Nap Wars and the B.O.B.

Keith summed it up yesterday, saying: "I think it's an understatement to say that your daughter is a terrible napper." Yup. None of those nice 2 to 3 hour naps that you hear about for us. A few days earlier this week, we got an hour to 1.5 hours from Sam during her morning nap, but the past two days, when she's been at work with me and even an hour nap would be appreciated, she has been a terror and has refused to nap. Yesterday I got one 40 minute nap out of her. Today, she was up for over 4 hours before I finally got her to go down for a 30 minute nap. And this was after 2 failed attempts with one attempt involving not only her screaming bloody murder, but me trying all means necessary, including the pacifier, putting her down unswaddled, and her falling asleep numerous time in my arms only to wake up the second her head hit the sheet.

It is a wonderful thing that she can come up to work with me 2 to 3 days a week at this time of year. It means we didn't have to start her in daycare, saving us money and saving her from getting lots and lots of winter colds this year. She gets to be with us all the time, we aren't missing any of her developmental changes, and I can nurse her easily. It is a blessing. But on days like today, having her with me at times makes me want to scream and pull my hair out. I didn't get any work done. I also felt badly that she wasn't home, where she might actually have been able to sleep longer (or heaven forbid, more often!). Luckily, I have an understanding boss and it is quiet up at the gallery at this time of year. This meant that today, with Sam obviously unhappy and way overtired, I was able to leave at 3:45. On my way home, with the sun high in the sky and the thermometer in the car reading 40 degrees, and me feeling super frustrated, I thought this might be a good day for all three of us to get out for a run. I knew I sure could use a little exercise to clear my head! Ryan was game, so when I got home, I quickly changed clothes, we bundled Sam up and off we went.


All bundled up and ready to roll!

We decided to do two loops on the high school road, netting us 3.1 miles. I am not sure exactly what Sam thought of her run in the B.O.B., with the world zooming by and Ryan making funny faces at her the whole way. She had that wide-eyed look that is somewhere between confusion and amazement. But she sure looked cute in the hat Shannon knit for her, and she didn't cry, so I'll call it a success. Which is a good thing because she is likely going to be spending lots of time in good 'ol B.O.B. once the days get longer and warmer!