Twenty-eight colds are in your future

Before I had my son, all my friends told me that I wouldn't sleep again for a long time. And I believed them. But that didn't mean that I was ready to experience the deep level of tiredness I did those first weeks of my son's life.

I also had people tell me how four-year-olds ask endless questions all day. Again, I believed them, but it still didn't prepare me for what that actually was like when my son's curiosity started to blossom.

Since I don't think anything could have accurately prepared me for what parenthood felt like, I am not sure if looking at parenthood data before I had my son would have mattered. But for people who are expecting and like specifics, you should know: One study of UK parents shows that Moms and Dads experience 728 sleepless nights before their child turns four.

Wait a minute...that's a lot of nights. I definitely would not have wanted to know that specific number.

But for number-minded people, it may be helpful to know that there are more than a thousand tantrums or 192 phone interruptions or 28 colds in their future. But, on the brighter side, there are more than 14 hundred kisses and tons of "I love yous" and plenty of moments where your child will make you bust out laughing.

Side note: You may be more susceptible to laughing when you are tired.

I would not have wanted to know all those numbers before I had my son, because I like to focus on the individual times with him: The first times that he told me he loved me are important; the times that he woke me up in the middle of the night because of bad dreams were not.

I'd rather keep my thoughts on the last best moment and the next great moment to come. Not the overall totals.

Do you ever wonder how many sleepless nights you had with your child? Tell me in the comments.