6.21.2010

Jetlagged in Germany


Up at 2, asleep at 5. Awake at noon. Wondering where the day went.

And so it is the question: Force the transition or let it happen naturally? It is an easy question for an adult and depends utterly on one's plans and situation. It is a whole story when dealing with a toddler. For a couple of days, I simply let it be.

Now, I think it is time to take some executive charge. Firm yet flexible, just as any mom should be when it comes to baby sleep.

What is different this visit is that I have time on my side. Time to take things slowly and let them settle. Time to just be here instead of frantically trying to fit jetlag, Kaffee und Kuchen and all the mandatory friend visits all into the same 10 day period. No, this time there is time and I have just now realized what that means.

It means no rushing, no stress, no needs to be a certain way, now. And, I have to say I didn't mind indulging in a bit of German tele late last night, as the nugget sat quietly for a few moments at my side, cradling the 3 remotes I was letting him hold. A little WM (Spain vs Honduras, I think), a little Golden Girls with bad dubbing and almost all of a reportage on the life of Michael Jackson called: Michael Jackson, a life not black or white. It made me think about all the midnight wake-ups that happened when I was little and all that my Oma had to offer was 3 channels, 2 of which stopped at midnight and the other that ran either infomercials or lusty lady phonemercials. Made me appreciate the 30 channels, CNN World and actual shows that I now had access to.

But it was getting later and I was determined to get the nugget to sleep before 2am. He acquiesced without much of a fight, seems he would like to be back on a schedule as well and I was left to be nostalgic. I lay in the room that I get to sleep in upstairs, thinking about sitting on my Oma's couch with my little brother and my half-asleep mom, who somehow managed to sleep while we were wide awake at 3 in the morning. I guess she knew she didn't have the luxury of sleeping in until noon.

And now, as a mom, I completely understand why.

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