My Sub-Conscious Needs a Day Job. Or a Night Job.

This week one of our friends in town went into labor a week early, and a few days before family was in town to watch their older son, so we offered to keep him overnight so that they could both stay in the hospital and focus on the new baby.  He was great, slept completely through the night, and not a problem at all.  However, I had not anticipated that I would feel just a little anxious while listening for someone else’s baby to cry out all night, and I slept terribly even though he slept perfectly.  But in that period of non-sleep, where I wasn’t awake enough to be tossing and turning, but wasn’t asleep enough to be unaware of just how much time was passing, I did something unexpected.  I planned Jayce’s 2nd birthday party in it’s entirety.

I realized this about halfway through the morning, when I suddenly started remembering all of the details that I had so intricately thought through in this period of non-sleep.  Really, if I had been just a little more awake, I would have gotten out of bed and written it all down, which shows me just how asleep I was. 

This probably doesn’t seem like such a strange thing, except that Jayce’s birthday is still 2 months away, and we have a LOT of stuff going on between now and then.  Mildly big things too, like Mom coming to visit for the first time since November, Chris going away for a week for school, and then the following weekend for a conference.  My photography lesson (which I am excited/nervous for), trip to Chicago, and the first wedding I will be the second shooter for.  Also, my sister-in-law’s baby is due in a few weeks, and then, oh yeah, that trip to Germany and Scotland, and impending 10 day separation from Jayce.  And then he has his 2nd birthday.  It’s not even on my radar yet!!

But not to worry once that day finally arrives, because I already have the party all planned out.  Everything from the theme, to fun party favors, to intricate details of activities for the  kids.  What is wrong with me?!

I wonder if it is some sort of defense mechanism, like I’m actually pretty stressed about all of these different things that we have coming up, and instead of focusing on any one of them, my brain just shifted to something that is a little easier with lower stress?  This is just a guess, I’m still a little baffled by this new nighttime party planning regime.  Psychology majors, feel free to weigh in here.

I just think that if I was going to be thinking through something, than it could have been something a little more practical, like planning our meals for the next week, deciding how to decorate our blank kitchen wall, or mentally composing some clever blog post.  Oh wait…