To nap or not to nap...
There has been an interesting wrinkle in the nap-time continuum that has been the norm for the past eight or so months. Every day it was the same thing: Henry wakes up, eats and plays, naps for a couple of hours, eats and plays, naps for a couple of hours, eats and plays, then goes to bed for the night. Speaking as an entirely worn out mom, I really like the two naps a day. Generally I do something productive during the first nap, and then during the second I either also take a nap or I just sit and think about what my life used to be like before Henry came along, the good ole days of drinking and recreational drug use, clubbing night after night, sleeping around. You know. The fun stuff. But I digress.
For the past week Henry has taken his pre-morning-nap bottle, has been laid down ever so gently and lovingly into his crib, given his binky/sleepytime hat/blanket/frog, smooched on the nose, then left alone to drift away into the land of nod where he could dream about whatever it is babies dream about. Giant cheerios? Orchards filled with trees that grow milk-filled bottles, ripe and ready for plucking? Doggies? I have often closed the door to his room thinking how nice it would be if somebody gave me a snack and then made me go to bed. My kid apparently has been thinking otherwise. All will be quiet for a few minutes, then come the first peeps of discontent. It's a loop that goes on in no certain order. Sometimes he talks to himself. Sometimes he cries in protest. Other times he just fusses. Could this possibly be the end of the two naps a day stage?
Two months ago I pulled out my old friend "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby" and read up on what we could expect with a one-year old. That's when I read something that chilled me to the very core of my being. I can't recall the exact numbers but it basically went like this: 90% of 12 month old kids take two naps a day, that percentage dropping to 50% a few months later. Since then it has been my mission to make sure that Henry keeps his two naps for as long as possible. So! I'm coming up with excuses reasons as to why Henry would be fussing during his morning nap. I can only come up with four:
1. He's been sick for the last week. Maybe his stuffed up nose is making it uncomfortable for him to snooze.
2. We've been leading semi-hectic schedules the last two weekends and maybe the disruptions to his schedule wreaked temporary but semi-long-lasting havoc.
3. Both 1 and 2.
4. He's ready to move to one nap a day.
*sob*