Will She Ever Have A Nap?!

A rare neurological disorder means my daughter barely sleeps.

- Jenny Stallard

By Robin Audette, 35, from Renfrew, Ontario, Canada

Every new mum wants her littl’un to sleep. And smile between bouts of crying, of course.

But my little girl Ever, 3, doesn’t conform on either front.

She barely sleeps a wink, and smiles from morning till night!

Ever arrived on 28 September 2013, weighing 6lb 10oz.

My husband Kirk Hisko, 40, and I were smitten.

We’d been teenage sweethearts, sharing a first kiss in high school, meeting up again in early 2008. I was at university, Kirk was working.

Soon, we settled back in our hometown of Renfrew, an hour’s drive from Ottawa.

We married in August 2012, moved into a house just seven doors up the road from my mum Karen, 61, and dad Odi, 69, and started planning our family.

Kirk and I both worked at Dad’s restaurant – it was a real family affair.

Planning names after I fell pregnant in February 2013, I’d heard of ‘Ever’ a long time before.

‘This is the name I’d love!’ I told Kirk, hoping he’d be on board with it. 

‘It’s gorgeous,’ he smiled. 

He even teased people. ‘

You’ll never, ever guess the baby’s name!’ he’d joke.

I’d worked right up to my due date, and was only in labour for a few hours.

After staying overnight in hospital, the only issue was that I couldn’t feed her.

My milk hadn’t come in, so we used formula. 

Only… 

‘Ever won’t stop crying,’ I told Mum when she came over one night.

Rocking her new granddaughter in her arms, Mum tried to settle and soothe her.