My friend who was planning to help me tonight texted this morning to say she was sick. When the next three people I contacted didn’t work out, I resigned myself to try parenting solo again.
The girls fell asleep at 6:05 pm, just as our nanny, Claudia, left. I scarfed a quick peanut butter sandwich and a glass of milk and readied myself for a long evening.
Catie woke after just 40 minutes and seemed hungry, so I fed her and burped her. I then spent more than an hour trying to bounce her to sleep, but to no avail. Between reflux and recalcitrant burps, she was miserable and awake.
Time passed. She eventually convinced me that she was hungry again.
After nursing and a small bottle, I *finally* helped Catie fall sleep. But as I opened the door to put her in bed, I heard Sam wake and begin to wail, waking Cate.
Now both were awake. Rotten timing, dammit.
With two more hours until Daddy gets home, I paused to pee and regroup.
* * *
We tandem nursed, and Sam had a little formula. Exhausted Catie started to fuss. I put Sam in the swing, wrapped Catie up, and started bouncing her to sleep. Sam began to fuss in the next room, loud enough to distract Catie, but she finally fell asleep at 11:00 pm. She’d been awake 4:25, longer than she’d ever been awake. Not good.
I went to collect Sam from the swing and fathomed her fussing: the swing had died, and although the motor was still clicking, she wasn’t going anywhere.
I bundled her up and began bouncing her to sleep. With reflux and a little gas, she fought to stay awake for awhile. But at 11:20 pm, she succumbed.
Two overtired babies down, left me exhausted, thirsty, and hungry. Bill got home, but before I could greet him, reflux woke Sam again, just 25 minutes after she fell asleep. I fear for our sleep, but it’s midnight and we have to go try.
