Pipe dreams
I spent my twenties dreaming big. Like any other young, fresh-out-of-college youth, the world was my oyster. I spent this time dreaming of startups, fame, epic love, and traveling the world. I found my better half, and we explored strange places, bounced off ideas, played video games like a couple of runaway teenagers, and partied like crazy.
Inception of a dream
Then COVID struck, and like many confined couples, we decided to have a baby. It was the start of a new adventure. An adventure that mainstream media, your parents, or your friends describe in glowing terms. They sweep the madness under the rug.
A dreamy twist
So, after months of morning sickness, caffeine-free days, and alcohol-free nights, we were gifted with profound joy. That lovely feeling was closely followed by sleepless nights. Not the fun kind from college or our honeymoon, but stark, lonely, and heavy nights with long bouts of shrill crying by the baby (and soft sobbing by us).
REMember a full night's sleep?
If I told you I have not slept a full night's sleep in the last 1.5 years, would you believe me? Life and its priorities focused solely on my tiny ball of trouble. My baby made me understand not only love but also sacrifice.
I have a dream...
Imagine you're sound asleep, dreaming of cotton candy slowly gliding towards your mouth and a drizzle of choc- uwaaaaaa
The better part of your DNA wakes you up and demands to be fed. He imperiously smacks you in the face as you try to cuddle him. You sigh and imagine a happily fed baby who sleeps through the night.
It is a tiny dream. A very small, insignificant, almost laughable dream. I want to sleep.
I told my partner about it. My partner has a traveling job and is unable to help out with the baby at night. However, a week after I told him, he came up to me and told me he was taking time off from work.
He told me to book my tickets and take a solo vacation, and that he'd look after our baby during that week. I was touched since he only has around a week of leaves left.
I took him up on the offer but I didn't go for a vacation.
For a week, I just slept like a baby.
