Monday, November 28, 2005

Sleep is a Good Thing

Sleep is a good thing for a baby. When a baby sleeps through the night, her body and brain processes all the fuel she got during the day and she gets stronger and smarter. She wakes up hungry for more. And her parents, well-rested as they are, are ready to tend to her needs.

So far, since the adjustment period during our first four or five days back from China, Jada’s slept well at night. I would bet she woke up in the middle of the night less than once a week for a whole month. That’s made Amy’s and my transition to parenthood a relatively smooth one.

But in the last week or so, she’s woken up in the middle of the night four times. Twice barely counted: we had gotten her down around 8 and by 10 or 11, we were in bed but her tummy was not quite ready to go down for the night. But twice could be legitimately called “middle of the night,” the kind where that all-too-familiar wail interrupts you in the dead of your REM sleep.

I’m sure Jada’s body and brain will keep growing, and that she’ll still be as eager for play and food each day. But, at least for this tiny rough patch, her parents may not be as well-rested as they’ve been before. Ah, the joys of parenthood.

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