Sleepless Nights

Daddy and I, as parents, haven't really had many of those classic sleepless nights. I realize how fortunate I am to be able to say that. Bubba was a great sleeper right from the start. Sure, he'd wake to be fed when he was teeny tiny but we never had a marathon screaming session that ended with everyone in tears.

Recently, I feel like we're eating our words. We're getting a second chance at that newborn stage but this time, it has nothing to do with newborns and everything to do with teeth.

I hate teeth. I've come to realize that not actually remembering getting our own teeth is probably a good thing. The payback for not remembering is having teething children.

After nearly three weeks of what I would call questionable bowel movements (LOL), we now have four eye teeth. (I know they are his teeth but WE ALL earned them.) Just as I started to bask in the glory of eye teeth and normal poop, the molars rear their ugly heads.
Did I mention I hate teeth?

All of the tooth talk leads me to a recent night. I knew that his teeth were starting to bother him but he doesn't do any complaining during the day. He gnaws on his fingers but doesn't whine about them one bit.
Daddy worked last night so I was, once again, flying solo. I knew it was going to be a long night when I was still tossing and turning at 12:00.
I am awakened (if you want to call it that) at about 12:30 by a very whiny boy. I try to ignore him and see if he'll lay back down on his own. The cries intensify. When it comes to night waking, we try to have him self sooth to a point. Once he passes a certain point, he's wide awake and it's nearly impossible to get him to sleep again. I go in and he immediately lays down. I cover him and tell him goodnight.

The quiet doesn't last long though. He starts up again at just about 2:00. When I go in, he's standing there giving me the most pitiful look ever. I gather Bubba and his choo-choo blankie and we cuddle in the chair. He can barely keep his eyes open. After twenty minutes of cuddling we have success, once again.

I am awakened AGAIN at just about 3:00. I decide that if I don't put my foot down this is going to continue all night long. I ask him to lay down and tell him goodnight. Again. This time he responds by screaming at the top of his lungs. Nice. I give him kisses and tell him night night.
He screams louder when I leave the room. I let him cry/scream/fake it for ten minutes.

After the ten-minute tirade, I give in and get the Motrin and teething tablets. He calms down after the tablets and I cuddle him again. By this time, I have a enormous headache and I'm begging for sleep.

This is where I reeeally give in. I whisk him off to bed with me. I secretly love this. When he was just a few days old, cuddling in bed with him was the only way to get him to really sleep. I get teary just thinking about it.
ANYwho, we go lay down. I can tell he's on cloud nine because he starts jabbering and wanting to play with the clock, etc. I am in no mood. In my mommy voice, I tell him to lay down and go to sleep.

This is where all of the crying and sleeplessness is worth it.

He curls up next to me and takes my hand in his. He holds my hand to his chest and gives it a little squeeze. (I used to cuddle with him *just* like this when he was a newborn.)
Then he starts gently rubbing my arm as if to say, "It's ok, mommy. Just relax and go to sleep."

We both finally drift off snuggled together. Boy, will I miss those nights.