(Title stolen/tweaked from Coupling episode that I had the misfortune to see last night, and worse, the amazement at it to sit through it all.. Now I’ve seen it once and can avoid it like the plague…)

The daughters are already in cahoots. When one’s asleep, the other’s awake. Up to today, I could count on the option of reclaiming some much-needed sleep during Cora’s nap. She always naps for two hours or a bit more in the early afternoon. Callie’s so little that she naps nearly round the clock, particularly if she’s just eaten. But today, no such luck. Cora went down, as planned. Callie stayed up. Oh, she snacked and dozed, but no sooner would I lay down to attempt to recoup some of my sleep loss from last night then she’d wake up again and start fussing. Pacifiers didn’t soothe her, swaddling her didn’t soothe her – only being gently bounced or given another go-round at the mommy Atkins diet plan (babies prove it wrong – no carbs [directly, anyway], yet they still gain a ton of weight) would calm her. Get her calm, put her back in the bassinet, sneak under the comforter to doze and … the cycle would begin again. I _think_ she’s down for the count this time, but I’m already hearing Cora begin to stir, so my nap time has come and gone. Given that Callie granted me one 3 hour stretch of sleep last night, and then nothing more until my husband graciously granted me another hour and a half by whisking her away with a bottle, I’m running a little low on steam here. Maybe tonight will be better (hah!).

It’s funny. Among the many guidelines for nursing mothers (no caffeine, no alcohol, no gassy foods, no spicy foods, …) is the instruction to get plenty of rest. What cruel, cruel words…