Three

That's how many times I've slept through the night in the last 4 1/2 years - twice I was out of town without the kids.

I'm not a fan of the cry-it-out method so Sam still comes in to sleep with us sometime between 3:00 and 5:30 in the morning every night. Since we don't have nightlights, he usually can't find his way on his own which means I have to get up and help him. Elena sneaks in with us occasionally, too, but she's quiet about it and we usually don't notice.

It's not so bad really, and not sleeping through the night is a sacrifice I'm willing to make for my children - I love having them cuddle with us in the morning. But still, a solid 8 hours sleep would be nice once in awhile. Last night I came so close.

About once every month or two, Sam will sleep straight through the night in his own bed. Also about once every month or two, Elena will wake up crying for me from a bad dream or she'll urgently need to go to the bathroom and want help. In such cases, I usually have to be up for a little while to calm her down and get her a drink. Seth can help her, too, but I still lie there awake until she's back asleep....plus, he takes a lot longer to respond.

Unfortunately, those occasional nights when Sam sleeps perfectly and the few nights that Elena wakes us up always, without fail, land on the same night. I think they plan it ahead of time when I'm not listening. Last night was one of those nights. Fortunately, I have a loving husband who lets me sleep in until 9:30 when that happens so I really can't complain.