Thursday, July 7, 2011

If the baby is sleeping...

When you're the parent of a baby or toddler, sleep is paramount. You need it, yet these small creatures that you love seem determined to wrest it from you. I seem to remember someone telling me once that in a national survey of women, more than *anything*, such as romance, a money tree, yachts, expensive and extravagant vacations, world domination...the thing women wanted the most, more than anything else, was more sleep.

And when the baby is actually sleeping, you will do anything to keep them in that state. At night, there's not much you can do except swaddle them, nurse them, comfort them, and pray. But during the day, I try my darndest to, well, control the behavior of those around me. Numerous things thwart me in this endeavor.

Offender #1 = my son. I think this is a universal kid characteristic: lack of understanding of personal space.

"Honey, don't touch the baby when she's sleeping!"

"Honey, don't be right in her face!"

"Honey, the baby is sleeping, don't blow on her!"

Offender #2 = all people who ring my doorbell when the baby is napping.

If Anne is napping, NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO BREATHE. Let alone RING MY DOORBELL. Yes, that means you, Mr. UPS Guy. Friendly neighbor, perhaps. All of you must secretly hate me.

Although, I plead guilty. When the baby is napping, I'm probably not sleeping. I'm likely to be frantically doing laundry, showering, mopping the kitchen floor, or trying to get in a few decadent minutes of knitting. But I need to do those things too. :)

At any rate, we do what we can. We're still at that newborn point where Anne would rather die than nap in her bassinette or crib. Heaven forbid. It's like she has a radar if you set her down in there during the day. Thus, she naps in her swing, bouncy seat, or in our arms. Hence, being more susceptible to the offences mentioned above.

Alas.

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