Nap time! (Photo Blog)

Ahhhh... Sweet, sweet relaxation!











(PS: Thanks for the awesome swing/rocker Auntie and Uncle GM! Still works like a charm at putting Monster to sleep for a nap!)

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Infant Naps...

... Or lack there of!

Every parent knows one of the bright shiny parts of their day is infant nap time!

Don't get me wrong, becoming a mother was the best decision I ever made and each day with my Monster makes me love him more and more. Having said that, when Monster sleeps, I can get chores done and have "mommy time".

That means, for the last two weeks I've spent little time actually doing chores. Monster has decided he only needs a couple 5-20 minute naps a day. This wouldn't be too much of a stake in my house hold chore list except that while Monster is sleeping so is Hubbs.

Right now Monster's day looks something like this:

5-7am : Wakes up, eats bottle and falls asleep next to me in bed
8-10am : Wakes up for the day
7-9pm : Bedtime Routine
(With 1 or 2 very short naps in between)

I'm torn about whether I should feel lucky or not. Having a great sleeper during the night and a messy house, or a good napper and a cleaner house? How do you, as a parent make sure everything gets done? Especially if you're a working parent?

In the end, this dilemma is irrelevant because everything will change again soon. As infant milestones are reached and surpassed, so are infant routines.


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Contemplating Baby Care Guidelines

Part of being a parent is providing for your infant (or child) just what they need when they need it, whether they're able to tell you or not. I pride myself on my ability to read my child and to organize his day in such a way that he wont have to scream at the top of his lungs to tell me I'm a half an hour late in feeding him, or he's ready for his nap.

The real challenge comes in when you decide to give the responsibility of following the routine to another care giver. I'm contemplating a time in the near future when I will sadly have to return to work. Of course I plan on (unwillingly) going back to work, because we live in a two income society. I have people by the arm fulls willing to watch over my Monster for me, and are fighting tooth and nail with each other (and me) to do so.

Of course, ideally, I'd love to be able to afford only working Saturdays and Sundays so Monster's primary care givers will always be my Hubbs or I. That just doesn't seem like an achievable goal. Picking a secondary care giver, out of my armful of volunteers is my next mountain to climb.

The criteria of course would have to include someone who can follow a routine, and listen to instructions about sleep, and nutrition from my Hubbs or I. It will be hard enough dealing with the mommy guilt associated with returning to work, I would love to not need to worry about the care my Monster is receiving while I am away at work.