Regarding Sleep and Answered Prayers

A funny thing happened last week. Andrew left me. You know...for his summer internship in Spokane. Anyway, here's the funny part: I'm still alive. I survived. With four kids. Alone. There was no spontaneous maternal combustion, no melting of the flesh, no puddles of liquified Shannon on the floor. The house did not collapse nor did I misplace any of the children (a common worry once you're outnumbered 4 to 1). And this, my friends, is the story of why....

I need sleep to function. Now I realize that this can be said of any human being. In fact it can be said of any member of the animal kingdom. But when I say that I need sleep to function I mean that I need sleep to function. If I don't get one good night's rest I can usually force myself to continue breathing through the next day. Usually. Two nights of poor sleep, and I begin to take on a zombie-esque patina. After three nights of stingy sleep I turn into the female equivalent of the Incredible Hulk...only not green...and not quite so big.

And therein lay the crux of my worries for this temporary single parenthood. The weeks before Andrew was to start his internship, Katie began sleeping less and less. This wasn't too disconcerting because my dear husband was often around, allowing for a nap or a lazy morning here and there. Always in the back of my mind, however, was the thought, "What am I going to do when he's not here to help??"

Now fast forward to the Wednesday before Andrew started working in Spokane...just twelve short days ago. It was Benjamin's birthday party, conveniently scheduled to coincide perfectly with Katie's morning nap. Those who have experienced the birthday party of an energetic five year old and his overzealous sidekicks know that it's a miracle for anyone within a 2 mile radius to sleep through it, let alone a newborn in the next room. But she did. Katie slept through the whole shebang...Curious George pinata and all.

My friend, Andrea, (mother of overzealous sidekicks numbers 2 and 3) stayed to help with the party and kept marvelling that Katie was still asleep. I just smiled, allowing her the believe what she would about The Two Month Old Wonder and her amazing mother who knows exactly how to juggle the demands of four young children. Inside I was thinking, "I need to go make sure she's breathing."

And ever since that day, Katie has slept beautifully. I put her to bed at 7:00 p.m. and she sleeps straight through until 3:00 or 4:00, waking only long enough for a little snack, then sleeps until 8:00 or so the next morning. One night she went straight from 7:00 p.m. until almost 5:30 a.m. It was truly a miracle. And it came literally just when I needed it. It made it so that I got the rest I needed to make it through the first week of Andrew's absence. I even got the laundry done!

Not once did I awaken in the morning to find that I had sprouted bulking biceps or green skin.

Do you remember watching Sleeping Beauty when the fairies fly through the kingdom, putting everyone to sleep? They wave their little wands and suddenly everyone falls asleep (and turns sort of a putrid green...not sure what that's about). I like to imagine Heavenly Father sending one of his seraphim down to sprinkle sleeping powder on little Katie.

A bit sacreligious? Perhaps. But it paints a happy picture in my mind. I truly believe that Katie's sleep was one of the many ways Heavenly Father carried me through the week. He knows me personally. He knows that lack of sleep can cause me lose all rational thought. I feel energized, and not simply because of my physical rest. Feeling that my Father in Heaven is aware of me and my plight makes me feel up to the task and gives me hope that He will help me through it.

One week down, only 13 more to go.