Night Nurse

I had heard of a night nurse before.  I remember being at a dinner and a friend talking about a friend who had hired a night nurse for the first few months of her babies birth.  I guess I just filed it away under the” that will never be me” column for a variety of reasons.  Well, I was rather young with my first baby, the first two really, and hiring a night nurse was not even an option, actually, daycare was barely an option at that point in our lives. 

Things are a bit different ten years later as usually expected in life.  I also think being young and full of energy and well, youthfulness, you are more geared for getting up every couple of hours to care for your crying and starving infant.  Therefore the night nurse almost being silly to consider…I mean sure I was exhausted and tired and grumpy and fat and just disgusting all around but I could get through it.  Now I will tell you that those first months were blocked from my brain for a reason. 

When we adopted big Lou, I think we were a bit forgetful and most certainly a tad unrealistic in our expectations when it came to sleep.  I must have blocked out the time after giving birth to Joe when my sister came to relieve me.  She came to the door and I was un-bathed, standing in my robe.  I just grunted and pointed to the bassinet on the floor next to the couch and ran to my bedroom.  I never slept when we first had Joe because I was too freaked out at all times.  Long story short he slept in his car seat in our bed for five months.  I had read it was good for preventing SIDS. 

By the time Beatrice rolled onto the scene things were so hectic with both of us having careers and Joe only being two that I couldn’t keep myself awake even if I tried.  She slept in our bed until this past October…she is seven.

So, the first night home with Lou we were so excited and everything had happened so fast and I was in shape mentally and physically so I think we just underestimated the ease.  See, we only had two bottles in the house. Yes, only two. I am not sure what or if we were thinking but it was clear at 2 in the morning that based on the facts that we were both still awake staring at the baby and that we only had two bottles to work with, whatever we were thinking was incorrect.

The next day I went out and bought eight bottles and my husband and I agreed that we needed to tackle this in shifts.  And that is what we have been doing for the past three months.  The three month period is a turning point.  You hate everyone asking you if he is sleeping through the night and you secretly wonder if you are doing something wrong when you answer no and it is worse when everyone starts offering all the things they did right to get their baby to sleep through the night by month two.  I have decided to start saying, no and I hope he never does because I like being freakishly exhausted…that it suits me.  I like that I feel like I could get arrested driving into work for feeling like I was watching me drive from somewhere in the back seat.

So, needless to say that when my husband gently reminded me about his upcoming company trip and that he would be gone for an entire week, I was nauseous.  There was nothing I could do.  I had to be understanding and honestly I quickly started to calculate how many parent points I would get for dealing with three kids and my full time job.  He would pay me back ‘till at least March.  I would just have to make it through the week without harming myself or any others.  I wasn’t sure if it would be possible.  Enter the night nurse.  Yes, she was a bit pricy and yes this was not a part of our “be smart with our money resolution #3” but I can promise you this.  She was the best thing I have EVER spent money on and the truth is, when it is 245am and your baby has woken up for the second time and you know he will awake one more before you have to get all three kids ready and to school and you to work by 830am, I dare say you would break out your checkbook, piggy bank, safe or sell something precious to your heart for a straight 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. 

The night nurse arrived at 10pm and stayed until 6am…she slipped in and out un-noticed by any neighbors.  I paid her and climbed into my big, soft bed and she left me a note of the times he was up.  So, yes I did it.  I paid for the most precious gift available to a parent.  And I will do it again.  Thank you night nurse and I will see you soon. 

Happy Monday!

E