He’s begun his sleepy wiggle, the “noodle dance” that makes him seem utterly boneless as he twists and turns in his car seat. I employ my best tactics to coax him to sleep, but he always seems to outsmart me. Deciding to take a trip to the store, I know that the car ride home will likely lull him to sleep. My strategy works, and I carefully unbuckle him from his seat, tiptoeing toward the front door. Just as I think I’m in the clear, our neighbor pulls up and rolls down his window.
I turn the car seat so he can see my peacefully sleeping baby and wave enthusiastically.
“He’s asleep, huh?!” my neighbor exclaims.
And just like that, my baby stirs awake. “Oh look! He’s up!” my neighbor cheerfully announces. Do you want to chat for ten minutes now? Because I really don’t.
Once my neighbor leaves, I see my baby’s eyelids starting to droop once more. Yes! I quietly insert the keys into the lock, slowly open the door, and—creeeak! He stirs, yet his eyes remain closed. I mentally note that I need to get some WD-40 for that door.
Oh no. I forgot to let the dogs outside before I left. Suddenly, the furry rascals come barreling into the living room, barking at the top of their lungs.
I attempt to hush them, explaining that the baby is trying to sleep, but they respond with a howling chorus of “we don’t care!”
Now wide awake, my son watches the chaos unfold. Acting quickly, I scoop him out of the car seat and usher the dogs outside. Nestled against my shoulder, he begins to drift off again as I rock him gently.
But then, a loud knock at the door jolts him awake. I angrily swing the creaky door open, only to find the UPS driver already retreating to his truck. My package didn’t require a signature, but he decided to ding-dong ditch anyway.
Realizing my usual tricks won’t cut it, I plop down on the couch to breastfeed him. After a solid ten minutes of nursing, he is back in dreamland. I kick my feet up, lean my head back, and close my eyes. Maybe I’ll sneak in a nap too; I could certainly use it.
As I begin to relax, letting the pressures of the day fade away, we both jump at a terrifying sound outside. It’s not an intruder but rather the gardeners at work.
My son looks up at me with a mischievous grin, weighing his options for sleep. With a definitive thumbs down, he decides his brief ten-minute nap has given him enough energy to fuel an army, dashing any hopes of daytime sleep for me.
I sigh internally, pour myself an iced coffee, and regain my composure. Naps are overrated anyway; there’s always tomorrow to try again.
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In summary, the journey of trying to get a baby to nap can be full of unexpected interruptions and chaos. Despite the challenges, it’s all part of the adventure in parenting.