I've never had this happen before. What a screwy cycle. If my temps are above coverline tomorrow morning, I don't know what I'll do about determining ovulation. I wonder, though, if I jumped the gun and thought I ovulated ahead of time, and started taking the Wild Yam too early. Progesterone, which is what the herb aids the body in producing, can raise your temperatures, which could be why my temps stayed up. Doesn't explain why they dropped today, though.

I've been yawning all day. I know that I sleep poorly when Eric isn't home, but this is ridiculous. Forseeing that I would have problems dropping off, I read to myself (Getting Near to Baby, by the way, a Newbery Honor Book for the year) until I could barely keep my eyes open. Then I drifted off into chaotic, war-filled dreams, tossing and turning and wrapping my sheets around my body until I could barely move. I remember the very end of my dream, wherein the Russian mafia was trying to fight the Chinese mafia, who retaliated by dropping lawyers out of helicopters. I woke up with a headache.

(No, the poor night's sleep wouldn't have given me the strange temp reading. If anything, it should have given me a higher temp than usual.)

I'm sure Eric slept like a hibernating bear last night. He loves staying in hotels, what with the polar air conditioners, the firm mattresses, the TV viewable from your pillow, and the room service. I've mentioned, I believe, that his senior year of college was spent living in a rented out, remodeled hotel room/efficiency, and I think those positive memories play a large part in his current enjoyment. He also loves sleeping alone when he gets the chance - sprawling out over the entire bed, rolling whichever way he sees fit.

I like to roll over and bump into Eric in my sleep. I like to feel somebody else's body warmth in the bed, and drape my legs over his. I like the sound of his apnea mask, and I like the way he "force cuddles" me should he awaken in the middle of the night.

Didn't get any of that last night. Got woken up by every strange noise and creak and guinea pig-related rustle. So I'm sleepy. Add to that a storytime this morning with mainly younger kids, for whom the rip-roaringly funny books go straight over their heads, so I have to stick to the dopey, cuddly ones about stuffed animals and babies which they adore but which put me to sleep. Add also the fact that these kids are too young for any complex finger plays and jumpy dances, so I missed out on my usual Wednesday morning exercise. Add finally the fact that we spent the rest of the morning cleaning our office to make room for a new desk, and you'll have some pretty good reasons why I should be yawning my head off at two in the afternoon.

Oh, and I miss caffeine. That's usually not a problem, but occasionally it creeps up on me. Right now I'm lusting after a nice, cold Diet Coke.

I heard an interesting tidbit about sleep. A doctor in England, whose name escapes me, is theorizing that some sleep problems can be attributed to nighttime mouth breathing. We get most of our nitrogen, of which a small bit is vitally important, from nose breathing; that's one reason why when we have colds and can't breathe through congested nasal passages, we wake up foggy-headed. Anyway, early childhood allergies, such as dairy, can make it uncomfortable for babies to breathe through their noses, and it can lead to all sorts of sleep problems, such as apnea, if left untreated. The allergy goes away, but the habit doesn't. See?

She's starting to get some press for her studies, so I'll be interested to hear other takes on the subject. I'll occasionally wake up breathing through my mouth, and the troubles I have getting my act together on those mornings certainly give me no reason to doubt the validity of her statements.

I've only got four kids signed up so far for my evening storytime session for two year-olds. I know I'm supposed to do bedtime stories and quieting things, but I wonder if I'd get any flack for trying funnier stories, if the kids are mature enough? I prefer sillier things for small groups; the kids get bored enough as it is when there's no group dynamic from which they can feed.