Code Stella

Tonight we were had friends over to celebrate Jeff's Birthday, or as he preferred to think of it as celebrating the end of his time at OPG. Either way, there were hamburgers, potato salad, cupcakes and beer.

At one point I was chatting with a couple friends about how one of them was always tired and had the ability to sleep anywhere. Hands up if you're one of those people. Those people that can put your head down anywhere and snooze. If you've fallen asleep in lectures, movies, airplanes, coffeeshops. If you're friends think you have narcolepsy (or Narcosleepy as we called it in University). I am that person. Jeff is not.

My friend also fit into the same category as me, as those who can instantly go from asleep to awake. She worked in a high stress financial environment, me in my nursing work. I have been sound asleep on break, hear the code button go off and be on my feet, rubbing eyes, ready to man the med cart, take vitals or start recording in seconds. Cause that's what has to be done, your brain starts ticking as soon as you here the "code blue, 8A Alpha...". (On the other hand, I've heard the alarm go off for any other unit, and rolled over and gone back to sleep).

I've been trying to let Stella go back to sleep on her own when she wakes up in the middle of the night. She starts to peep, humming and talking to herself, taking little breaks and starting up again. Sometimes I don't even think about it, I hear her and my feet are instantly on the floor and I'm up. I check the time and try and wait it out. I put my head back on the pillow and feel like half an hour has gone by. Check the time again, it's been 12 minutes. Stella is my own little happy code.

Being a nurse and working shifts, you develop the ability to sleep anywhere at anytime, cause you take it when you can get it. When the switch is flipped, you're on your feet, ready to go. Cause you have to. Just like being a mom.




Stella doesn't have that gene yet.... here she is, waking up slow.