Results of Extreme Sleep Deprivation

Parenting a baby is kind of exhausting. I'm missing a good, long night's sleep, but I also know that there is absolutely nothing sweeter than snuggling a baby in a cozy nursery in the middle of a cold winter's night, so I'm not complaining.

In the midst of our fatigue, Tony and I have had some interesting middle-of-the-night conversations. Don't misunderstand, this is most definitely not a venting session about a lazy husband. Tony is the most hands on, attentive father the world has ever seen. Far more often than not he is changing diapers in the middle of the night, hopping in the shower with a baby covered in poop up her back, or entertaining a wide awake, bright eyed girl from 4-5AM while I snooze. However, some of his less proud moments are too funny not to remember.

I'm nursing Myka, so often times there is little Tony can do to help in the middle of the night. I almost always hop out of bed when I hear her crying, nurse her, and go back to bed. However, there are the nights when she cries a half hour after I just fed her, so I know she's not hungry and I elbow my dear, sweet husband and ask him to attend to our precious bundle. I've had some pretty hilarious responses from a totally zonked out Tony over the last four months...(I should note that before falling asleep, he always assures me he is eager to do anything and everything he can to help in the middle of the night. I've quickly learned that once the guy is out, he's out, and as sincere as his offers to help may have been, he just can't always see them through. :)

Week 1: I wake up frantically trying to find Myka (who is sleeping peacefully in her cradle). I think she is Tony's leg, so I'm grabbing his leg, trying to pull all the covers back, and shaking Tony to ask him, "Where's the baby?" He doesn't even bother to open his eyes when he responds, "I don't know, you had her last."

3 Months: I'm laying Myka down in the middle of our bed at a hotel after feeding her. I ask Tony to move over. He sits up and rambles off something about the Scarlet Letter and then says, "I know you just asked me to do 2 things. One is to turn something down to zero and I can't remember the other." I impatiently respond, "MOVE OVER!"

3 Months: Myka's crying and I ask Tony to go in and give her a pacifier, he responds, "I took way too much cold medicine before going to bed, so I really don't think I can."

4 Months: I go in to Myka's room and realize she has dirtied her diaper, I take her in to Tony and ask him to change her diaper. He responds, "I think it's funny that you go in and get her only to bring her to me" and then falls fast asleep.

4 Months: I wake up to head in and nurse Myka. Tony stops me as I'm at the door and says, "If you're looking for Myka, I have her right here" and then falls asleep as I proceed to the nursery.

These may be way more hilarious to me than they are in written form, but I'm grateful for the memories. I sure do love being a parent with Tony.