Saturday, March 8, 2014

Sleeping In Is SO Overrated...

It's not even 7am and little Belle has asked for Signing Time a few times already. The fact that she would rather watch Signing Time over her other favorite show Pocoyo must mean something special to her. Plus, this seems to be a "new" piece added to her routine. Can't break a girl from her routine right?

Any who, most parents can relate to this:

No matter how much wine consumption and channel surfing one can do on a Friday or Saturday night, weekend mornings are just like any other mornings in the world of parenthood, well at least for me it is. These are the moments where I envy my husband who is still sleeping snug in our bed while I am now onto my second cup of coffee. 

Which brings me to my question of the day: do you get to sleep in, ever, on the weekends or when your significant other is home from work (vacation, time off, etc.)?

I joke and say that even given the chance to sleep in, I probably wouldn't because Belle is so used to her routine of me getting up with her in the AM. I've grown to just become used to mornings even though I am a typical night owl. It's a sad world when I can barely stay awake past 10pm because of feeling drained from keeping up with a hyperactive, no-nonsense, rarely nap unless sick, needs a strict routine and lots of movement child that even if she goes to bed late (like after 10pm, which luckily she fell asleep after 8pm last night), she's up before the roosters nowadays. 

Sleeping in is so overrated right? I'll sleep in someday correct? Sleep is for the dead you say? Yeah yeah I get it...still I'm already looking forward to bedtime and the day has just begun (said most parents like me who enjoy their beds). 

Thank goodness for caffeine and the love I have for it. To think I only became a caffeine addict over the course of the past few years makes me wonder how on earth I was able to function as a teenager when school started at 7:30 (I still think that's too early of a day for kids and teachers alike but what do I know).  

Like I said previously, breaking a child's routine, especially one who is on the spectrum, is like your spouse shattering your favorite coffee mug...it's like "WTF just happened?? What did you do?!?! NO!!!!" So for me, if I don't follow her typical morning routes, she screams and pouts as if the world was coming to an end. I know this may sound harsh but lately I've been "switching things up" and yes does she pout and get mad? She does, but I don't care. Momma needs her milk too (coffee: mommy's milk) and yes I will sit with you while you drink your milk but you're going to wait two more minutes...and she has and does...and guess what?! The tantrums are short and somedays, non-existent. 

Usually she gets up, lays/cuddles with me in bed, then gets her diaper change, her almond milk and we sit together holding hands wrapped up in one of the throws while she enjoys one of her morning shows, then it's onto breakfast and the rest of our day. The above happens in sequence probably 10-15 minutes from the time she's up and is drinking her milk. 

I must say that mornings are peaceful and one of the few times she's more relaxed and not bouncing off the furniture yet. It's a precious time where we spend being quiet and enjoying one another, but that tends to be short lived because she gets bored or needs something else. 

However, there's nothing more serene than cuddling up with your kiddo, messaging their arms while smelling their sweet head just taking that moment in because as much as we (me) hates mornings, once night arrives, the day is over and that's another day in the dust, time we will never get back. Despite the morning dragging on, an eccentric toddler who is currenty running around the house yelling and bouncing off the furniture, I will continue to sit here and enjoy her in this moment because I will never get this time back tomorrow (while drinking my milk of course).

Here's to a happy weekend all. Stay strong and blessed.

Xoxo,  

Trish 

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