Why do I always get the hard nights?

Today marks 3 full nights of sleep in a row for Alex... and me! While staying with Alex in the hospital (Jenn & I alternated nights with him), I always seemed to have the worst nights. I remember our last night in Emergency, when we got moved up to the ICE room, I didn't get to sleep until at least 4am, and was up helping nurses get things figured out again at 8. I can't remember anymore if that was the same night it took 8 tries to get his IV in - I hope some day I totally forget these horible nights, or at least they all mold into one terrible night in memory!

As things start improving, we get moved over to a new area of the ICE unit that allows the parents to sleep in a BED, instead of on a pseudo-comfy recliner. However, that bed is sitting directly under the AC unit that blows constantly! I've slept in a tent with snow on the ground better than in this bed!! And, after only a few hours of trying to sleep, one poor kid just can't sleep and is crying and crying. I ask sympathetically (probably more like pathetically) to the nurse if we can move back to the other side - I'll gladly sleep in the shitty chair instead of trying to have to ignore the other kid. Thankfully, the kid is deemed well enough to have his own room, so he gets shipped out around 2am. They're still monitoring Alex every hour, and I'm such a light sleeper that I wake up almost every time the nurse stops by. Thankfully, the ICE unit has the best looking nurses on the ward! ;)

I think it was my next turn sleeping there when the new neighbor's family stays until around 11pm. I can understand family wanting to be with a little guy, and I think it would have been fine if they had a private room; but, they kept both Alex and I up too long. I am really feeling the toll of so many sleepless nights. Thankfully, the Lord had taken away the Grouchies from me. I say it must have been a Divine work because I really didn't have to work to change my thoughts much. Several days earlier, I was snapping at everyone; but, now I seemed to be more understanding. I only had to ask politely one more time for neighbors to keep it down a bit b/c they're keeping Alex awake... of course, that was the night that Alex woke up and cried for 1/2 an hour, waking everyone else up. I felt like such an Ass... But, the next day we got moved to our own room and he only had to be checked every 4 hours!

Even after being home a few nights, Alex is still on hospital time - waking up every few hours, crying for whatever reason. God, is that ever exhausting! But, now he and I are sleeping through the night. I have no idea how Jenn does it - she's still getting up 2-5 times each night to feed Troy. I'm lucky if I hear Troy cry twice. I'm learning not to say, "What a great night! Troy only needed to be fed once!" WRONG! Jenn, you are a hero!

Again, huge thanks to all of our friends and family who are giving their prayers and support! We truly are a blessed family!