Lucky For You, You Can't See The Bags Under My Eyes.

Oh, blogging has been completely unthinkable for the past several days. I guess I have been lucky for quite some time having a child who will sleep at least twelve hours a night. I have faithfully put her to bed by 8:00 for over a year now, and she would sleep well into the first hour or two of The Today Show the following morning.

My luck has run out, I believe. For the past four mornings, I have pried my eyes open after hearing fits of laughter coming through the monitor. She's been wide awake between 5:30 and 6:00 lately. That's A.M.! WIDE AWAKE and ready to play! (Yes, that part is in caps because I'm shouting!)

"Fits of laughter?" you ask. Oh yes, my child is perfectly content to sit in the dark and squeal at her blanket and stuffed sheep until she snorts. Some kids are alone in their dark rooms and have to "cry it out" to fall asleep. That is not the case here.

Lest I mention, she can go 15 hours with no nap. Faithfully, I still hope. But after unsuccessfully laying her down for the bazillionth time, praying that she tuckers out and actually takes a nap, only to hear her laugh in the dark while playfully kicking the wall through the crib slats, my patience has begun to wear thin. Many migraines have come.

You're thinking this is sweet that she can entertain herself. I know, relatives have heard it over the phone and said aloud, "That's so cute! Listen to her!" Well, it's not so funny after your ears have begun to bleed.

So with the past four days being somewhat of a blur until at least noon when my caffeine has soaked into my bloodstream, you understand why I haven't even had the ability to gather my thoughts. Because after the caffeine kicks in, I still have laundry to do, dishes to wash, floors to sweep, toilets to scrub, a child to feed, a dog to let out (in the snow, on a leash, since he tends to run off!), and dinner to fix.

I will say, however, that she eventually succumbed to the Sand Man, and is taking a nap at this very moment. Which is something that she has only done once since the beginning of 2009. And wouldn't you know it, I've consumed so much coffee that I'm too jittery to nap now that she's out. It seems I'll have to re-think tomorrow's strategy.

In closing, there is a light at the end of the tunnel... I do have some concealer in my make-up bag. And with all my caffeine consumption, I'll be nice and energized for some playing and much-needed snuggling when my girl awakes.

See you tomorrow. Hopefully.