the night momster
Do you know the night momster? By day she's generally a pleasant person. She may be a bit crabby, but she's a loving mother and wife.
Come nightfall, she changes.
When the moon rises and everyone is asleep, it happens. Like a man into a werewolf, so the mom into...the momster.
I'm talking about the unspeakable ill humor that comes to me when I'm woken from deep slumber. And that's been happening a fair amount lately, what with Crabtot being in a fitful sleep phase. I'm still more or less capable of being nice to her when she wakes me and I dutifully shush, soothe, and otherwise speak sweet mommywords to the little one. But poor Crabhusband!
When awakened by Tot, I take out my tiredness on Crabhub. In the logic of daylight, I have no problem with the fact that I get up to soothe Crabtot and he sleeps through most of it, given that he has work to go to and he's also, well, the dad, and a whimpering tot needs Mama. But daytime logic doesn't stop the night momster: by night I become quite mean, and wail loudly about those who get to sleep and those who don't. Don't get me wrong: our kid is a good sleeper, but I think I'm just genetically incapable of dealing with any night waking—hers, mine, anyone's. Nobody could be huffier without sleep than me.
Except maybe my mother. She could sleep even when awake. When I was a kid, she could barely crack an eyelid before 9am and would never remember kissing my brother and me goodbye for school or signing report cards. We could take advantage of her upright but comatose state and get her to agree to things she never would in her waking life. As for me, by day I'm full of guilt, apology, and benevolence toward Crabhubby. But too much night waking and I start shouting. On a bad night Tot gets it too. I'm good for a max of three Tot soothes; thereafter I just yell, in a terrible momster voice, "%&##@@@!"
Shuts them all up.
Any of you night momsters too?
YES! I too am a night momster. I have been rather ashamed of my terrible cranky behavior until, as usual, Crabmommy assured me that I am not alone. Thank you, Crabmommy.
Angelica it's YOU who makes ME feel better! I have been waiting for someone else to chime in and say "You are not alone, Crabmomster..." Thanks for making it happen! Now go and get some rest!!
I feel your pain, Crabmom. I don't go into work until 10, but believe me?that's struggle enough! Usually the only time I ever see the sun coming up is when I've been up all the night before. But then I have no Crabtots of my own and I rely on the few, the proud, the severely sleep-deprived such as yourself and Crabhub to allow me to appreciate the joys of parenthood from a quiet, cool, and appropriately dark distance equipped with a medium-firm mattress and a pair of those nice squishy foam earplugs.
I am so a nightmonster! One night after being woken for probably the 4th or 5th time I started beating the bed with my pillow, that got hubby up...