But this trip was going to be different...It was just mom, me, and Sydney. It felt a little weird to not have a man along with us during this long trip. You can always count on them to change a tire, pop the hood open, and perform any necessary magic to bail you out of automotive trouble. I tried to plan for everything that could happen that would require intervention.
My first priority was to ensure Sydney's happiness during the trip. 10 - 11 hours is a long time for a kid to be in a car seat.
I finally broke down and bought a portable DVD player. I do not know why I have waited so long... I guess it was because I never had one. Pure jealousy. Best $$ I have ever spent. Period.
I packed candy, snacks galore, excessive amounts of toys, every CD & DVD she owned, and lots of wet wipes. MANY wet wipes.
The trip started out great. We left very early in the morning and Sydney watched the sun come up. She kept saying, "Pretty! Beautiful!"
She took a nap.
She sang songs to us. She watched videos. She was undeniably the most perfect traveling baby to ever walk this planet. Unbelievably agreeable, cooperative, sweet, and most of all, QUIET...even after nearly a half day of driving with only a stop or two for gasoline.
I rejoiced and sang praises to my Lord for the safe and calm trip to Grandmas.
As a reward, I took her to the local park where she frolicked and played...in the 104 degree heat, sweating profusely, at 7:00 PM, with a heat rash.
*Let me pause to say something about Missouri heat. We Texans need to SHUT UP about our heat. We have heat, yes, and humidity...but it does not even COMPARE to the humidity and heat in a place like Missouri. It literally feels like someone has a wet flannel blanket wrapped around your mouth and head as you are walking through the depths of Dante's Inferno. I am not kidding. I have never experienced heat of this magnitude.*
Anyway...little did I know that my angelic child was about to introduce me to the Eternal Night of Horrors.
I drove the entire way. My back hurt. My eyes were scratchy and dry from the air conditioning blasting my face. I was EXHAUSTED and ready to drift off to Sleepy Land. My child had other plans.
She was in a strange place. She had been in a car seat all day. Her agenda for the evening was:
1. Do not sleep.
2. Stay awake.
3. Do not sleep.
4. Cry.
5. Whine/Fuss/Whine/Fuss
6. Do not sleep.
7. Refuse to lay down.
8. Kick mother in face/chest/stomach.
9. STAY AWAKE AT ALL COSTS.
She followed the agenda to the letter. I drifted in and out of conscienceness. I prayed. I cried. I begged her to please lay down. I subjected myself to unending and annoying Elmo videos. I DID EVERYTHING I humanly knew how to do to get her TO GO TO SLEEP.
By 4:00 a.m., she was picking up speed and I was about to lose it. My mom and I put Sydney in the car and drove her to town and back. Miraculously, she drifted off.
But when we got back home, I clicked the car seat buckle to gingerly lift my cherubic precious one out of her seat, and her eyes popped open and she said, "ALL DONE!"
I felt tears welling up in my eyes. I flung my child towards my mother and collapsed on the couch. I got 1 hour and 20 minutes (maybe) of brief shut-eye. Sydney NEVER went to sleep.
I called my pediatrician a couple hours later (when they opened at 8:00) and got expert advice.
Needless to say the nurse on duty was amazed that my child had gone nearly 30 hours without sufficient sleep. He told me to give her an adult dose of Benadryl because one of us had to get some relief...and since she was 2.5 and above the weight limit, it would be safe. I do not believe in drugging my child to induce sleepiness....yep, that is what I used to believe. I FIRMLY believe in this now. Don't judge unless you've been there, my friend. You gotta do what you gotta do.
I. was. about. to. pass. out. So, I considered it a safety issue, ran down to the local pharmacy, and gave Sydney a dose. She was out in 15 minutes and slept 4 hours. And while she slept, I slept, and all God's children slept.
Thank you Jesus.
Every night was a battle to get her to sleep and I counted the days until we returned home and I could get her back in her Sealy posturepedic bed.
That sums up Day 1 of our trip. Tune in again this week for more exciting events on my Toddler Road Trip 2011.
No comments:
Post a Comment