June 18, 2010

Sleep is for Wimps

Do I have intermittent bloodshot eyes and a dazed expression these days from sleep deprivation? Yes. But that’s no different from my usual appearance. Sleep is for wimps.

Since the birth of ‘M’, a joyous and life-changing event, we have been adapting to our new even-numbered family. While busier than ever, the Rising Daughters Parental Team has been temporarily augmented by the presence of my mother-in-law. Thanks to her energy and cheerful help since early May, we’re alive!

Nevertheless, newborns require constant attention, viz. the need for milk and relentless diaper changes. Yep, we get worn out. But it’s a gleeful kind of fatigue. Our sleep debt is large and we are accruing a significant amount of interest, with no bailout on the horizon. Naomi is bearing the major brunt of the sleep loss and she seems to be in constant motion. My contribution is an early-morning shift with M…I wake up with the gravely voice of George C. Scott in my head, bullying me into action.
And paraphrasing another Gen. Patton quote:
"A (family) is a team. It lives, eats, sleeps, fights as a team. This individuality stuff is a bunch of bullshit."

Anyway, my view is that sleep is just a sign of not enough coffee. As her parents, we’re happy because everything is going well for M. However, the other youngster, the catalyst of this blog, Lady E., is having her own issues and coping in her own way—by driving us crazy. Here is the easiest way to visualize Elena’s reaction to the addition of M to our family:

We are trying to be patient, understanding, and empathetic toward  Lady E.’s angst which has surfaced since her sister’s birth. Crazy E. is at the point where she has developed a sense of herself and is expanding her physical boundaries. Suddenly, this other THING invades her exclusive space and ruins it all.

So, occasionally we have to deal with major behavioral issues such as:
tantrums
mild jealousy
emotional distress
more tantrums
challenges to authority
conflict

The sisters’ relationship is already extreme…but there are signs of hope…

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