The New Normal

In the early days of motherhood, when I was getting 45 minute increments of sleep, someone told me that it would get better, but that it would never be like it was, and that I would find a new "normal".  I believe that in the last few days, I've experienced this phenomenon.  I've always enjoyed my sleep.  I liked to get 9 hours a night if possible, because I tend to have 3 hour sleep cycles.  Many of my friends can attest that I frequently fall asleep during movies and TV shows.  But, those long sleepy nights and catnaps are over for me for the moment.  And I'm surprisingly okay with that, and I'm even functioning pretty well now that sleep comes in at least 2 hour increments, and usually more like 4 hours.

In the last two days that I've been back at work, I think the routine we've developed has been good.  I wake up with Evie around 5, or, if she's sleeping, then 6 at the latest.  She eats and I try not to talk to her too much so she'll go back to sleep for her Daddy.  She and her Daddy sleep for most of the morning while I head off to work.  Reportedly she wakes up at 10 or 11, has a bottle, and then they play for a bit before she takes a nap.  Then another bottle at 2 or 3 and play and nap.  I get home around 5:30 or 6 and it's the highlight of my day to see my little girl.  The first day back at work, she was sleeping when I got home, so I kissed her and then got changed and did a few other things around the house, then when she woke up, I scooped her up and she gave me a smile!  It melted my heart and was the only time I really cried that day.

Anyway, after I get home, she eats and we play, though she goes through the "witching hour" in the evening where she gets a bit cranky and needs to be bounced or rocked or walked, etc.  And then she and I head to bed around 10, after her last meal for the evening, where she sleeps until about 1 or 2 and Seth gives her a bottle so that I can sleep.  It's really working out well so far, for me.  I'm a little worried about Seth finding time to do his reading, grading, and paper writing when he goes back to school, but we'll make adjustments if we need to then.

As I was holding Evie this morning, I couldn't help but just stare at her.  She had fallen back asleep in my arms and I spent a good 10 minutes just looking at her sweet face.  She's such an angel.  There are still so many times that I wonder if it's all real, because it's just such a dream come true.  I knew parenthood would be wonderful, but I had no idea how much, and I'm so thankful every day that I have the opportunity to be Mama to such a beautiful, sweet little girl.