"Mommy I want to sleep by myself" - time flies by from a btdt mama

[Louisep]

A couple of years ago I was a frequent poster to this forum, a zombie at my wit's end mama committed to bedsharing and nursing my ds who woke every 90 minutes until 12 months and then some.

Tonight as I lay with my ds in his own bed, in his own room he told me to leave (he's 3 in January) and it just about broke my heart and then it reminded me of this forum and how I never ever thought the day would come.

I tried everything to get ds to sleep except cio and the only thing that worked was time and love and bucketloads of patience.

In retrospect the time has absolutely flown by and I want it all to slow down. When you're so tired it's impossible to enjoy the moment, but try if you can because you will get through this short period of time in a blink of an eye and before you know it your child won't need you to get to sleep and stay asleep anymore. And when that time comes you won't be as happy as you thought you would be!

I'm beginning it all over again with ds2 and I won't be doing anything differently except trying to soak it in as much as possible, sleeplessness and all.

[lauren]

It really does go by quickly, but at the time feels like forever!!!!!

[Blanca78]

Aw, thank you for this. My DD is not a bad sleeper, but I still often feel desperate from sleep deprivation (when she sleeps, I often have insomnia, and then she gets a cold and wakes up a lot, etc.--it's always something!). Since she's my first it's hard to believe people when they say it will get better and be over quickly, but somehow this post drives it home.

[AndtheStars]

louisep, I remember you!  You and LadyCatherine got me through the early months of DS's life when I needed the reassurance that I too could live through a year of constant sleep deprivation and still be a gentle, nuturing mama.  I stalked this forum like crazy because your stories sounded so much like my DS.  He's 27 mos now and I'm still sleep deprived but I hope, hope, hope that we end up where it sounds like you have.  I really try to treasure our co-sleeping because I know it goes so fast but it's hard when I'm so tired all the time.  I'm expecting #2 and won't do anything differently.