I was just reading an article in the doctor's office about Sandra Bullock and her new baby in People magazine and was struck by how she cheerily glossed over her 3 hours of sleep and was amazed at how little sleep one needed. Ok, either she's just trying to put a positive spin on it, she's loopy from lack of Z's, she's lying about how little sleep she gets or she really hasn't hit the sleep-deprivation wall yet. I don't know any mom who doesn't feel sleep deprived, whether they have a newborn or a teen, and feels she doesn't need more than 3 hours of rest. In fact, more moms say they would choose sleep over sex if they had the chance.

With my husband's snoring, all the discomforts of pregnancy at night and a 4-year-old who has recently started the inconvenient habit of waking an hour earlier than usual, I'm longing for more sleep and dreading when things can only get worse with our baby's arrival. But no matter how much I want to feel sorry for myself or pray I was Sleeping Beauty and the prince got stuck in traffic, I'm not alone: half of American moms say they don't get enough sleep.

While nighttime sleep is no longer my buddy, naptime is my new best friend & my sanity saver lately; however, I don't know what I'm going to do when my daughter's preschool ends soon. Maybe I'll have to find a hiding place in my home to get some sleep or maybe you'll see me posting delirious rants in the near future. Either way, I can guarantee I won't be marveling about how I just don't need that much sleep.

Originally Published By Sandra K. Lee on May 25, 2010 on the New Jersey Mom's Blog.

When I walked down the aisle nearly 10 years ago, I had high hopes to still be married by our 10-year anniversary. I also had some vague ideas of what that celebration and married life would look like.I imagined that maybe we would have a child, maybe not. We were definitely ambivalent about having children during our first few years of marriage.

At around five years into our marriage, I thought we might still be just a married couple with no children and envisioned a lavish vacation somewhere or maybe receiving some fancy jewelry - or both!

During our six year anniversary, I was very pregnant with our daughter but felt fabulous and a nice, big meal out was the perfect way to celebrate. With a young child, some of my expectations for the Big 10 changed. I started imagining a big family party or just going out to a nice dinner. The expensive getaway and bling weren't necessarily off the table but seemed less likely.

Well now it's almost our 10 year anniversary and I guess the funny thing is my husband and I truly are meant to be together because we both agree we have no idea how to celebrate it. In my impeccable sense of timing I'm pregnant once again. Although I'm not as far along as last time, it's been kind of rough with baby number two, making it next to impossible to make any plans - even booking a restaurant has seemed unlikely with the way I've felt at times.

So no lavish vacation and I'm not expecting or hoping for any bling. No big party either, which I'm happy about because I don't have to plan it. But I do feel like we should do SOMETHING to commemorate the fact that not only are we still married, we generally seem to still like each other and enjoy being together. And I feel it's worth observing a milestone for a married life that is vastly different and more wonderful than the thoughts that swirled in my head on my wedding day.

Well, we have a little time to figure something out but maybe I should start thinking now about our 20th? Hmm.

Originally Published By Sandra K. Lee on May 5, 2010 on the New Jersey Mom's Blog.

We live in a small town and spring is heralded by the tinny melodies of the roaming ice cream truck. When we first moved here as a newlywed couple it was a pleasant surprise to occasionally run to the truck to grab whatever dessert that tempted us that day. I still love when the vehicle laden with frosty treats comes around because I'm immediately brought back to my childhood when getting ice cream was a rare and special treat and for some reason, it always seemed to taste better when it unexpectedly came to you.

But now that my daughter is nearly four years old and aware of what the repetitive music means, my friendship with the ice cream truck has taken a dark turn. At first the truck's song is a little muffled and I hopefully think "maybe he'll turn the corner before he gets to my street." Oh no, this truck goes down every street it seems so you can hear the same two tunes about 30 times as the truck meanders closer and closer. Usually about a few blocks away, my daughter hears the songs that have already started to burn in my brain a little and the inevitable begging begins.

While I often want ice cream myself, neither of us needs to get ice cream from that truck several times a week so "no" is my typical response to her pleas which can escalate into a full-on tantrum. If that isn't bad enough, the truck doesn't even have to be present to inspire suggestions like, "Mommy, let's go see if we can find the ice cream truck, today."

Sometimes I'm lucky that fresh fruit can still sometimes be an acceptable substitute. At others, the next best thing to the ice cream truck can suffice - an upcoming trip to Grandma's house for ice cream. And if I'm lucky enough to hear the truck first, I'm not above turning the TV on and increasing the volume to drown out the songs.

Originally Published by Sandra K. Lee on May 2, 2010 on the New Jersey Mom's Blog.