If It Isn't One...

...you can bet your bottom dollar that it will be the other. This applies to issues involving:

• feedings
• wake time
• crying fits
• illness
• teething
• general neediness

Tim's mom left last night. She'd been here since the day before Claire was born, and Kate had gotten used to having her Grandma around to play with her, feed her, get her up in the morning, and take her on walks. I had gotten used to having someone here to cook, do dishes, take care of Kate (and Claire if I needed a nap), and listen to me question my sanity at our decision to have children so close in age to one another.

Over the weekend, Claire had regressed in her nighttime sleep habits. She was back to sleeping for a bit and then waking up pretty much every time you left her in her crib and walked out of the room. I was concerned about how she would do (and how we would do) during our first night without mom here to help if we needed her.

Claire did great. She slept when I wanted her to, waking up every 3 hours to eat. Awesome.

Kate did not do so well. She was up until 2:30am, screaming at the top of her lungs (I'm pretty sure you could hear her at the end of our driveway. Seriously. It was that loud.). I do not know why. I didn't know why then, and I don't know why now. Tim tried to get her to sleep on his chest (he thought maybe she was upset that Claire got to do this and she wanted to do the same). No luck. He took her into the guest room to sleep in the big bed. No luck. He slept on the floor next to her crib. No luck. He fed her some milk and fruit puffs around midnight. Gave her Tylenol. Tried rocking her. No luck. The only blessing that I can think of about last night is that Claire slept through it all. I don't know how, but it was good that at least one of the kids got some sleep and gave us some peace.

I think Kate must be teething something fierce. Why the Tylenol didn't do anything, I don't know. It's after 3pm now, and she is just finally quieting down to nap. She has been in her crib since about 1pm, screaming, talking, crying, and generally being miserable.

Us, we are exhausted. Tim cancelled his first flight this morning, and I'm not even trying to nap right now because Claire is currently refusing to sleep. So I'm here blogging, one-handed, as I cradle her in my left arm. Are you sure you don't want us to build that guesthouse in the backyard, mom?