Sleeping Well

The day is winding down. The children are deep breathing in their beds. L is sweating, burrowed under her covers as she likes to be. O (11) and R (9) are sweating, sharing the bottom bunk as they like. M (3) is splayed over his mattress with stripes of marker running down both arms. The Lawyer told me that M was out of bed and into L's markers while I was out tonight; that's what 3 year-olds do.

The baby is asleep. And what I joy that is! We're definitely in a sleep funk. Around three months he was sleeping through the night and I was shocked because it was so abnormal for our children. Then, around four months, he learned to roll himself over onto his back and he hated that for sleeping. So, he would roll over and cry and cry and I would come in and roll him back over and pat his back and try to settle him down. Most often he wouldn't go back to sleep. Then we went to CA and I nursed him when he cried in the night or on the plane. Therefore, when we returned home he still woke about every 3 hours and hoped to nurse. Now, as we have neared (and hit!) the 6 month mark, he's learned to roll himself back over- and, in fact, to scooch himself all around the place! So, back to sleep again. Currently, he likes to have two fingers in his mouth (upside down!) and then grab his blanket with one hand and hold it up near his face while he sleeps on his side. But now! For some reason he has been waking almost every 2 hours for the past two weeks. G can nurse in 5 minutes and then go right back down to sleep... but it still takes a toll on a tired mama. After all these children and all these sleepless nights and even after all the restful nights I've had, I still don't know what I'm doing. I know I could train the baby to sleep. . . but I also know this is such a short season. My babies seem to grow better and to be happier when they can nurse at night.

Yet, it's Monday! And I'm in the habit of giving thanks, and so I will again.

1131) Quiet breathing
1132) Boy talking in his sleep
1133) Milk for a hungry baby
1134) Big boys helping younger children with school
1135) A fridge full of strawberries and then a freezer full of strawberries
1136) Red mouths, red strawberry stained faces, red stained clothes- complete enjoyment!
1137) Provision again and again. Surprise performance- based RAISE for The Lawyer! 
1138) Singing Romans 1 and Romans 8 in the van with the kids
1139) M- finally, finally, finally DRY for three days in a row!!
1140) School books finished; school books passed down; new school books- the journey continues!

M, 3

T (5) with G

M on the "Flying Turtle" as he often is these days.

O and L working over math.