I once had a friend who had a friend who had just recently had a baby. And one time that friend of a friend mentioned in an email that she was happy to think that her friends who had older children were well rested, those lucky ducks.
I don't think anyone will actually have to tell that new mom that even once her baby is sleeping through the night, she will still be sleep deprived. I'm sure she'll figure it out on her own.
Because kids just don't sleep through the night every night. Or if you have more than one kid, ANY night.
Because sometimes they need a drink.
They need to pee.
Then they need another drink.
Then they've wet the bed.
Then they have a bad dream. And they need to tell you all about that dream.
Then they don't want Daddy to help them get back to bed. Only Mommy.
Then when Mommy sends Daddy to help anyway ( because she helped with the last three things), they throw a fit and wake up a sibling. Who then also needs a drink and needs to pee.
Then they need to come back into your room and tell you about their dream again, and say, "Why did you let the whale sit on me, Mommy?"
Then they sneak into your room ever so quietly. And they think you can't hear every single step they take as they creep across the house. And actually they don't know how close you came to yelling BOO just as they crept around your door.
And yes that might have felt good. But if you had done that you probably would have never slept again, so good thing you managed some restraint.
Then they just need some hugs and cuddles and will be able to sleep.
Then Mommy and Daddy disagree about the course of action and end up fighting. Which wakes up child number 3 who needs a diaper change because she has peed through her pajamas.
Then Daddy decides to sleep on the floor with the kids. To keep them from having bad dreams.
Then Mommy can't sleep because she feels guilty that Daddy is sleeping on the floor.
Then the hours tick by and the eyes are still open.
Then Daddy comes back to bed and then there needs to be some words of sorting out the argument so that Mommy and Daddy can feel good enough to fall asleep again.
Then a kid wakes up thirty minutes before your alarm goes off and needs to pee again.
Then Mommy spends the morning sleeping on the couch after she takes the first grader to school and thanks thanks thanks her lucky stars for Netflix and that she is a stay at home mom.
But hats off to Daddy who cannot sleep on the couch all morning and must soldier on to work. He is a trooper. And next time, Mommy will be the one to sleep on the floor in the kids' room. Well, maybe. . .
