Wednesday, July 25, 2007

sleepless nights

***WARNING: Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, read this if you are easily grossed out!***

Carrie absolutely cracked me up this morning with the photo she posted of her sweet, yet seriously sleep-deprived self. (No, this is not the "gross" part of the post!) Anyway, I wanted to let Carrie know that she really is not alone. I'm beginning to think sleep-deprivation is just a normal part of motherhood, that will only go away when children leave for college or wherever else it is they choose to leave for.

Actually, I should not complain...because Gray (my non-sleeper) is finally getting better. This child has never slept! Just doesn't seem to need much. But he is now down to getting me up just a couple times a night, most nights. Some nights, only once.

The dog (I'm a little ticked off at him this morning, therefore I won't even call him by name) has become another part of the problem. See, he wakes me up during the night to let him outside. Despite the fact that he'll have little to do with me during the day, because he is completely and totally a "daddy's dog". Anyway, several weeks back I decided that I'd had enough of his late night antics, that he was only going out to play for 20 minutes during the wee hours, without having any real "business" that needed to be done. So I decided I was going to ignore him when he came to get me up during the night. And this worked for about 2 weeks, until one morning I woke up to a not-so-lovely pile of you-know-what on the living room carpet. (No, this is still not the gross part.) And I couldn't even get mad at him, because he had tried to get me up. Yep, the darn dog had won...I was now at his beck and call during the night.

Anyway, on to last night's antics...

First, I must admit Gray was on his best behavior...only got me up once. To go to the bathroom because he's too scared to go by himself in the middle of the night. But when I went back to bed after this, I simply could not get back to sleep. There was this horrid smell coming in our window. It was like a combination of freshly-killed skunk and gasoline. (Still not to the gross part.) It was making me nauseous. Closing the window didn't help. I tossed and turned and tossed and turned. Finally decided to go to the living room and sleep on the couch. Well, of course, I didn't turn the lights on. Why would I, right? But as soon as I put my head to the pillow, I felt something wet and slimy and disgusting on my neck. I, of course, jumped right up and turned on the light. (Yep, this is the gross part!) The darn cat, who also is in the doghouse and will not be called by name, had thrown up on the couch! Now, the darn cat throws up a lot. But never before on the furniture. So why did she feel the need to start last night?!! Rarely have I been so disgusted in all my life! Needless to say, I then had to wash cat barf out of my hair and off my neck, I had to change pajamas, and get a new pillowcase for my pillow. Finally, I try to get back to sleep...now on the living room floor. Finally, my blood pressure lowers and I drift off...only to have the canine member of the sleep-wrecking crew take his whack at me. Yes, I got up and let him out. And then let him back in. Only to have to get up yet again to let him out. And let him back in. Twice in one night! I guess he didn't want the cat getting the better of him in his quest to keep me perpetually bleary-eyed.

Anyway, Carrie, if you ever feel like chatting at 2:00am, I'm generally up.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

EWWW!!!! Oh Debi, what an awful night. That's when you throw your hands up in defeat and brew a strong pot of coffee ;-)

Jean said...

I hate to break the news to you, Debi, but by the time the kids leave, one of two things happens. First, as the last kids leave, the older ones move back in, so kids are still a resident issue. OR, by the time kids are not an issue, you're so, yes, OLD, that hormones have become an issue and you just plain don't sleep well. That's what's happened to me. Kids (even though they still live here) and pets (dog rarely needs to go out at night) aren't a problem, but perimenopause is. Oh well.

twiga92 said...

Oh dear, as a cat owner that has not had this happen to me yet, ai yi yi! I think I've stepped in cat vomit but I don't think I've laid down in it yet. Blech! Notice that I used the word 'yet'. :-)

gail@more than a song said...

OH MY GOSH Debi! That is kinda gross, sorry about that.
And to give you SO much hope, I was gonna say something similar to what Jean said, by the time they're in college either you worry over different things and can't sleep or you're a bit older & just don't sleep the night through. So there, something to look forward to!

kreed said...

I have never known how you survive on the amount of sleep you get. I always figured you had some genetic anamoly that made you into superwoman. And after this blog, I am more convinced than ever!

I thought stepping in the cat vomit was bad enough - I had no idea the gross factor of cat barf could be cranked up so many notches! Ick! Ick! Ick! I am so surprised one of my cats hasn't come up with that trick as revenge for the diet they are currently on! Some day when I find millions of dollars I didn't know I had I am so taking you with me somewhere for a girl's weekend. Wait- make that a girl's month!

daisy said...

Oh, boy, can I relate! I can now tell my girls that I am not the only person in the world who would blog about cat barf! LOL. Cuz I did just that not too long ago:

Jennifer said...

OH. MY. WORD. Stepping in it is bad enough, but oh, would I be totally grossed out to lie down in it - GAG!
I don't sleep much either - 2 AM is my friend! But mostly it's because I'm just such a night owl! Makes for some really sleepy mornings!

Melody said...

Oh my! That explains why this is one reason I don't want to have any pets in the house...because I don't want to clean after them!!!!

My in-laws have a dog, and usually he's quite obedient and know where to do his business...but there are times that he does it outside the bathroom, and I'm so worried that the small kids will step onto them! Eek!!!

Anonymous said...

ROTFL!!!!!!! Debi! You're killin' me here!!! Cat puke ... GAG!!!! As I was reading, I was think you were gonna say you stepped in it and it squished between your toes, LOL! But laying on your pillow and feeling it on you neck ....... OH ... MY ... GARSH! I love my cats but they would have been seen flyin' through the air that night, LOL!

Mari said...

I am laughing here - but I am laughing with you not at you. We have a cate and I have ahd the unfortunate experience of sitting on cat vomit. It was early morning, still dark and I hadn't turned on the light yet. I was just going to do my devotions and instead - you know what I felt on my bare legs!!
PS - I am checking out you blog because I am Laura's (who won your giveaway) Mom and she recommended it. Great Blog!