How to Avoid Sleep

Live with Luke and Lila. Seriously, I'm not kidding.

We are starting our 3rd week of no sleep with these two. Luke has an excuse, although it doesn't make it any easier. He's teething and it's much more painful for him than it was for Lila at this age. Lila, however, has no excuse. She won't even let us out of the room after we read stories, without completely freaking out. She throws out every excuse in the book. Hungry. Thirsty. Potty. Monsters. Wanting to sleep in her new room. Any and everything she can think of. We are completely aware that she is manipulating us, but our hands are tied at this moment. We can't follow all of the things the so called know it alls suggest because of our circumstances. If she cries and screams, she wakes Luke up because they are sleeping so closely together right now. I honestly don't know what to do. It's super frustrating because Lila has always been the best sleeper. And now she rarely falls asleep before 10 and wakes up 3-4 times a night and gets up for good between 7-8. We've tried taking away her afternoon nap. Stopping food after a certain time. No more sugar after 4. But nothing is working. I've researched and stayed up even more than I already am, trying to figure out what to do. Supposedly, this is not uncommon at this age. But of course there are a million different things that parents and professionals tell you to do.

My question: What if you have done those things? Or aren't capable of doing those things? And nothing is working. Nothing.

Another frustrating thing is that Luke and Lila stayed with my parents this weekend. The sleep report from them: they slept all night. Luke woke up once. Lila woke up zero times. I would love to insert a cuss word right here.

I feel completely helpless and so frustrated. I feel like somewhere I've made a major misstep in this parenting thing. Lately, I've felt like while everyone around me seems to have it all figured out...I'm just trying to stay above water. And not completely give in to the anxiety and fear. I guess that's what living with no sleep will do. Cause you to feel like you don't know what you're doing more than usual. As if that's possible.

I keep saying that when we move into our house things will be different. They will change for the better. I say this for everything. "Oh I'll start eating better and exercising when we move into our new house." "I'll be more organized when we move into our new house." "Lila will start eating healthier and not eat so much junk when we move into our new house.""We will have more friend time when we move into our new house." "I won't be as stressed and frustrated when we move into our new house." "They will sleep better when we move into our new house." You get the picture.

But what if that's all wrong? What if everything gets worse?

I need sleep. I need sleep. Please, Lord. I need sleep.

Off to tend to my non-sleeping girl. Good thing she's cute...