Babies smell fear 🥴

My toddler (15mo) usually sleeps 12 hours like a champ, especially the last month- before that, she was in a 2 month long ridiculous sleep regression from growth spurts and teething etc etc. she’s been sleeping like a dream now. 8:30 to 8:30, no wake ups, calm morning, smooth sailing.

We were lulled into a false sense of security.

I just got a killer menstrual period a week earlier than anticipated and am a cramping bleeding fatigued mess. I’m working overtime this week (NEVER happens) because of a high pressure event my team is planning and putting on Sunday. My husband has to get up at 4:30AM and drive 2.5 hours out to work, and won’t be home until probably 8PM, because of special trainings.

And our baby smelled fear. Because she woke up screaming at 1AM and screamed until 4AM, until I finally had to put her in her crib so I could go pee. By the time I got out of the bathroom, little banshee had finally knackered herself out. Husband couldn’t take over because he needs to get SOME sleep so as to not drive off the damn highway in a stupor.

It’s always the worst possible weeks that they’re like “hmm, they seem stressed. Should I be stressed? I will express empathy by also being stressed! AHHHHHHHHHHH”