Title: Reflections (3/?)
Author: Anna-Maria
Rating: PG
Summary: I staggered into the kitchen for Emily's 3am feed, retrieved the bottle out of the refrigerator to warm it up and was just about to plunge it into the bowl of hot water when suddenly the thought, "What's wrong with this picture?", crossed my mind.
A/N: Thanks to Gomey for Beta-ing

You know, before I had my second beautiful daughter, Emily, I really didn't believe parents when they told me about sleep deprivation.

I remember thinking, "Oh for goodness sake, what's the problem, you just have a little kip when they have a little kip".  That's how it was with Lindsey

In fact, I remember actually saying this to a new mother who responded by laughing hysterically, followed by a rather alarming bout of uncontrolled sobbing.

Still, she cheered up no end when she remembered my own baby was due soon.

Well, now she is here and I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to that woman and any other parent whose sleep deprivation I may have dismissed with an airy, "Well I think you just need to let your baby know that sleep time is sleep time".

Please, it's a wonder they didn't gun me down in the street.

Anyway, now that I know exactly what sleep deprivation is, I would like to share some of my finer moments as Emily's mother with you, starting with the night when I attempted to feed my six-week-old daughter a bone.

Yes, that's right, a bone.

In my defence I would like to explain that we are looking after our neighbour's little puppy, Milo.

So I staggered into the kitchen for Emily's 3am feed, retrieved the bottle out of the refrigerator to warm it up and was just about to plunge it into the bowl of hot water when suddenly the thought, "What's wrong with this picture?", crossed my mind.

Looking down I realised that what I was about to give my darling daughter was not, in fact, a bottle but a rather large dog's bone. Which was a ridiculous thing to do on so many counts, not least because babies don't start solids until at least three months.

But this is what lack of sleep will do to you, as well as going to the petrol station, going to the counter and wondering why the man is staring at you expectantly.

This also happened to me last week, and I finally said to him, "I'd like to pay for my petrol please", to which he replied, "And I'd like to let you, love, just as soon as you actually put some in your car".

The other thing about becoming a mother is that you become a world-class worrier, anxious all the time that your baby is all right.

Last week I had my first night out without Emily, who stayed at home with her father - or at least stayed at home with her father until he took her into Chinatown for dinner.

When I rang the mobile to find out how they were, Gil and I had the following conversation.

Catherine: "Hello darling, what's all that noise, is that the television?"

Gil: "No, we're in Chinatown, having dinner."

Catherine: "Chinatown, you're in Chinatown?"

Gil: "Yes."

Catherine: "You're in Chinatown, having dinner?"

Gil: "Yes."

Catherine: "You're having dinner in Chinatown?"

Gil: "Look Catherine, as much as I'd love to stay here and listen to you saying the same sentence over and over again, I really need to get going."

Catherine: "Well, where's Emily, is she in the restaurant with you?"

Gil: "No Catherine, I left her at the bar - of course she's here with me, she's right beside me."

Catherine: "Well, is she cold there? What's she wearing? Is she warm, have you got her rugged up?"

Gil: "No Catherine, she's in her swimsuit, what do you think? Of course I've got her rugged up. Look, Emily and I have to go, another woman is coming up to talk to us."

Yes it seems that Gil and Emily, our friend Pete and his new baby Kate had all gone into Chinatown for dinner together and apparently there's nothing like two little babies as accessories to turn blokes into chick magnets.

Women were dropping by that table all night to "ooh" and "aah" over Emily and Kate, and now Pete wants Gil to go into Chinatown every Saturday night.

I don't think so.