:: This is a re-post from last year. But I was looking for another post and read this one, and forgot how little she was only a year ago! ::
This is not a picture of a sweet darling baby, sucking her thumb, and peacefully sleeping. NO. This is a picture of a baby who is meditating and contemplating her next attack on her unsuspecting parents. She is a gremlin who comes to life after midnight and when sprinkled with water. Affectionately called “panda bear” during the day, I can’t type what is muttered under the breath of her sleep deprived parents.
For example, we are driving to Iowa today (you know, the premiere vacation destination. We are doing a reverse snow bird) and last night had to stop in Oklahoma City to spend the night. Paul and I had been up since 4:45am, packing, working and now driving in bad weather for the last 6 hours. We might have driven straight through but we are getting old and at 11:30pm were done for the day.
Panda Bear had been perfect in the car the entire night as she usually is. In fact, she was sleeping when we stopped and ever so carefully tried to get her into the hotel room and lay her down to sleep. We are “professional baby keeper asleepers” but failed this time and the gremlin woke up. Not familiar with her surroundings, her head started spinning and green pea soup was spewing from her mouth. We tried desperately to keep her quiet, as the cheap hotel walls were paper thin and the hotel was full of sleeping people. The more I tried to reason with her the louder she got.
We cuddled her, got every blankie we could find and stuck her in bed with us. Nothing worked. She was just COMPLETELY unreasonable and totally out of control. We were exhausted, and desperate to sleep. Finally at one point she dozed off and as I was hanging half way off the bed as to not nudge her, I decided I would sleep that way. The front desk claimed that we had a room with 2 queen beds, but I am sure they were twin size just mocking us. The Gremlin had the entire middle of the bed and the 2 adults contorted their bodies to accommodate her. Occasionally, when she thought we might have fallen to sleep, she flailed and screamed again to wake us up.
A few times I think I began to sleep enough that I started to dream. They all started the same, the Gremlin was tired and going to sleep, then I would shake her foot and wake her up! Muhahahhahaha, take that! Close to morning the Gremlin made one last move to completely ensure we looked as haggard in the morning as we felt. Her blankie was lost in the sheets and she couldn’t find it. She started screaming.
“WHAT IS HER PROBLEM?!” I said to Paul.
“Did you hear what she said?” he asked.
“No. I all I can hear is screaming.”
She said, “Duh! WINNING!”
We laughed, found her blanket and decided we might as well get on the road. It was tempting though, every time the sweet Panda Bear fell asleep to grab and shake her little foot and wake her up.
As I yelled, ” Who’s winning now?!!” But somehow that wouldn’t make me feel any better or any less tired! The Gremlin wins!
Part comedian, part Dad, part athlete. He will boss around your children while they play ball.
Just as angelic as she looks, this girl could easily raise a Village by herself, and all the children would grow up to be President.
Self proclaimed, she would be a webkinz dog. Because, "they're cute, and puppies are too. And they're sweet and they always get along with other puppies."
This mini-Martha Stewart can handle ANY craft you send her way. She isn't all bows and rainbows, she's got karate kid moves!
Not "Pick-Me-Up" like caffeine, she wants you to pick her up! AND NOW!
Anything that can be destroyed WILL be destroyed!
Practically Perfect in Every Way for now! Nicknamed "The Panda" she is rolly polly and lives by the motto, "the little one, is KING!"
The resident Labradoodle, Miller got his name because Mom won and got to name the baby! Need something chewed up? He'll take care of it. Especially if it's expensive..
oh the joy of parenting! lol. i have to laugh, because i’ve been there too. almost the exact same scenario, except the premiere desitination spot was ohio, not iowa, but close. haha. glad you guys made it out alive. 🙂
Lol poor guys. Hope you are alright on the road! So have been there and I totally would have been tempted to shake her foot too!
Been there, done that. Just recently we made the move from CA to MI. DRIVING across the country with 4 girls, ranging in age from 13-2. Oh the joys of being stuck along the way and dealing with CRANKY kids! Not fun. I certainly hope your trip gets better.
LOL!!! I love it! My “Gremlin” is of the boy variety and he too can seem sweet as pie but put in an unfamiliar territory (such as the hotel) is heck on wheels! and I agree with your queen=twin theory as we recently had to hit a hotel with all 4 boys..the 9yr,7yr & 20 month old started together and Hubs, 5 mo and I in the other..then 20 month ended up with us too…I think I slept on the nightstand…….
Have fun in Iowa for me I hear it’s great weather right now…..and they have real grass!
No kidding!! It smells like dirt here and I love it!
what part of iowa you heading to? Sioux City, IA Here..
The weather was great today other then the wind, not usual temps this time of year. tomorrow is suppose to be a bit cooler with some rain (boo).
This is a cute story Thank you for sharing!
Cedar Falls, Waterloo area. Then down to Ankeny for a day or so.
We went through the same thing. Our daughter (3 years old then) would scream uncontrollably every night. There was nothing we could do to sooth her. We somehow lived through it. She finally grew out of it, thank goodness. I feel for you guys. Sleep deprivation is not fun.
ya’ll crack me up! as a mother to 7 – each their own gremlin at some point – I can totally relate. makes me smile knowing we aren’t the only ones with gremlins 🙂
She sounds like my Emmah!! Totally can relate!!
Ah! Hilarious! 🙂
I call my 3 year old Jekyll and Hyde! One minute he says I’m his best friend, the next he says he hates me!
U guys get the gold medal for patience! That’s y we fly. Yeah it’s more expensive… But time is just as precious to us. Btw Oreos at Randall’s at the stock up price of 1.99 each, all varieties!
Tickets for 9 is something that I have not done yet! Someday I am sure we will fly somewhere all together, but then we have to deal with trying to rent a vehicle big enough and that isn’t easy 🙂 Some of the best memories we have are the car trips we have taken, I love them!
I think if you have 10 people you can get a group rate on airline ticket 😉
Hey, that’s my lovable Andie you’re writing about!
Everyone has “that kid”! I remember sitting in the pediatricians office with my oldest while pregnant with my own little gremlin. My oldest was perfect – slept all night at 4 days old… While sitting in the pediatricians office I was listening to this mom talk about about her child who was 16 months – who wakes up at least once a night needing a bottle and changing… I remember thinking “No WAY!” Welcome my little gremlin – who never slept at all until her 13 months!! You could say it was my own personal payback for being judgmental! Never again will I judge someone…
Oh, the stories…how I can relate! My story is close to Ashley’s – my first slept all night at “3” days old and my co-workers told me ,”HOW LUCKY I WAS”! Of course, I didn’t UNDERSTAND JUST HOW LUCKY I WAS – until…..my second daughter came along! She didn’t sleep thru the night until she was “24” MONTHS and how l-o-n-g those MONTHS were! Patience, Patience, Patience but looking back now, it puts a smile on my face 🙂
The problem with driving during the day is that the kids sleep most of the time, then when you decide to go to sleep they are wide awake…It never fails.. My youngest was the worst, oh Lord you just dredged up those memories…lol Good luck with the rest of your trip…
LOL! The gremlins always win:))) Been there! Hope you have a great trip!
You just made me feel so much better! I thought only my kids acted like that! Thank you!
I think I am now happy my twins do not fall asleep in the car. Good luck for a better nights sleep.
Been there! Excellent play by play.
My play by play would be filled with expetives and more expletives.
Poor things. Hope you get some sleep soon.
LOL, Thanks for sharing! I needed the laugh on my Manic Monday morning. Have a safe Spring Break!
I heard about that! So jealous of the trip to Iowa. Now let the relatives watch her and get some sleep!