4:03 in the wee smas

For those of you who don't know what that is, think of that song from "Sleepless in Seattle": In the wee small hours of the morning, when the whole wide world is fast asleep..."

Tonight's saga is poor Erin with a horrid cold, chest congestion and colic (again!), crying to break everyone's hearts, sweaty, coughing, and falling asleep midcry in weird positions only to jerk with another pain and cry some more. Really, we need some help here!

Don't worry, it's coming. I often, Very Often wonder, how parents can function at all without a belief in the saving, reassuring and comforting presence of God. There's no way I could do this alone, it's just too heartwrenching. When Chris and I are sitting there in the middle of the night and Erin won't stop crying (thank you that Ian has grown out of it), staring at each other in desperation, ready and willing to do ANYthing to get it to stop, sheeeesh. But it's just one of those things you have to get through.

And might I reiterate, we LOVE our hot water bottle, and aside from the swing, it is the most wonderful purchase we have ever made. Ian would protest this point, but he is flailing away in his own little bed, since even in sleep he finds it impossible to be still. I'm just really hoping that he won't act out his dreams and pee on the floor, thinking of an imaginary drain.

My Dad used to do that. Once he was dreaming that he was fishing and hocked a loogie onto the floor somewhere. Then another time, he was dreaming of something else and hocked another one into the empty fireplace. But this time, my friends and I were sitting around the living room and poor Josh almost got nailed in the side of the head with Wild Flying Loogie because he chose to sit by the fireplace. Josh has still not recovered from this incident. Especially when Dad woke up, laughed and went back to sleep. And they wondered why none of my friends wanted to visit? That story made it around campus fast! :)

Between Chris's childhood history of sleepwalking and genetic dream theater, we're hoping that Ian stays put. But from the banging in his room of his knees against the wall and bedrails, that's not happening precisely. Plans are in the works for a twin bed for Ian some time after we move. Ian already has his big boy sheets picked out.

Poor Chris had a rough day today, the kind of day where you're so worn out, but your mind just needs to do something. So in between crying jags, he got to play his funny little computer games (he likes the ones where you run a restaurant and have to do all the jobs or the ones where you're the farmer and you have to plant, water, fertilize, bug spray, etc, harvest and sell the crops and then buy more seed to plant and hopefully save enough money to buy chickens. Like I said, funny games).

He got called out around 11 ish but came back to crying Erin, where the computer time started up. He took her for a couple of car rides but brought her back to nurse. This is where I am now thinking that it's not colic. Not like last time. Because she ate just fine, she just had a really upset stomach. Hm.

Now I will make a confession and admit another stupid mistake. I tried the Yobaby organic yogurt for her today, hoping to get her little system on track. It's supposed to be safe for babies 6 months and older (and toddlers) so I gave her a couple of spoonfuls. She doesn't usually like cold foods or drinks or anything, so she didn't like it. Then I tasted it and it was NASTY! I gave some to Chris to try (to spread the nasty around some. he he) and he spewed it out and then had to have something to cover up the taste (some Real yogurt: Yoplait peach). Erin had her supper and things were fine. Well, Fie upon you, yobaby! Because really, that's all I can think of that would cause this....and there's no better time for self-recrimination than in the wee smas.

Hm. Just think, Ian will most likely be up in 2 1/2 hours. Doodle doo de doo.

I was wondering earlier, after the initial fuzzy exhaustion passed, what weird things I would think about, because it is a universally known fact that people who stay up too long think weird things. Like how they shoved a girl in the lunch line in 4th grade and never apologized, things like that. Or I am alone in this assumption and now look like an idiot. Oh well, it wouldn't be the first time.

Or the last. Because I am going to have to leave this post to get Ian a drink because he is coughing his Croupy cough and that usually requires liquid to go back to sleep. So happy morning to you and remember me when I'm grumpy later. :)