the secret life of mothers of babies who don't sleep through the night...yet

There's an entire secret society of women (and men, too) up at all hours of the night feeding and changing and rocking and cuddling little babies in need. For some it's every few hours. For some it's a constant thing. I'm lucky to be of the former variety with little Rhealen. She's usually up once or twice a night with a simple regimen: change the diaper, eat a few ounces, cuddle for a minute and back to sleep for a few more hours. It's bliss.

When I'm up at night with her, in the midst of my sleep-deprived haze, I think about a lot of different things. I wonder how many of my friends are out there at that exact moment doing the exact same thing I am. And seeing has 2011 has been the "year of babies" among my friends, I'm sure that odds are there's quite a few people up at the same time I am. I feel connected to all of you Moms and Dads, miles apart and without ever acknowledging it. It helps me keep my sanity a little, in the dead of the night and the wee hours of the morning, to know I'm not alone.

Getting up with Rhealen has been fairly easy so far, and dare I say it: enjoyable. Of course, that will probably all change once it comes time for me to go back to work (oh, if only I didn't have to go back to work). I love our time together, while Justin and Sidney are snoozing away in bed together, Rhealen and I have free reign of the house. To do what we please, to listen to music and dance, or watch bad late night TV together or just sit and stare at each other if we want. It's our time, our incredibly special time together. And it's nice to have these precious hours to bond, to really get to know each other and trust each other and love one another better.

This is one little society I'm glad to know and be a proud member of. The grogginess and grumpiness and bags under my eyes may sometimes give me away and make me a little unbearable at times. But it's late night bliss. Beautiful, sweet, late night baby bliss.