time to go to church.

Gabriel starts school on Thursday. I'd planned on combining them at the first of September after we've been able to settle into our new routine. Gabriel is in all day kindergarten, so Garrett's nap wouldn't be disturbed during the day. Now I know it's the night routine I need to worry about. I sure hope we all survive this and that Stephen can get his plans for supplementing our income in place, which will allow us the hope of getting into a bigger house eventually. These little yahoos need S P A C E.

8 comments:

Linda said...

I'm so impressed with the lack of sleep that you didn't fall asleep mid-blog! "And this too shall pass," and then on to something else equally as challenging. Life is fun, wait, I meant trials!

Brianna said...

Having the girls in the same room over here keeps our nights interesting. If one has a bad dream, or cannot sleep well...it does not matter how quietly that one comes in for help or a snuggle, it always seems to wake the other. It is crazy. But they probably won't ever get their own room...so they need to get used to it. I feel your pain and will think of you as we spend many sleepless nights trying to get new routines in place. But good luck with getting the bigger place sometime! I wish you the best. I we are trying for the same thing...something other than an apartment would be heavenly!!!!!!! :) Looking forward to seeing you guys today! *hugs* hang in there!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like lots of fun! Or maybe bedtime should begin at 6 p.m....What an ordeal.

Dunklees said...

WOW! Makes me appreciate the fact that my girls are big enough to follow at least 2 directions:
1. You are in your room after 9pm unless the house is on fire or you are bleeding.
2. If you wake up before mom and dad, you know where the cereal is and how to operate the DVD player so don't even think about waking us up unless the house is on fire or you are bleeding.

Amanda Griggs said...

It truly sounds like you have a Royal and D.J. on your hands! In time they did calm down, but I don't think the aiming thing has gotten any better. I wouldn't know for sure as I stopped cleaning their toilets nearly 10 years ago!

I love this post about the planets, and the stars! I know what you mean about waking up because of the lack of sound from your baby. I wake every time, I can't hear her. Hang in there mom!

Sharron said...

I say let them sleep in the same bed . . the way they both kick, it's only justice!!

Dansie Family said...

sorry. James (almost 2) and porter (7 ) share a room and it isn't too bad. but james will shortly be moving to a big bed. we'll see how it works after that. give them a few nights and they will figure it out.

Liz said...

Crystal has three boys in one room...it was interesting at first but now they seem to do okay. I sure don't miss that part of my early motherhood years...I LOVE my sleep! Amanda had stars and stuff on her roof too in every house we lived in she seemed to come up with some glow in the dark something or other to put on the ceiling. Imagine her delight to move into a house and her room already had stars!