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.