Not enough sleep destroys your parenting

"You're so... happy!" 

Yes. Yes I am. That's because I clocked in to the sleep zone around 9:00pm last night. 7:30pm the night before.
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Once again I am reminded of the balancing power of sleep.

You think I would have learned this by now. I have three kids, four and six years apart. Enough time to free-fall into the sleep-deprived baby and toddler years and then come back out, battle-worn and sweatpant weary, into blissful sleep at night once more, only to do it all over again.

And again.

And again.

This time, however, my baby has hair. Lots and lots of hair:

I wuv him!
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So.....

The first month was, well, brutal. Loving and fun and amazing and cuddly and... brutal. We didn't know how this puppy-thing worked. He didn't know how we worked. All we both knew was that there was a lot of potty happening and not a lot of sleep happening. Sometimes in the yard. Many times in the house.

I weathered it well at first. I was invincible! Fueled by love and determination!

It took weeks before I looked in the mirror and realized I was un-showered, in the same clothes I'd been wearing since.... um.... I don't remember... an old pair of glasses sliding off my nose instead of wearing my contacts. I had to step over piles of laundry to get to the kitchen.

The pre-schooler was always doing things wrong. The dog was too jumpy. People weren't helping enough.

Diner was an afterthought. I didn't have time to play. I don't know what day it was.

And it was getting worse.

Luckily, we got a cold.

I could blame the play-place I took the kids to but I know better. Getting a cold means you are overwhelmed. So I shut it down, went to bed early for two nights and now...

The pre-schooler is doing everything well. The dog is awesome. People are so supportive.

Dinner is planned. I played all morning. It's Tuesday.

And yet nothing changed except me getting some much needed zzzzz's.

So mom and dads, before you wonder what's wrong with you, what's wrong with your kids, what's wrong with your life, what's wrong with your very existence, check to see if there is anything wrong with your sleep. If you can get some extra hours in the sack, do it. If you can't, put a sticker on your mouth while you ride it out. It will get better, I promise.