"You're Never Going to Sleep Again."
“You’re never going to sleep again!”
Every expecting and new parent has heard some, often many, variations of this sentence. It’s nearly a cliche, but that gives the phrase far too much credit. But it is seemingly the thing that people say.
The whole thing is a weird phenomenon when you think about it. New and expecting parents are embarking on one of the most exciting and extraordinary journeys life offers, and suddenly people have become interested in our sleep habits?
What I’ve come to realize is there’s a piece of this story that isn’t known unless you’ve lived it. As a new parent, you will be so captivated by your baby. The teeniest sounds and movements your baby makes will consume you with newly unlocked joy. The gratitude for those moments will be abundant. You won’t be looking at the clock, and you won’t know what day it is — those details don’t matter.
So to all the parents who have experienced this - I raise my lukewarm coffee in solidarity, knowing that we have gotten to experience something magical, something that is just too overwhelmingly wonderful to attempt to explain in most casual conversations.
To all the people who have made the comments alluding to sleep deprivation, it’s not your fault. If you’re still concerned about the amount of sleep we are getting, consider asking new parents for their coffee order and leave it at their door. And parents, be sure to drink your caffeinated brew quickly. You will not want to miss a thing.
