The Book Doesn't Say What to Do Now!?!

When I was pregnant with both of my kids, I read all the books -- OK, well, I read them when I was pregnant with Kendall and then just tried to remember them when I was pregnant with Tanner.  But I remember well the importance placed on the effectiveness of room darkening shades and white noise machines or fans when trying to sleep-train your baby.  No matter what I read, the author's screamed with importance, "White noise is the way to go!!  The sound will drown out any other noise in the house and your baby will sleep like an angel."

OK, so I may be misquoting, but everything said something similar.

For the most part, the books were right.  Tim and I have slept with white noise machines and fans for years before the kids were born; it was only natural that they would follow in our oh-so-wise footsteps.  So each kid's room is equipped with it's own sound machine exactly like the one in our room and at Nana's house.  The sound machine goes where they go -- there is one at my mom's house but we pack one for Tim's parents'.  The kids just sleep better if they have it, just like their parents do.

(Side note -- When we went camping last, we even pitched our tent on a site with electricity so we could plug in our sound machines. Sad, I know.)

So last night, at 6:30, when the power went out, I was dreading the night to come.  The books don't tell me what to do when there is no electricity for the white noise machine.  How do you sleep in silence when you have been sleeping with that background noise for 7 years??  I know they've slept without it before once or twice, but the time I forgot to pack their machine for an overnight at the in-laws', all of the electricity wasn't out.  They still had night lights, fans, and such.

Anyway, after an evening of lots of huffing and puffing and things getting slammed around (In hind sight, I shouldn't have expected Tim to grill after working all day.  It was storming, after all.), we ate our lukewarm dinner by candlelight and got the kids bathed before it was too dark.  Then we sat.  The power was out at 6:30 and did not come back on until 2:30 AM.  I read half a book, Tim played on his iPhone until it went dead (or Tanner played on it), and Tim and I went through a bottle of wine.

How did people survive without electricity???  Seriously??

(Don't answer that.  It will only make me feel like a bad mom.)

Around 10 (when Georgia Power said the power would return) we threw in the towel and decided to try to get some sleep.

Silly me, I thought I would just nestle my little angels in their beds, meander back down the hall and climb in my bed.

No way.  I could hear Tanner crying as I brushed my teeth and decided I was going to have to sleep with them.

So for his birthday, Tanner is getting a king size bed.

(Only kidding ... partly ...)

I "slept" between a 7 year old and 4.5 year old for as long as I could stand it.  Eventually, it got so hot that I had to move to the foot of the bed (cross way, like a dog) and sleep on Tanner's pillow pet.  It was surprisingly comfortable -- or at least more comfortable.  At one point Tanner called for me, and I just tapped his leg and told him I was there and to go back to sleep.  He must have been confused (and thought he was lying sideways) because he shifted and pushed poor Kendall right out of the bed.

Good times.

At 2:30, finally!, the power kicked back on.  I've never been so happy for air conditioning.  I hefted my 54 lb daughter onto my shoulder and placed her in her bed; she never woke up.  I reset all the night lights so they wouldn't flash rainbows all night long.  Then I had to sing to Tanner so he would go back to sleep.  Once I hit my own pillow, I slept like a log.

This morning I woke up thinking that I got to experience something last night I haven't experienced in a long time.  About 4.5 years, to be exact.

As I lay between my two gifts from God, I listened to their breathing.  Tanner's breath is quick, like he's running a race in his sleep.  Every few minutes he smacks or sticks his thumb back in his mouth and I can hear him slurping away.  Kendall breathes deeply, but through her mouth.  So every few minutes I hear her licking her lips or rolling over.  They are both so peaceful when they are sleeping.  I revelled in the quiet for a few minutes, knowing that I am one of the luckiest women in the world.

Even without electricity.