Thursday, May 8, 2008

Nap wars

Our nighttime sleeping issues are (thankfully!) mostly resolved. I think those crazy teeth have done all their deep moving around, which is supposed to be the most painful part of teething, and now we're just waiting for them to break through. Napping, though, remains a bit elusive. For the last week or so she wakes up after a mere 30 minutes and getting her back to sleep in the crib is near impossible. Enter my new best friend.... Ergo.

I took my Ergo (a fancy-schmanzy baby carrier that a fabulous friend bought for me) to Ethiopia and it proved invaluable during all the airport time on our trip home. Since then it has come in handy for those times when I need my hands free while also carrying her but since she has to face inward, Isa B doesn't really like to be in it unless we're out and about. My girl doesn't want to be tethered in if we're just hanging around. But, she LOVES to sleep in the thing. Heck, if I could get strapped onto someone's chest for a nap, I'd probably love it too. All cozy and warm with the comforting sound of a heartbeat....

So, I try to keep the Ergo handy at all times. I put her down for her nap in the crib and then whenever she happens to wake up I speedily throw the Ergo on, in goes Isa, and the nap continues. The other plus is that, unlike having her in my arms (also a favorite sleeping place) I can go about my day to a certain extent. This is also a savior when I have to go into the office to work. I try to time it around a nap so that I know I'll have at least 1 1/2 hours of uninterrupted, nap-in-the-Ergo time. The clicking of the keyboard and even the loud printer don't wake her up! I realize that the experts would consider this poor sleep training but unless the experts want to come hang out with my baby on less than an hour of napping, this is our new solution!

On the theme of sleep, sometimes morning in general is just too exhausting for her. Earlier this week she fell asleep in my arms a mere 2 hours after waking up. It was a brief nap but she looked so darn adorable.....

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh that photo is precious!!

Elsa naps EVERY morning 2 hours after getting up - it's pretty much the only time when I can bank on her sleeping. And the book I'm reading on sleep habits says that first morning nap is an important one for kids.

Like Isa B lately, Elsa is a total cat-napper. usually no more than 45 minutes for any nap. And she hates the Ergo, so I'm bummed to say that I can't steal your solution! :-(

veggiemom said...

And when she gets to big to sleep on your chest, she can sleep on your back. At 25 lbs, I can still very comfortably carry Ruby and it's the only place she'll sleep when were out and about.
Kerri and Ruby

Unknown said...

It is certainly the best investment we made in baby products! I can't wait to have Noah strapped to me!