Both girls have had a cold, but Lauryn's cough is really getting nasty.
I always know when we're going to have a "rough" night. When someone starts coughing in their sleep and it's not even 10:00 yet, you can bet that getting rest is not on the agenda.
Instead, the agenda will be as follows:
10:30 pm: Quickly get into bed after hearing that first coughing fit, already knowing you are in for it.
11:30 pm: Wake up from a sound sleep and jump a mile as you hear "cough, cough, cough, hack, cough, gasp, cough, cough, MOOOOMMMMYYYYYYY!!!!" coming from your child's room.
11:45 pm: Give a dose of Triaminic, hoping the nurse who suggested giving it her actually has children of her own and is certain that this stuff works.
1:30 am: Wake up to more coughing, gasping, crying...then silently curse that nurse with no kids.
Go out to find your child standing in the doorway saying she has to throw up. (Meanwhile, try to ignore your own irrational issues with vomit and be a supportive mother.)
1:35 am: Walk your child to the bathroom, then watch in disbelief as she lays face down on the cold tile floor and announces that she will just sleep like this because it feels much better. (Take her temperature and find it normal. Assume the child is just half asleep and escort her back to her room.)
1:45 am: Finish making a little bed for her on her floor because her real bed makes her have to throw up.
1:50 am: Walk back to bed; realize you lack the energy to even begin trying to figure out what has just happened.
3:00 am: Wake to hear child on the monitor as she gets herself up off the floor and back to her real bed. Say a prayer of thanks that she decided she could probably stand up and then lay back down in her bed without parental assistance.
5:30 am: Wake to the sound of the alarm clock when it's time for sweet hubby to get up for work.
7:06 am: Open your eyes to find coughing child standing at your bed, announcing that the clock says "7" and that she's ready to wake up. Explain to the sweet child that you are still pretty tired from being awake all night. Keep your comments to yourself when the child then says that she's not tired because she went back to sleep last night.
7:15 am: Drag yourself out of bed and hope for the opportunity to take a nap.
***Note: If it's 1:00 in the afternoon and the child is still not napping, you can kiss your own nap goodbye.***
I must say, this is not my favorite part of parenting. I need my sleep. I do not function well without it.
But today at lunch, Lauryn looked at me (after coughing of course), and said, "You'll always be my mommy. And you'll never let me go."
I realized then that I will gladly go through that same sleepless night again and again, as often as she needs me.
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5 comments:
Of course you would and you know I'm with you on the throw-up issues.
I hope you are napping!
Have you tried the Vicks vapo-rub on her feet, then put socks on? That's supposed to keep them from coughing at night. I haven't tried it yet, though...
Hey. I feel your pain sister. I guess God is punishing us for having fun Friday night. :) Maybe we can get together when we're all well. HANG IN THERE!
Oh my gosh...can I relate right now.
Except, you forgot to mention the part about "husband who sleeps through all of it"
Thank GOODNESS she didn't throw up!!
Maybe this is bad, but last night I gave Avery Benadryl. It doesn't help with any of the cold symptoms, but it helped her sleep from 1am-8am, which is pretty good!
Benadryl rocks. Sorry you are going through that. It just gets worse as they both get older. :) Especially when they are both vomiting all night- just count your blessings! :)
I'm glad they can take care of themselves enough for you to rest on the couch! I've got mine trained enough to play in the living room while I SLEEP in bed. They know to come get me if there is fire or bleeding involved.
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