I am Legendary

It was about four years ago that I was called legendary. Now some would take pride in being called such a name, but me, I was not pleased. We were at my in-laws house preparing for my now sister-in-law's wedding when this comment, which to this day still irks me, was made. Even today I still have no idea where this comment came from, why it was made or what previous comment made by an unknown third party brought it about. My husband sometimes still calls me legendary just to get a reaction out of me and it works; every time. It was my sister-in-law's soon to be mother-in-law who said it, and she is by far one of the sweetest, most generous people that I have met, so I cast no blame. But still this comment hit me like a bucket of cold water to the face. It was quick, simple and intended to be harmless.

"I hear you are a legendary sleeper."

I remember standing there, looking back at her, forcing a smile to my face, allowing a simple laugh to pass my lips, begging my cheeks not to turn red and forcing the annoyance which was exploding up through my body to go back down. My mind raced. I am a legendary sleeper? What? Why? Where in the hell did that come? Even if I am, how in the hell would she know? WHAT?

Again, I am positive that her intention was harmless, nothing more than smalltalk. Most people probably would not have even thought twice about it if the comment had been directed at them. But for some unknown reason it stuck with me. It bothered me. I hated it.

The day I was called Legendary.

I won't lie, like any other normal person, I do enjoy my sleep. I need a solid eight hours otherwise I drag all day and just do not feel like myself. Without eight hours I don't perform as well in work or play. But I am pretty sure eight hours does not make me legendary. Perhaps it was because at that time I was more of a night owl, staying up way too late, sleeping in later. Perhaps that gave off the impression that I was sleeping many more hours than just the simple eight. I do not know. I will probably never know, but I still hate that I was called legendary.

Fast forward to now. Sleep to me is like a drop of water to a lost man wandering the desert. I never get it, my body begs for it, I can barely remember what it feels like. Before Lyla was born people always said how babies sleep all of the time, for hours on end, how they look so peaceful when they are sleeping, just like little angels. My older sister Kelly even told me that her daughter slept so much at night that they would have to wake her to feed her. Well let me tell you, Lyla is not one of these babies. My husband and I joke that she actually hates to sleep. And even when she is sleeping, she doesn't look peaceful. She looks pissed. Her mouth scrunches together forming the most heart wrenching frown. Her fist stay locked in tight grips as if to say 'these mean parents of mine, they are making me do that sleep thing again.'  She is in no way legendary when it comes to sleeping. Apparently, and according to some, she does not take after her mother in this respect.

Lyla is more of a take a nice little nap then lets all get up and play kind of girl. At night when I put her to bed she fights, but I always win or so I think. Then about two hours later (give or take half an hour) she's up. I feed her, I change her, I rock her, but she doesn't want to sleep. Finally she goes back down and then as if she has an alarm inside her body, two hours later, she's up again. It wouldn't be so bad if I could fall back asleep immediately after putting her down, but no, my mind races and I lay in bed exhausted but awake. Sleep to me is a distant memory that I hope to one day know again.

"haha it's past my bedtime, but I get to stay up because my grandparents are here!"

A few weeks back after another sleepless night in which Lyla woke five times, I turned to my husband and told him that I am pretty sure my legendary status has been revoked.

I know that it will get better and eventually Lyla will learn to sleep through the night. After hearing from my sister Erica about an adorable little baby boy she knows named Oakes who is suffering from many health problems and still in the NICU, I can only count my blessing and thank God that our biggest challenge is a lack of sleep. I could not be more thankful for my beautiful baby girl who is healthy, growing leaps and bounds and learning with each new day. I am beyond blessed, and I am beyond grateful. And some day soon enough (I've said those words before) I hope to earn back my legendary status and when that happens, this time, I'll be proud.

For other sleepy parents out there, here is yet another slow cooker meal for when you are running low on energy.

Turkey Chili
In a saute pan, add one chopped onion and 1 1/4 lbs of ground turkey. Cook until browned.

Drain the meat mixture and add to the slower cooker. Add in one can of corn, drained. You can also use frozen corn if you prefer.

Next, add in one chopped red bell pepper, one chopped green bell pepper and two chopped jalapenos (seeds included, unless you prefer a milder chili.)

Following the peppers, add one can of crushed tomatoes and one can of whole tomatoes.

Add one can of black beans, drained and rinsed and about a cup of tomato sauce.

Now the fun part! Add in your seasonings. You can honestly add as little or as much of the seasoning as you want. Add in a little extra chili powder if you like a kick to your chili, a little less if you don't. I used a mixture of chili powder, coriander, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. If you make the mixture before hand you can taste test and adjust to your likings. Finally mix all of the ingredients together and cook on low for 8 hours.

Serve with cheese and enjoy! As I am sure you have noticed, I am still loving my slow cooker!

Up next, our trip to the pumpkin patch and the delicious applesauce that resulted.