Who needs sleep?

Ahhhhhh..... sleep........ Without a doubt one of the necessities of life.  Sure there is food and water and air...but I'd trade one or all three for some good old fashion, drool on the pillow, psychedelic dream inducing, coma-like zzzzzzzs.

It amazes me how what you need and want rarely seems to align with what you have an opportunity to do.  For example, when you are a kid, you have nap time and can sleep for 12 hours a night, however, kids don't want to take naps, they want to be up like the adults.  Little do they know that those adults are green with envy at the sleep kids have the opportunity to have. (Other examples are riding in a stroller or being carried - again, things kids don't appreciate when they have it.  But clearly a topic for another post another time.)

I have to admit that Ayden is not yet the sleep-fighter type, (I'm sure it is in our future), but if he is at all fussy about going down, I find myself telling him how lucky he is.  How he doesn't know that for the rest of his life he will have to function through chronic sleep deprivation and will yearn one day to sleep as soundly, peacefully and often as the child he holds in his hands.

I've never thought so much about sleep as I have the past 11 months. Not due just to my lack of it with working full time, infant at home and my constant 'training' for my next athletic feat, but because of my nightly participation in the 'sleep game', as I call it.  It's a game I know all parents are familiar with. The endless quest to find the perfect sleep formula for your ever-changing child.  Is he too hot? too cold? fan on? fan off? blankets? music? vibrations? too early? hungry? wet? teething? or dare I say....over tired??? Again, I must say I don't have it hard.  Ayden has been 'sleeping through the night' since he was 8 weeks, but has spans where he will whine in his sleep until his pacifier is replaced every couple hours or so.

So, every morning I still find myself taking mental notes, what was it about last night that made the stars aligns for 10 hours of peaceful sleep?

Of course the true answer is always - WHO KNOWS?!?!? But what self-respecting mother takes that for an answer!!? (I'm his MOTHER - of course I know what's best - right?)

So, we continue to play the game. Little tweak here, twist there and before we know it we have the formula figured out.....................the kid goes off to college.

Truth be told, I'm a sucker for Ayden mornings. Nothing kicks sleep deprivation on its ass like a smile from my 'Bug-a-boo' and a little giggle on the side. Take that Sandman!!