For the love of SLEEP!! No one, and I mean NO ONE will ever be able to describe to you the sleep deprivation you will feel once you become a parent. Even practicing being a parent by taking your nieces and nephews for a weekend would never prepare you for the omg-i'm-gonna-loose-my-shit-if-I-don't-get-some-sleep-soon moments.

It doesn't even matter if you have your kids sleep-trained (although it helps - check out my tips HERE), you will still be running on lack of sleep. Whether it's those beginning 3-4 months, diaper leaks, sickness, or milestones such as teething, crawling, walking, learning to talk, eating, potty-training and just plain 'I don't want to sleep mommy'; there will be moments in your child's growth that will keep you up at night. I mean, it's bound to happen and we, as parents, just need to roll with the punches. Although I know that's easier said than done.

AND, don't get me started on the exhaustion when you're pregnant with another little one, and still are running after the first one (or multiples) to get good sleep. THAT is like playing a twisted game called 'Let's See How Many Sleepless Nights It Takes For Mommy To Start Crying". Yes, I confess, it happened. It actually happened a handful of times.

But once the kiddos start getting older, and you're able to get a little more sleep, and establish more of a bedtime routine, you can look back on all of those *awesome* things you said or did in your state of total exhaustion and laugh. Like leaving your cell phone in the fridge and not knowing how (or when) it got there. Or how about forgetting you had food cooking on the stove that you burned through three different pots AND not to mention setting off the smoke alarm waking up BOTH kids from their naps. OR even running errands with only half of your face on wondering why people were looking at you funny and you come to find that your mascara somehow jumped off your eyelashes and ended up smeared across your eyelid (A 'new' cat-eye trend, right?).

Yet through all the sleepless adventures and continual milestones, our family keeps the bedtime routine consistent. We keep soft light and voices during bath and story time. Our white noise machines are on full blast. The temperature of the rooms are kept cool in the low 70s, and of course we give them oodles and oodles of bed-time hugs and kisses. Although there is always the exception of illness, nightmares, milestones, and travel to consider.

If you find yourself about to loose your shit, take a deep breath and remember that you're doing great, and more likely than not there are other parents going through JUST the same thing you are. SO...the best thing to do is to share your funny stories, laugh about it, and then go get some sleep!

Here's to getting some more beauty sleep!