And Where "Drying Your Hair" Is the Stuff of Dreams

My cousin had a baby about two months after Jack was born, and I remember talking to her when Luke was a few weeks old. Naturally, our conversation was mainly about sleep: how much sleep was had, and when the sleep happened. This is because sleep quickly becomes the most precious thing in a new mom's life after the baby. It goes: Baby, Sleep, Food, Husband. (Note: for nursing moms, it goes: Baby, Sleep, Food, More Food, A Little More Food, Husband, Food.)

"Luke frequently takes long naps, but I never know which nap will be the long one," said my cousin. "So sometimes I sleep when he sleeps, but sometimes I use his naps to get things done. This morning, for example, I took a shower."

Ah, motherhood. Where "Taking a shower" qualifies as "Getting something done."

I have more to say on the subject of sleep, because my darling baby, who for the past month and a half has gone easily and happily to bed at 7:00 almost every night, has suddenly decided that our putting him to bed at 7:00 is the worst thing that we could ever do to him. Why don't we just abandon him on the side of the road already? IT'S THE SAME THING. We have been resorting to either my standing at the side of his crib with my hand on his chest until he falls asleep, or The Husband's bouncing him to sleep on the exercise ball. (It's a core workout at the same time!) I know that we are probably setting ourselves up for some nasty habit breaking down the road, but we can only take on one sleep thing at a time, and we are currently attempting to get him to at least take STEPS towards sleeping through the night. Progress is being made on that front, but it involves my sleeping on the floor of his room. And I have to be the one to do it, because The Husband remains resolute in his refusal to nurse the baby.

Men.