All I want for Christmas is.........

.................... a full night's sleep.

It's true that I haven't had a full night's sleep since my pregnancy with Saraya, about 7 years ago.  I dream of it.  No, I dream of a stretch of sleep more than 2 hours long.  Just 2 hours of uninterrupted sleep is all I want.  Even 3 hours would be amazing.  4 hours?  Out of this world.  I know I would wake up, jump out of my bed and start dancing - even if it was only 2am.  

My children have never been good sleepers.  They are great kids in many ways, but they just don't sleep well.  William did for the first 3 months of his life, before our family non-sleeping whatever it is rubbed off on him.  And Saraya and Elijah do go through waves of sleeping well.  

But the last two nights have been hilarious.  No not hilarious, horrendous!!  Funny, the first two nights Stuart has finished all his work and actually come to bed early, both of us longing for some really good solid sleep, and all 3 children have kept waking us up, all night long.  Why?  Well, the first night Will woke at around 11:30pm and was awake until 1:30am- not sure why.  Saraya overlapped him and woke at 12:30am with a sore tummy, and was up until about 2am.  By then I was wrecked, but Elijah woke at 3am and was unsettled for awhile.  Will continued to wake and feed every hour or so as he often does at the moment.  I just have him lying in bed with me as it's easier than getting up and down all night.

So by last night we were all really super tired.  Did the children sleep well?  No, despite the fact that I made sure they had heaps of exercise yesterday to tire them, they had eaten well, drunk heaps of water, used the toilet right before sleep, and even had chamomile tea, they did NOT sleep well.  At all.  It was worse than ever!!!!!!  William was up again before I even got to bed, and was restless most of the night.  Saraya started calling for us before we went to bed as well.  She had another drink.  Used the toilet again.  Had cuddles.  Music.  Prayer.  Stu and I went to bed.  After lying awake for awhile I got to sleep at 10:30pm.  Saraya appeared at 11pm.  She apparently needed the toilet again.  Oh, and again at 12am.  And 1:30am..........

By this time I was ready to scream.  You see, I had told her the only reason she could wake me last night is if she needed the toilet.  Hmmm, there's a link there!

Elijah appeared at about 2:30am, wanting a cuddle.  Stu took him back to his bed, but he was back again at 3:30am.  And at 4:30am when he asked for the toilet, I took him, tucked him back in bed and he asked why the birds were singing?  "Is it morning yet mamma?"  "NO!!!!  It is not!!"

Well, that was it for Elijah.  He was in his room playing until 5am when he reappeared.  Stu got a bit cranky and said he needed to stay in his room to play.  Which he did beautifully, though a bit noisily.  And just before 6am when I heard the back door open I went outside to see what on earth he was doing, and this is what I found.

A completely naked boy standing in the back garden with an assortment of containers, baking trays and bath toys.

"Um Elijah, what are you doing?" I asked.

In the happiest, brightest voice you can imagine he replied, "Oh, hello Mamma!!  Do you remember yesterday at Declan's house?  We were doing water play?  Well, I've got everything ready! Could you please get me some water?"

Do you think I obliged?  Yep, I did.  After all, he had been up and amusing himself for an hour and a half by that point.

And somehow that smile just washes away my crankiness.  Well, almost. :)  I'm trying hard to keep it together today.  It is the first day of holidays after all. 

Please pray we get some decent sleep soon!