Mom of Two, Part One

It starts at 2 am. The wee, wee one wakes. Nurse nurse nurse, burp burp burp. Change diaper. Sneakily, she pees during the split second that I'm taking the old diaper off and putting the new diaper on. In the middle-of-night grogginess, I have forgotten to put a waterproof pad down on the bed. Wet outfit, wet bed. I put the pad down, put the new diaper under her, and when I have the wet outfit halfway off, she starts to poop. She finishes (so I think), and I clean her off, go to put a new diaper on...and she poops on the waterproof pad while I'm getting the new diaper. Need new waterproof pad--trek downstairs holding snorfling baby (spits up on shoulder and new outfit halfway down stairs) and three dirty diapers. Shuffle to diaper pail, shuffle to baby bureau, shuffle back upstairs. New outfit on, baby wants to nurse again, it's now 3 am. She enters "quiet alert" state, which is the sweetest time--big shiny alien eyes open, cooing, tiny hands waving like she's swimming in air. We worship each other for a while, then it's 3:45. Nurse nurse nurse, burp burp burp, diaper change (no casualties this time), nurse, she falls asleep and I start to drift off. It's 4:30. "Mama," I hear from down the hall. "Mama, is it daytime?" Tuck baby into bed. Shuffle down hall and crawl into bed with less wee one. "Mama, read me a story!" "It's not daytime yet." "Why are the birds awake?" I listen--the birds are, indeed, awake. I read one, only ONE, story, and then we settle in for a cuddle and a nap. The door creaks open. The male member of the family is standing there, holding the wee wee one, who is noisily gnawing her fist. I smile blearily at them, as the nursing hormones are working their magic to put a positive spin on all this late-night family action. "I'm so, so tired," he says.