Why I'm Anal About Naptime

Yesterday I was painfully reminded of why I never go anywhere close to nap time. Rory recently transitioned to one nap a day, which means she sleeps from about 1230-200 on most afternoons. This makes planning our morning outings much easier, but also kind of tricky. If we happen to be driving anywhere after 11:30, it's pretty much a sure thing that she'll fall asleep in the car, and I've never been good at the car-crib transfer. 

It's our fault that Rory only naps well in her crib. At around 4 months it became apparent that she was out of the infant "I can sleep anywhere" phase. Sounds she used to be able to sleep through, like Marli barking or the washing machine running, began to wake her up. So, we started "sleep training", and she quickly became accustomed to a dark, quiet room, so now it's difficult for her to fall and stay asleep anywhere but her crib.

But yesterday I was feeling brave and decided to go to Costco after meeting a friend for coffee. Sure enough, Rory fell asleep on the way. Luckily she's still small enough to be in the infant carseat, so I was able to just put her into the shopping cart asleep, and I thought I was going to make it out of the store with a sleeping baby, but she woke up as soon as I started piling my things onto the conveyor belt. I tried putting her down again once we got home, but she was convinced that a 43 minute nap was all she needed for the day....which brings me to my point. (Finally.)

Forty-three minutes. From 6:30 am yesterday morning to 7:30 pm last night, I got exactly 43 minutes of peace and quiet. (Although dodging other carts in Costco while trying not to wake a sleeping baby is really anything but relaxing.) Forty-three minutes in thirteen hours. A mere three quarters of an hour that I didn't have to sing "The Wheels on the Bus", or pretend to be fascinated by yet another dead leaf, or calm a screaming toddler who is convinced I am hiding bananas in the pantry when really she ate the last one for breakfast.

And yes, I realize that these things are all in my job description as a stay-at-home-mom, and yes, I realize how fortunate I am to stay home with my daughter, but I want you to think for a minute about people who go to work in offices everyday. I believe an hour for a lunch break is standard. Well, that's 17 more minutes than I got yesterday. And then there's the commute to work. Assuming it's child free, do you know how much I would love a 30 minute solo commute to work everyday? That would mean 60 whole minutes of listening to whatever radio station I wanted. One hour I wouldn't have to hear Rory scream "Mama!" over and over again just for fun. I would give my right arm for one hour of mindless driving everyday. To better help those of you who are not mothers understand my point, imagine that your lunch break was suddenly taken away. Or better yet, imagine that you still had a lunch break, but you had to eat in a preschool classroom next to a child who wants to try everything you're eating, and then promptly spits it out. Back onto your plate. That's what it's like to be a SAHM with a kid who misses her nap.

Instead of a lunch break or a commute, moms get nap time. I believe that I speak for all moms when I say that we live and breath for nap time. Nap time is sacred. It is often the only break we get all day. It is when I check my email, browse Pinterest, eat lunch, do laundry, or watch crappy daytime TV. It is when I schedule doctor's appointments, clean the bathroom, and pay pills. Without nap time, my house would be disgusting, no one would have anything to wear, and I wouldn't know what Mila and Ashton named their baby.

So, please don't look at me like I'm a lunatic when I tell you that we can't meet you for lunch at noon because of Rory's nap schedule. And don't make me feel crazy for putting a sign on my door asking people not to ring the doorbell. Unless, of course, you want to come to my house and spend time with my daughter on a day when she has missed her nap. Once you're here, I'll be sure to take my hour lunch break.