Family Bunker

I have been out-of-pocket for the past few days because we have been visiting family out of town. Our time away from home was fun and it gave John and I some reprieve from adjusting to the schedule of both kids since grandparents are always more than eager to spend quality time with their grandchildren. One of my Christmas presents from my in-laws was a free afternoon to do whatever I wanted. John and I ate a slow lunch and Chipotle, and then we leisurely and mindlessly strolled through stores, full of Christmas sales and music, uninterrupted by children. It was a great gift, and I got some good deals on new clothes, too.

Recently a friend of mine asked if I was the 'tired parent' that she always hears about. She asked if the cliche is true that parents of young children and babies never get any sleep. I brushed off the idea, telling her that I do have to get up at night but I am not overly tired, or even sleep-deprived enough to make a fuss about it. The past few days out of town proved me wrong through. All four of us stayed in the same room, and bunking up as a family proved to be difficult. Lucy does not cry often, but she grunts and moans a lot. All of her grunting and moaning was enough to stir and intrigue Grayson. Once Grayson would wake up from sleeping he seemed to be convinced that he would miss something exciting - since a baby grunting must mean that something exciting is happening - if he went back to sleep. Each night John and I spent the crucial hours of the night awake, trying to coax Grayson and Lucy back to sleep, and trying to ensure that they would not wake each other up.

The sleepless hours and the drama of having Grayson and Lucy wake up each other made me think about all the families around the world who share such close quarters all the time. How do they do it? Do the children learn to sleep through anything?