Can’t Nap While Baby Naps
Maybe this doesn’t apply to me since my son is 6 months old, but I could never abide by this rule 100% even when he was 6 weeks old. Let’s face it mom’s, when you get home from the hospital with a brand new baby, sure you’re tired. But your house is also filthy because your husband didn’t lift a single finger or dust bunny while you were resting in the hospital. I really only napped when my mom or mother-in-law made me; and I will agree that napping while your baby naps is the smartest thing to do. I would never have had any energy whatsoever in those first few days if I didn’t. But after the first month of maternity leave after giving birth to Aidan, I would count down the minutes to him falling asleep in my arms so I could rest him in the swing, pack n’ play or crib while I quietly cleaned the house or did a load of laundry.
These days, I leave the house every morning at 7:00am to be to work by 8:30am. If I get out of work on time (6:00pm) then I arrive back at home around 7:00pm. However, I have been working late the past few weeks so I am not getting home until 7:30pm or 7:45pm. Since Aidan starts his nighttime routine with his dinner @ 7:30pm, I rarely have time to play with the little guy before we are busily readying him for dinner-bath-bottle-bed.
I had the past week off from work between Christmas and New Year’s so my days have been spent primarily with the A-man (when not at the hair salon or massage haven). When Aidan has been going down for his late morning nap, I have been rushing to clean the house, do laundry, paint my nails, watch tivo–anything at all but sleep. And I am pretty honest when talking to my pregnant friends when I tell them that while everyone says you SHOULD nap while your baby naps, it will be hard to actually abide by that rule. Just because you SHOULD doesn’t mean you WILL.
Even now while Aidan snoozes, I was speedily tip-toe-ing around the house to get the laundry put away and the house picked up so that I could watch a movie on TV while eating a giant candy bar my wonderful husband bought me. Then I painted my toe-nails while sitting outside on my balcony, watching the sunset. And now I am squeezing in a few minutes to post on my blog because sadly, that’s one of the last things I find time to do. However, all of it (in my opinion) is of much higher value than an hour or two of sleep mid-day. And it’s moments like these where I have found time to get SO much done that when Aidan does finally stir and call out for me, I am ready to see his smile and watch him try to crawl. Nothing is weighing on my mind while we play with his toys and all of me is in the moment with my son.
