railings
I sat at the edge of your bed again tonight
Acting as the railing you had me remove
I smoothed out your sheets
Moved the hair from your eyes
And kept a hand on your head
Or your arm or your leg or
Whatever was thrashing
It sounded like the terrors were taking you back
To the place where we don’t love you and
We gave you away or we
Tossed you out with the trash and
Happily lived on without you
A place I spend much of the day
Trying to prove doesn’t exist
Even though you don’t understand
Why you think it does in the first place
I sat you up in bed and
Pulled you on my lap and
I walked you around the room
And helped you drink water
And even though you looked right at me
I couldn’t call you out
So instead I sat back down on the edge of your bed
Acting as the railing you had me remove
Until your body went limp,
The sheets swallowed you whole
And the room was quiet again.
.
.
July 10, 2009 at 8:16 am
I think night terrors have been my most helpless parenting moment yet. You can’t fix it, you just have to ride it out. They always leave me feeling broken afterwards.
July 10, 2009 at 8:56 am
Does she fear falling out of the bed when the rail is down? If so, do this…
roll up a large beach towel, width wise. Then place it between the mattress and box spring from her head to toe area. This raises the bed enough to keep her rolling back. And when the bed is made, you can’t even tell the towel is there.
Don’t know if this tip will help you. But you never know.
July 10, 2009 at 9:40 am
Sweet angel…
::hugs:: for the girls and you.
xo c
July 10, 2009 at 10:26 am
Hmph. I slept right through it.
July 10, 2009 at 10:58 am
Your husband and my husband are kindred spirits. How can you sleep through that, asswipe?
Miss M has these all the time. The most frightening part for me is looking into those huge brown eyes and realizing that she doesn’t see me, doesn’t know I’m there trying to help her. That part is the worst…knowing she’s in a really bad place and thinks she’s alone.
Hugs and kisses. Really.
July 10, 2009 at 11:11 am
I have never experienced terrors and reading this makes me feel so helpless – I’m sure the way you feel while they are happening.
I’m so sorry you all experience this – hugs comin your way!
July 10, 2009 at 11:18 am
Worse than a child who doesn’t like cuddles is one who doesn’t feel them…is asleep with her eyes open, terrified and absolutely clueless that you’d do anything to stop it for her. Ugh.
July 10, 2009 at 12:44 pm
I was going to write something sweet until I read your husbands comment. Haa haa!!
July 10, 2009 at 1:52 pm
This brought tears…your poor baby. I’ve never experienced this either, but I hope it passes soon for you guys.
July 10, 2009 at 2:56 pm
That is just rotten. I’m so sorry. I hope this is a short lived chapter in her young life.
July 10, 2009 at 3:16 pm
This breaks my heart. I’m sending you both a big hug.
July 10, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Poor ONE. Poor ck. Evan has them once in a while. I used to think they were nightmares, but he doesn’t remember them. He doesn’t talk; he just screams. And minutes drag by like hours while you’re trying to do something, ANYTHING to help.
And those lights make you the coolest mom in the world.
July 10, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Night terrors are terrifying–for me. Two of our four children have them occasionally. I always feel so helpless because they don’t seem to respond to any type of soothing. Our best efforts are to simply get them to go back to sleep.
July 10, 2009 at 7:20 pm
This actually made me tear up. I’ve been hormonal lately.
July 10, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Ugh. We have much experience with night terrors and they make everyone involved feel so helpless. Sorry you’re in a similar boat.
July 11, 2009 at 4:24 pm
I used to get leg pains really bad at night and I remember my Dad coming in to massage my legs. You are a great Mom. Sorry you and your little one have to go through this.
July 11, 2009 at 6:52 pm
That is too precious. It was like a lullaby for a soul.
July 11, 2009 at 10:40 pm
I wish I could say something that would take it away. I would hate to have to experience that with any of my children.
*hug*
July 12, 2009 at 1:02 am
Ck does she have night terrors. I went through that with ‘79 and it was awful. I am so sorry, I know how scary it must be for the both of you. Just retmember they do get through it and they do outgrow it. ‘79 sometimes though her room was on fire and I would just hold her and cry because I couldn’t reach her to comfort her.