Do Sleep Zombies Eat Your Brains?

I feel like a sleep-eating zombie.  Only I haven't really slept for crap in the last weeks, so I guess if I'm a sleep-eating zombie, I'm starving.

I've got two main problems that interfere with my sleep.  One is pregnancy induced insomnia--meaning I simply can't fall asleep.  I lay there next to Tom, just being awake and tired.  Eventually I get really grumpy and start to cry.  The night before last I was awake until 1:30, then I finally fell asleep until 4 (had to pee) and then woke up again at 5 (had to pee again).  Then, our cat Boo woke me up one minute before the alarm was to go off--at 6:17.   I was  a wreck yesterday and very grateful to take a nap when I got home.

The other problem I've got is not uncommon amongst the pregnant ladies--I've got a bladder that is being squished by my zucchini-sized baby, and it simply can't hold much.  I try to drink all my fluids in the early part of the day, and I lift my belly when I pee and all that crap, and on most nights I wake up at least every hour and a half to use the toilet.  A catheter would be a relief at this point.

All of this boils down to me just not getting the sleep I need.  I'm exhausted all the time, and I'm getting frustrated because I simply can't do what I want/need to around the house.  Cleaning?  Forget it.  Balance the checkbook?  Ha.  Pay the bills?  Been putting that off for days now. 

I can, however, celebrate the fact that the sciatica has abated!  Every once in awhile I'll get a twinge, but as long as I don't move in certain ways, I'm fine.  And that's a blessing.  I'm not sure that I'm glad that I had to trade my sleep for it, but I'm grateful nonetheless. 

And, although the more everyday tasks are slipping me by and the house looks awful, we're nearing the end of our getting-ready-for-baby list!  We've got one last daycare interview this afternoon, and then we'll make our choice, and that will be out of the way.  We've found our pediatrician (at the Health Center about 2 seconds from where we live), and started the process to transfer my primary care to that office, as well (so we all will be seen by the same group of doctors, how convenient)!  We've got a small list of things that we need to buy for the baby and for my personal postpartum care, but it's perfectly manageable and will be ordered as soon as I finish comparison-shopping.  The nursery is nearing completion, and looking perfectly adorable!  We have our bassinet set up by the bed and the bedroom is re-arranged for optimal getting-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-ness.  My maternity leave is as set as it can be.  I'm starting to cook and freeze a meal a week (tonight I'll be baking two lasagnas, one to eat and one to freeze and save) for the weeks after delivery when we'll be crazy tired.  So, at least I'm not letting everything slip (except for those baby shower thank you notes....shit, I'm an awful person).

Tom continues to be a wonderful husband.  He takes primary responsibility for the animals (even though I continue to walk the dogs with him in the morning, as I need that exercise).  He cleans things when I ask him to (it's probably unrealistic for him to develop that obsessive-compulsive neatness that I've honed over the years, right?).  He cooks dinner for me every night (unless I tell him ahead of time that I want to cook something, and even then, he's likely to help).  Without Tom, I couldn't have made it through this pregnancy (well, I wouldn't have been pregnant in the first place, but that's probably irrelevant).

My parents have likewise been wonderful!  They toured the birthing center with me last week and really supported my choice to give birth there.  My mom stopped by a few days later with a present of some maternity/nursing clothes as well!  They helped us so much when the Volvo was giving us trouble...they are a great example of supportive parents.  

Honestly, everyone from friends to co-workers to family have been absolutely wonderful and supportive.  We are thankful to have such fantastic people surrounding us and helping us through this.