Thursday, January 15, 2009

What fresh hell is this...

Baby boy is refusing his second nap. For the past two days, nap time has gone something like this:

2:15 pm: Dim room, close blinds, remove toys/cats/reeking diaper pail. Give boy 15 minutes of "baby time" to send signal that nap is forthcoming.

2:15: Check email. Ignore squeals of excitement over baby monitor at ability to drop cherished blankie onto bedroom floor.

2:16: Check email. Ignore squeals of fury over baby monitor at inability to reach cherished blankie on bedroom floor.

2:18: Retrieve cherished blankie. Return to email.

2:19: Retrieve cherished blankie. Return to email.

2:20: Retrieve cherished blankie. Give up on email.

2:30: Remove child from crib. Begin bedtime routine: 2 books, white noise, rocking and humming.

2:32: Baby begins pumping legs, causing chair to rock faster. Gleeful giggling at newfound skill.

2:32: Baby moved to less pump-friendly position.

2:35: Baby begins rubbing eyes and yawning. Mother feels glint of hope.

2:36: Baby begins cycle of intentional awakedness: arching back, kicking legs, nonsensical noises, excessive hair pulling.

2:37: Mother ignores baby. Hums and rocks.

2:45: Mother ignores baby. Hums and rocks.

2:50: Mother ignores baby. Hums and rocks.

2:51: Mother is done. Tosses baby into crib.

2:52: Mother eats brownie.

3:00: Mother retrieves angry baby; commences humming and rocking.

3:05: Baby's eyes begin to droop.

3:10: Baby settles into comfortable position. Pronounces position "Goob!"

3:15: Baby asleep.

Okay, the hair pulling? Not my favorite. I keep trying to explain that ripping fistfuls of my hair out is not, not, not relaxing but he's not buying it. (I try to pin his arms down but Little Dude's slippery like an eel.) Frankly, I can't figure out what the balking's about. He's tired, the eyes are pink, the yawns are happening... Maybe this is part of the 13 month sleep regression (every month we have to go through this?) but I'd like a little more snoozing and a little less maiming, if you don't mind.

4 comments:

Missy said...

Hair pulling by baby is what led me down the road to having short hair.

Ali said...

Alas, we've all seen me with short hair...

Anonymous said...

Dare I suggest that little man might be weaning himself down to one nap?

EBPitcher said...

I know this may not be practical for all circumstances, but I'm one of those Mommies that just let's them cry. Unless something is really wrong that I can fix, mine is usually out in less than 10 minutes after he starts crying. But he is used to this protocol and my nearest neighbor is not just on the other side of the wall! We just decided early on that he would have to figure it out on his own. And he has, thankfully. Unless he's regressing, and we have to reteach...you know the drill.

As for the hair pulling - we haven't gotten there (yet), but we have seen some rough patting on the face. He hasn't decided that he wants to show us that he knows what "gentle" means yet, however.

I'm not looking forward to the day he decides he only wants ONE nap! That will definitely cut into my computer time!

And I'll share some good news here - the boy decided he'd take his first steps today - his 11 month BD! Cool, huh? See pics at pitchersprogess.blogspot.com (um...don't know how to make that a link - sorry)!
-EBP-