I'm tuckered...

I can't seem to wake up today! I feel like this little girl:

I hate when our schedule gets off. I use the word 'schedule' loosely, because it changes every day. But sometimes it happens on purpose and sometimes not. OK, most of the time not. But yesterday I had a 'girly' doc appointment and my doc had never seen the girls. She was the one who first told me there were three in my tummy when I was 8 weeks along. I hadn't seen her since, so I wanted her to meet the crazies. Unfortunately, when I called back in May, they only opening she had was in October at 12:15---smack dab in the middle of naptime. So I decided that we would just have one nap instead of the usual two--which we do sometimes in emergency situations. At the docs office, they were just OK. Not outstanding, but OK. We only had one juice cup spill all over the carpet in the waiting room. And their books only hit one person three times. Jordyn had a separation anxiety temper-tantrum, but other than that, they were OK. So my doc came out and met them, I had my appointment and we went home. They were all in bed by 2-ish and slept until 4-ish. Just perfect, right?

Well, Tony had a softball game that night and wouldn't be home before the girls would go to bed (since 1 nap=early bedtime). I started getting them ready to go to sleep---brush teeth, change diapers, say prayers and give night-night hugs and kisses and Ash and Ave went down in their crib. Yes, I said crib. Remember this? Well, I'd had it with the whole climb in and out thing so I came up with a solution:

Welcome to 'Giant Crib Land'

(I hooked them together and stuffed a down comforter in between mattress gaps. It still smashes down [even with two pillows under it] so if you can think of something firmer that will fit in a 6 inch or less space, let me know.)

Well, this idea works pretty well, but they do play a little more. At least I'm not worried about them 'visiting' each other and hurting themselves...as much.

Anyways, back to the story. So I get them in their crib around 8:20. A little later than I wanted, but when I'm alone, the process takes a little longer. I hear them talking and giggling, but this usually happens for a while then they settle down. Now I could focus on getting Jordyn to sleep. Yes we have issues with that, but it's what we have to deal with. So I'm trying to calm her down and get her to sleep but she is just not having it. Which is weird because she only had one nap and usually they go to bed pretty quickly when they are exhausted. It's now 9:45 and the other two girls have JUST gone silent and Jordyn is still wide awake wanting to color and do all manner of non-sleepy-time things. Grr. Tony gets home and sees she's still awake. I continue to try until Tony finally goes to bed just before midnight, leaving me with a still very awake Jordy. I finally get her to sleep at 1AM. Meanwhile, I'm laying awake thinking of 'stuff'--the many numerous thoughts that plague me when I have nothing else going on and if I get to 'thinking' when I lay down at night, I will do so for hours. So, unfortunately, I did. I finally drifted off around 2AM and awake to a wailing sound coming from the girls room at 3AM. This is not unusual because Ashleigh has, what I assume to be, night terrors. She will cry this loud, piercing cry about 4 times then be silent again. Well, this time she wasn't stopping. And it was getting hysterical. So I sneak away from Jordy {{praying}} she won't wake up, because if she did, there would be NO sleep that night. I tip toe into the girls room hoping not to wake Avery (she is used to the Ashy screams so she sleeps through it). When I peek in, I see Ashleigh standing directly over Avery screaming at the top of her lungs. Avery pops up to see me. So I hurry and get Tony so we can each hold one and try calming them down. We go into their room, pick them up, assess that there isn't really anything wrong, and put them down. Ashleigh protested a little, but calmed down. For about a half an hour. Then she cried again. This time only a couple times then she went back to sleep. Thank our lucky stars that Avery went back to sleep and Jordyn never woke up. So back to bed for me (again, laying there for about an hour). Finally I'm sleeping. Jordyn isn't bothering me and all in all, the rest of this night shouldn't be that bad. Then at 6:30 the street scrapers come by. Most of you don't know what that is. Let me try and explain. Here in Cali, people put their lawn clippings and weeds and whatever other garden excesses they have out in the street. Then a big loud truck comes by and scoops up the piles with big metal pinchers, and then, like a bulldozer, the pinchers raise up and dump their loads into the back. Now, Imagine what big metal scrapers sound like on asphalt. Ahh, yes. At 6:30AM. Lovely. So I'm awake. I finally get back to sleep when Avery decides she's not tired anymore and wants company from Ashleigh so she cries and cries to try and wake her up around 8AM. I cover my ears and hope to make it to 9. Ash wakes up and they both want out. Luckily Tony went and got them on his way out the door. They play loudly inside the gate while Jordy and I get 20 more minutes of 'sleep'. Finally, they wake Jordy up with their loud banging of every one of their loudest toys and I have to get up. Ugh.

I'M SOOOOO WEARY!

Naps for all, today!