To sleep, per chance to dream...

Yesterday morning my husband asked me "What kind of wierd dreams did you have last night?" Thinking I must have said something strange in my sleep I asked "None really, why?". His reply? "Nobody else I know has stranger nights. You always have entertaining dreams."

Once I again I was faced with the realization that I am not normal. Apparently we all dream but you would be hard pressed to find someone who has as frequent, unforgetable, or freaky dreams as myself. Generally I wake up and walk through my day without thinking much about my night, but then comments like my husband remind me that I am indeed a dreamer. My nights are filled with nasty nightmares, amazing (often unbelievable) adventures, and even (embaressinlgy enough) strange sex scenarios. Sometimes my dreams are sweet and happy but for the most part they are basically bizarre. Maybe this is why I hate mornings.

Later on in the day I was reading a book in which a woman suffered from insomnia and therefore was unable to process the problems and emotions of her every day life. Thus, she lost her mind. Apparently dreaming is the way in which our mind untangles the tragedies, twists, turns, and terrific things that happen in our days. The ones we either don't have time to, or aren't emotionally able to process while we're awake.

All this got me thinking about being pregnant. Many of my mommy friends are currently pregnant and so this post is for you. Although I have always had interesting dreams I have never dreamed more dramatically than during my pregnancy. Since being the member of the bloated belly club I have learned that not only are those dreams a way of processing the pregnancy and all those hormones and happenings, but apparently they can also tell the future.

Let me explain. Even before I had a bump my husband was convinced we were having a boy. In fact most people who bothered to guess decided we would have a little guy. But ever a surprise, our gorgeous girl arrived instead and she is completely a little lady. Now here is the strange thing. In all my dreams from the moment of gestation my baby was a girl. And although in his awake state my husband said we were having a boy, he also dreamed about our daughter. Later I learned that you will usually dream accurately about the sex of your baby.

My dreams also declared that my daughter would arrive early but be fine. Which she did and she was. Now of course my dreams predicted other things that, thankfully, have not happened as well. For instance, I dreamed my daughter was doll (which she is :o)) but also that her head fell off (which although I often feel I am losing MY head, her's thankfully hasn't). My husband dreamed that our lawn got so overgrown we were all practically lost in it (which sometimes isn't far from the truth) and then that while he was mowing with a machete a giant anaconda came and ate myself and my daughter. Hopefuly this one won't happen but just in case I'll stay away from snakes! ;o)

Now I don't stake a lot of stock in the predicitions of mine (or anyone's) sleeping state. But perhaps there is something to the accuracy of predictions on occasion, especially in pregnancy. The only problem is, how do you know what's going to be real and what's really just your emotions sorting out some complex feelings or fears? And for that matter how do you know what's just plain nonsense? I wish I knew more about analyzing those thought patterns, especially the ones in pregnancy, but I suppose for now I'll just keep dreaming. And although I won't put much money on my night time musings, it is fun to take a guess at their truth. So until next time...sweet dreams!

P.S. A picture of the people in MY sweetest dreams!