Imagine That!

It's been a tough couple of weeks around the Noisy Little Adventures household for those of us who have fond memories of sleep.

SheWhoShallSoonBeNamed's sleep pattern has been off and The Wubster's been waking up screaming uncontrollably about three hours after bedtime. SWSSBN's wakefulness is expected; she's nearly six-months-old and still figuring things out. The Wubster, though, has had us concerned.

So far we've chalked his issues up to either his stuffy nose, drainage cough, or frustration after becoming tangled in the sheets. It could also be the chili-cheese burrito he ate for Fourth Meal.

In my frustration that I can't stop this behavior, I've gone so far as to research sleep apnea and night terrors, especially as they might relate to his coarctation. As of yet there are no clear answers and if it continues, of course, we'll look into consulting our pediatrician.

Last night, as he sat bolt upright in bed and forced the covers off only to scream to be covered up and then thrash around agitatedly when I did, I went into interrogation mode:

Is it your tummy?
NO!
Head?
NOOOaaaagggh!
Ears?
NooooOOO!
Tummy? (In case he wasn't sure the first time)
NO!
Do you need to throw up?
NooooooOOOO!
Poop?
NO!
Play?
Nooooo!
Are you thirsty?
NO!
Do you want ice? (The kid LOVES ice)
NoooooaaaAAAH!
Is something in the room?

I said it jokingly and at wits end. His answer was, of course, "Noooo!", but my mind started working. I have an overactive imagination at times, and once I made the comment, visions of Paranormal Activity danced in my head. What was lurking in the shadows and disrupting my poor Wubster's sleep?

I've always been that way. I enjoy a good scary movie, but afterwards I can't shake the uncomfortable feelings that something's out there. When I was eight or twelve-years-old (quite possibly twenty-two), I used to lie in bed at night and drum or scratch my fingers on the wall as I was trying to fall asleep (Sorry mom and dad if you could hear that). I would do it for a while before thinking to myself, "Oh no! That's the signal for [insert hell-demon's name here] to come and attack! Well...it is if I do it five more times." I would then proceed to tap or scratch four more times. Poor [insert hell-demon's name here] never got a chance to munch on my soul...HA, stupid [insert hell-demon's name here]!

Ummm...the Wubster's screaming again. This is the fourth time so far tonight. I better go calm him down since, as we all know, screaming five times is the signal for...