Lack of sleep and game boys

Pic is of Kate and her cousin, Annemarie.

Okay, there has always been a sleep issue here at the Castleberry house. But, with the new baby it has gotten worse; and not because of her, really. The twins haven't slept through the night since Rob and I split. McKenna has night terrors and wakes up crying loudly about an hour or two after she goes to sleep. I just hold her and wait until she wakes up and tuck her back into bed. Drew wakes up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. So, for about a month now I've been laying 2 pillows out beside me for the girls. Every morning I wake to find both in bed with me (not a problem if they don't wake me or Kate up; and apparantly me feeding Kate doesn't wake them up).

Let me take you through a typical night....Ethan in bed at 8pm. The girls in their beds at 8:30 pm. Mom and Kate in bed at 9-9:30 pm. McKenna wakes with night terror around 10ish. I go back to sleep. Kate wakes at 1:30 or so for a feeding...I find Drew next to me. Ethan is up about 5:15. We go downstairs, I fix Carnation Instant breakfast chocolate milk for him and he watches Barney. I hear Kate on the monitor in the kitchen... I hurry upstairs to feed her before she wakes the twins up. I see McKenna next to Drew. I feed Kate and put her down again. I come downstairs and watch Barney with Ethan and then sneak away to come to my computer to have some "me" time and to do what I love.....write! This may sound totally absurb, but I really do have a better day when I blog. It's like I just vomit all of what's in my head and so I don't have to turn it over and over all day. It's therapy, really. I don't even care who is reading, maybe nobody. But, to me, the world is reading and feeling my pain and understanding my struggles and accepting us for all that we are and aren't....maybe my imaginary friends?

Okay, so when does morning begin? My son seems to think it does at 4:40 am (yesterday) and 4:52 am. Really. I don't complain about it too much, because he isn't too demanding in the morning and it is when I get some stuff done. But, really, when is it night and when is it morning? He won't go back to bed. I can't take him to mine (I already have 2 in it), I can't let him cry it out because he'll wake everybody up (he is so damn loud)... so we get up and go downstairs and watch barney.

Shit. Kate is crying. I just fed her and she fell asleep and so I couldn't burp her. Now she's up.

Okay, I burped her and put her in the swing. Crap, now I hear the twins talking. They have a birthday party at 6:30 pm. They are getting up. They are going to be so tired later. Ug. Gotta go. It's 5:39 am.