Sleep is Way Overrated

One thing being a mom has taught me, is that sleep can feel more like a luxury than a necessity. I used to stay up all hours of the night and sleep in late, before I had kids that is.  Then they were gracious enough to train me in the art of "Early to bed, early to rise, leaves a mom sleepy, but happy otherwise."

And even though the only baby in my house still sleeps in my tummy, my kids have not let me revert to my old ways of sleeping.  In fact a night without being woken up is a rare occasion, one in which I usually wake myself up in the middle of the night and ask "Are the kids okay?" And then get up to check on them so that I can sleep and stop worrying. 

Last night was a normal night. Went to bed at 10 (Bones was on...so I stayed up a bit too late). Then at 1:30 I get awaken to a tap, tap, tap, tap, tap on my leg.  It's Chloe (she's out "I hate to sleep" child) "Can I sleep in your bed?" I think about it for a moment, I could send her back to her room...but last time I did that I found out in the morning of the horrible dream that had woken her, and well, let's just say I hate mom guilt.  So I say "Sure climb in." I start off next to the Hubby, but being pregnant does not lend itself well to being a mommy sandwich in bed, so I switched with Chloe, to find that being on the edge of the bed is just as uncomfortable when your center of gravity keeps moving outward. So after an hour and a half of half-sleep I went to Chloe's bed. Her bed is comfy, but it's not mine, so sleep doesn't come easy.  But I think to myself, Brian gets up at 5, I'll get back into bed then, so I sleep for a bit, then hear Brian get up and I scurry back to my warm comfy bed and climb in.  And think, "aahhh sweet sleep".  As and as soon as I find a comfy spot and close my eyes, I feel it.  A tiny little kick. It's not the first one I have felt, but that fact doesn't take the magic of that feeling away. So I tell Brian with a big grin on my face "Your baby kicked me".  And as I lay there eyes closed and glowing still, I feel it again, and again.  Then a punch on the other side. This goes on for about 15 minutes, and I think about it for another hour before I can sleep. 

I love sleep, I do not function well on lack of sleep, but oh baby, does that life stirring inside you feeling trump anything and everything else in that monent. I know that in, what will feel like a few short weeks, I will hold my baby and never again feel that wondrous life in my belly. So I am soaking it up. 

Lord, you are amazing, and I praise You with such joy in my heart, knowing this baby is yet another blessing I do not deserve. As it says in James 1:16-17, " Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

Thank You Lord that sleep can wait when there is a baby stirring within me.  And help me to remember that sleep can wait when there is a baby swaddled next to me too. Or children with nightmares, or hurting knees, or husbands who need something found before leaving for work.

Sleep is way overrated, I tell ya.