By Heather Kestian
Editor’s note: Please welcome Fishers resident Heather Kestian as Current’s newest columnist. This column was submitted by Kestian during the application process earlier this fall.
Sleeping in one-hour increments for any length of time is not good for anyone. My four-month-old had a rough two weeks of teething and an ear infection, which means no one was sleeping in our house. I was a bleary-eyed mess with dark circles and bags under my eyes. Good thing these events happened in October, so I could pretend I was preparing for my Halloween costume.
Exhaustion was a way of life for those two weeks. Since I was breastfeeding, caffeine was not an option. I thought about knocking my husband’s coffee out of his hand each morning. Instead, I took the high road. I could barely function and I begged God not to let me fall asleep at the wheel on my commute and wrap my car around a pole. I have never sung so loudly to the radio in my life. Ridiculous does not begin to describe what my daily commute looked like to other drivers. I have no doubt someone called the police to report a singing zombie in the car next to them.
I proclaimed on my Facebook page that exhaustion was being served for breakfast, lunch and dinner at our house. A witty friend noted that drowsiness was served as a midnight snack. Yes, it is! The real lesson from my exhaustion came in a private message. She said I should be thankful for my utter exhaustion.
Excuse me?
She taught me the lesson I needed to learn from my two-week slog through a lack of sleep – I have a reason to wake up in the middle of the night. I have a baby that needs me. She reminded me that not everyone has a baby to kiss, cuddle, and soothe. I am thankful for her reminder that my little person is a blessing despite eight middle-of-the-night feedings every night for two weeks. Lesson learned.