One of those Nights

Joe is out of town and the kids and I had one of those nights.  I stayed up a little later than I should have given the unpredictability of Elizabeth's sleep, enjoying the chance to get some stuff done after both kids were asleep before 9, but went to bed around 10:30.  And of course Elizabeth woke up at about 10:45 and ate and fought going back to sleep and ate some more and finally caved around 12:30, with me sneaking in a power nap during one of the stretches when she had taken the pacifier.  She then slept for like a whole hour and then woke up and needed help getting back to sleep.  We did that until about 3:30, with me sleeping for half an hour here, 15 minutes there, and so on.  Finally at 3:30 (after eating again) she caved and went really to sleep.  And we slept soundly for an hour and a half. 

And then Nicholas came in and asked if it was morning.  At 5am.  He then started to throw a fit (because he was overtired) when I said it was still night and since I was afraid of him waking up Elizabeth I whispered that if he went to the bathroom he could sleep on Joe's side.  And he did and Elizabeth only sort of woke up with the shuffling.  But she was going back to sleep.  And then Nicholas started coughing.  Which is totally not his fault, but of course woke Elizabeth up.  And so we spent about half an hour with me trying to get Elizabeth to go back to sleep while snapping at Nicholas for kicking me in bed.  And then I gave up and we all got up.

So new goal: get Nicholas ready for school ASAP and have him standing there when it opens at 7.  Because at least they chose a night to do this when I don't have a full workday.  Thursday is my Elizabeth day.  I have work that needs to get done from home, but I don't have to be on and sharp.  And maybe just maybe she'll fall asleep in the car taking Nicholas to school and I can squeeze in a nap when we get home.  And just hope that they don't do this tonight because my day tomorrow is jam-packed all day.

And I have now vented, which is really what I needed to not be upset with them for things that really aren't their fault.  And really Elizabeth has been so much better at sleeping in the last week.  She just had a bad night last night and it happened to coincide with Nicholas getting up super-early.  We'll be okay.