It was a remarkable day because the Toddler took a sleeping nap. Without screaming. Sure, I was driving down the highway when she started sleeping, but that happens frequently on those days when she's overtired and is forced to sit without amusement in a nice smooth gently vibrating seat. No, the real challenge comes when the ride is over. When Daddy is home and unbuckles her for the ride into the house. If she's been asleep we carry her in; these days she's not only capable of but encouraged to walk into the house under her own power. Once inside the house if she's been deeply asleep and is still groggy she gets laid down on her bed. Today there was one brief wail of protest. Then... nothing. Not a peep. She was, instead, fast asleep again and took a two and a half hour (almost 3!) nap. Woke up for dinner. Just now went happily and peacefully (and sleepily) to bed at 8.

This is a normal-type bedtime schedule for her age. This is what I aspire to every day of our lives. This is not so normal for us ever, especially so the past month when Mommy's been having a baby and recovering from same, when she's less inclined to get tough with naptime enforcement and has settled for "at least she's pretending to play quietly." Two hours or so of playing in her room more or less quietly without massive destruction while I tried to get either chores done or resting of my own. Not ideal.

I wouldn't get so hung up on this if not for how badly she still needs that nap. Some kids don't need a nap by this point. Great. I support that. But this kid... she is tired enough it's starting to hurt to see her. And when she's tired she's more easily frustrated. She has more tempers. She has a lower tolerance on how much outside stimulation she can handle before needing that hard swaddle and serious quiet time trying to beat her mommy up. Incidentally, you haven't been kicked until you've had a toddler kicking and punching a recent c-section incision. It's.... unique. Thank God for the nice doctor who gave me that beautiful bottle of percocet when I left the hospital. I use it frequently, still, on those nights after such episodes.

But today everything seemed to go okay. I'm still stressing about other things, nasty money-type things, that I can't control. I just don't have that type of cash laying around. If I did I wouldn't have those stresses. I'd have other, equally annoying, stresses. In the meantime I'll try to concentrate on the successes. Not only those of naps but those of healthy preemies doing well. Baby fat starting to appear. Children tolerating their feeds and gaining weight and coming closer to a dischargable state. It will be very nice to see my babies both home.

And I think I have problems sleeping now? At least this week the not-sleeping is not because I have to deal with wailing and refluxing and pooping children. I may be cranky and awake but I'm doing so in a quiet environment.