Monday, October 11, 2010

Eyeballs and Alligators


Last night the boys all slept all night. No coughing, no calls for a paci. Nothing but beautiful silence. This is still unusual enough to be noteworthy. Especially since everyone has a little cold.

Unfortunately, Amelia had a nightmare and woke up screaming at 12:30 a.m. I raced to her room and she clung tightly to me crying. Her heart was pounding like crazy and she was sobbing, she was so scared. As I held her tight I realized that she also had a fever.

Jeff went to get the thermometer and the acetaminophen and I turned the lights on low and stayed with Amelia. It was clear she wasn't going to go back to sleep by herself. So, I pulled out the trundle in hopes that I could sleep near her, but not share a bed. Because I am certain it would be easier to sleep with a whirling dervish or a rabid dog than to sleep with a small child.

That was a great plan, but it wasn't happening for Amelia. She was in my bed in a flash, and then she starting seeing alligators and eyeballs everywhere. I started to think the fever was causing hallucinations. She kept pointing at the wall and wanted me to touch it to show here there was nothing there. So really, any bed at all was pointless. I didn't get to close my for two hours. Every time I did, Amelia panicked and told me to wake up.

It was a fun night.

Finally, at 2:30 a.m. we had the lights all the way on, and Amelia finally quit asking if it was morning yet. She drifted off to a restless sleep, and I tried to pretend the lights weren't on and she wasn't kicking me in the kidneys.

About 4:30 a.m. Amelia's fever broke. I suppose she woke up raring to go for the day because she felt so much better, but UGH. I begged her to go back to sleep. I was sympathetic about the nightmare and the fever, but the lack of sleep was starting to be torturous for me.

When the boys started their 6:30 a.m. wakeup call, I was toast. Jeff decided to go in to work a little later and sent me back to our bed for a quick nap before he had to leave. That probably saved the day around here. That and a mandatory nap for everyone, including Mom.

Amelia slept until 8 and woke up her usual chipper self. She struggled at times today, because she didn't get enough sleep last night either, but overall she did pretty well.

Here's hoping the nightmares and eyeballs and alligators stay out of our house tonight!


© Trippin' Mama 2010

No comments: