To sleep: perchance to dream

Sleep has been on my mind a lot lately, specifically the lack of it. We are all suffering from having not gotten enough sleep over the last couple of weeks.

I'd like to be able to attribute this situation to some rare form of mass insomnia; however, the cause of our troubles can be directly connected to one very small, very cute culprit.

"Who me?"

There she is: our little sleep disturber Lola. This little darlin' has been keeping her daddy and I up most nights during the last 14 days or so. She's awakened us with various moans, groans, cries and screams. Sometimes she will go back to sleep on her own, but at least once a night she needs one of us, but most of the time me, to come get her, give her some milk and rock her back to sleep.

I wish she were more like Amelia was in that we could put her to bed sleepy but not asleep and she would slip off to sleepy-town own her own; but, unfortunately, Lola wants to be rocked until she's dead asleep. If I try to put her in bed while she's even slightly awake she will scream as if she's been dropped in boiling oil and not let up until someone comes to get her. She's a stubborn one that girl.

I thought her recent sleep troubles might be linked to her cutting a mouthful of teeth or to being hungry since she always drinks at least 4 ounces of formula when I get up with her so I've been keeping her well-dosed with Tylenol and teething tablets and feeding her around the clock in an attempt to get her to sleep through the night.

Despite my best efforts, she is continuing suffer sleep disturbances, which means we are continuing to suffer as well. I am beginning to think her stomach is bothering her and am grateful she has an appointment with the pediatric gastroenterologist on Monday because I am hoping he can help me solve this mystery. If he can't help, then I am resigned to believing we have been saddled with the world's worst sleeper.

I have been able to keep going thanks to loads and loads of caffeine as well as making myself stay active with various projects and household chores because if I sit down for very long I find myself drifting to sleep. I purchased two bottles of 5-hour Energy, which a friend swears by, but have yet to try it.

Keeping busy hasn't been very easy though as I have been too tired to care about some things. As an example I am providing photographic evidence of what happens when momma gives up:

I finally had to tackle at least washing the laundry because it was getting to the point to where I was going to have to either wash clothes or start wearing my old business suits around the house because I had run out of casual clothes i.e. jeans and sweats. The sheets and pajamas are still waiting to be folded.

I won't even show photos of how dusty my house is because I am embarrassed by how bad it is. I have never liked cleaning, but do my best tackle this chore. However, the last few weeks of me not caring whether the dust gets eliminated has resulted in a collection of dust that on first glance would appear as if I am conducting some bizarre science experiment.

Yesterday I was so tired that I actually found myself praying there would be no need for me to have to go anywhere in the car because I truly worried for the safety of myself and my girls should I have to drive somewhere. Thankfully, Amelia didn't have school yesterday and no other need to drive arose.

Amelia wanted to take pictures with my camera yesterday. I was too tired to protest and handed the camera over with a weak warning to be careful. As I was looking at the photos she had taken it occurred to me that she captured the face of sleep deprivation when she took a picture of me. Don't believe me? Well, check out this snapshot as evidence:

I could barely muster that smile, and I think I could pack a week's worth of clothes in those bags under my eyes. Thank goodness for Clinique's All About Eyes cream without which I would always look as if Samsonite had purchased ad space under my eyes.

Lola had a somewhat better night last night, but I cannot make any guarantees about tonight. I just pray we can resolve her sleep issues so the rest of the family can maybe book a few round-trip tickets to the Land of Nod.