There’s one nurse who brings me a pitcher of ice water and six small plastic cups and six straws. Why? I’ve already got one big cup with a straw. There’s only me and Dom and Sophia in the room. Does she think we’re having a tea party with the elves?
* * *
I’m very tired. Sophia didn’t sleep last night. She just eats and poops and eats and eats and eats and poops some more. From about seven pm on (and it’s now almost 10 am) that’s about all she’s done/ and doesn’t it just figure that one of the two times I actually managed to get her drowsing on my chest a bit was exactly when the pediatrician came to make her rounds: “Oh, I’ll be quick. See she wants to go back to sleep. You won’t have any problems.” Of course not. Which is why two minutes later we were nursing again. Haven’t been back to sleep yet… that was almost 2 hours ago.
“Sleep when the baby sleeps,” they say. But the baby starts to drift off just as I realize I have a full bladder. And then while I’m still working myself to my feet housekeeping comes in to clean the bathroom. And then the nurse comes in and then room service with breakfast and by that time the moment is past. Well past.
“Sleep when the baby sleeps.” Good advice. If only they’d let you follow it. If only she’d sleep….
