Evie has decided it is time to drop down to one nap. Sh*t. I really love my daughter. I can't imagine it would be possible to love her anymore -- my heart would explode. But, I also fully appreciate her naps. As any stay-at-home-mom knows, nap times are like breaths; you completely take them for granted unless they aren't happening. I've written before about Evie's lack of desire to sleep. And so it continues. The "average" baby drops to one nap around eighteen months. Evie is not yet fifteen months. And for the last week she has taken her morning nap and refused the afternoon nap. Really, this has been happening on and off for a few months, but I've been forcing two naps as long as I possibly could. After all, the morning nap was my opportunity to shower and maybe have a moment to myself, and the afternoon nap the opportunity to clean up the tornado that our condo turns into each day, and to prep dinner. I'm so not ready to give those two precious hours up!
Anyway, today was father's day. It was a gorgeous day, and we took full advantage. We started it off like any other, taking Evie to the gym day care and working out a bit, then coming home and putting her down for a nap while we got ready for our Sunday. I packed a picnic lunch and when she awoke we made our way down to Oz Park. Evie put on such a great show for all the park bound onlookers, appearing to be the most angelic little girl. She was decked out in an adorable ensemble from her Nana and she wandered around the park with her chicken salad filled pita and zip lock baggie full of grapes. She stopped to pet dogs, smell flowers, wave hello to other babies, and show off a new ability to climb a ladder on the playground. It ended up becoming a hot day, and by the time we headed home she seemed absolutely exhausted. We all were, really, so we put her in her crib for nap two and decided to rest ourselves.
An hour later none of us had slept. Instead, Will and I listened as Evie chortled, cooed, and whined. It's possible she made up at least three songs in the hour we left her to attempt sleep. As the hour neared it's end, I turned to Will and said "well, I'm assuming she must've pooed". In the past, when Evie doesn't take a nap it has typically been because she has done a number two. She refuses to sleep with that in her diaper. I can't say I blame her. But, having learned the hard way that if I enter her bedroom after she's in her crib that things only get worse, I decided not to risk interfering with the nap process in order to change a potentially dirty diaper. I mean, she seemed exhausted, and was bound to fall asleep at some point. No such luck. When we went to get her after her failed nap, we were both surprised to find that her diaper was all clear. She was just going completely bonkers, practicing making all sorts of noises and rolling all around her crib. I suppose it isn't all that surprising considering she hasn't taken her afternoon nap in the past week. Perhaps it is time to move out of denial and embrace the fact that our little girl is growing up and has moved beyond the need for two naps. Now if I can only figure out how to move beyond my need for her to take those naps!
Anyway, today was father's day. It was a gorgeous day, and we took full advantage. We started it off like any other, taking Evie to the gym day care and working out a bit, then coming home and putting her down for a nap while we got ready for our Sunday. I packed a picnic lunch and when she awoke we made our way down to Oz Park. Evie put on such a great show for all the park bound onlookers, appearing to be the most angelic little girl. She was decked out in an adorable ensemble from her Nana and she wandered around the park with her chicken salad filled pita and zip lock baggie full of grapes. She stopped to pet dogs, smell flowers, wave hello to other babies, and show off a new ability to climb a ladder on the playground. It ended up becoming a hot day, and by the time we headed home she seemed absolutely exhausted. We all were, really, so we put her in her crib for nap two and decided to rest ourselves.
An hour later none of us had slept. Instead, Will and I listened as Evie chortled, cooed, and whined. It's possible she made up at least three songs in the hour we left her to attempt sleep. As the hour neared it's end, I turned to Will and said "well, I'm assuming she must've pooed". In the past, when Evie doesn't take a nap it has typically been because she has done a number two. She refuses to sleep with that in her diaper. I can't say I blame her. But, having learned the hard way that if I enter her bedroom after she's in her crib that things only get worse, I decided not to risk interfering with the nap process in order to change a potentially dirty diaper. I mean, she seemed exhausted, and was bound to fall asleep at some point. No such luck. When we went to get her after her failed nap, we were both surprised to find that her diaper was all clear. She was just going completely bonkers, practicing making all sorts of noises and rolling all around her crib. I suppose it isn't all that surprising considering she hasn't taken her afternoon nap in the past week. Perhaps it is time to move out of denial and embrace the fact that our little girl is growing up and has moved beyond the need for two naps. Now if I can only figure out how to move beyond my need for her to take those naps!
Don't forget the stay-at-home-dads; without naps cabinet doors would never get built!
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