Second Verse, Same as the First

Filed under: Maya, Things to Remember, Sleep
Friday, August 12, 2005 —

12:30. No nap yet. She came soooooo close, but fought it with all her will. Fine, lunchtime. Can you see where this is going?

Again, Maya fell asleep with her head on the highchair tray. Providence gave me an opportunity to snap the photo I missed yesterday. I turned on the camera, and Maya instantly woke up. Of course. I removed the highchair tray and set it aside, then put Maya in the swing for a nap.

She SCREAMED with all her strength, squealing even (that high-pitched screech that can shatter glass) insisting that she is NOT. TIRED. The squealing stopped, and this is what I saw:

As soon as I tried to move her head onto the back of the chair, she woke. Again. Guess it’s time to sell the swing and move naps to the crib permanently. As soon as her head touched the crib sheet, the insistent screaming began again:

NO, I’M NOT SLEEPY!
YOU CAN’T MAKE ME NAP!

After a few moments of this screechiness, silence reigned supreme in the household.

Don’t argue with mama, little one. Mama *will* win. It might take DAYS for her to do it, but she WILL win.

7 Comments

Comment by Layla

August 12, 2005 @ 8:29 pm

Ohhhh, the memories. How does she do with going to sleep at night? I remember my son screaming and all my friends said “you have to let him scream”. I tried letting him scream one time and ended up sitting outside his bedroom on the floor crying.

Good luck with naptime!

Comment by Alli

August 12, 2005 @ 8:54 pm

I wish I could claim that she drifts off to sleep happily babbling, but I can’t. Maya is not a fan of going to sleep in general, whether it’s for naps or for the night — as if she fears she’ll miss something! I try to get her to sleep gently, but there are evenings when the only way she’ll hit the sack is if I let her cry. As you know, it’s heartbreaking.

Once she’s down, it’s not so bad, and she usually ends up in my bed 1/2 way through the night. There’s nothing like waking up to a little face burrowing her head onto your shoulder, smiling, and saying “hiiiiii” or “mamamamamamamama.”

Comment by ninjanun

August 15, 2005 @ 10:26 am

What a little ragdoll! It makes me wonder if she’ll turn into one of those teenagers who sleeps all weekend, making up for all those lost naps when she was a baby.

Comment by Amanda

August 15, 2005 @ 5:39 pm

I LOVE your site. It’s good to see what I’ll be getting myself into with this whole “new parent” business!

Comment by Margi

August 16, 2005 @ 1:17 am

Just do what I do/did:

Comfort yourself with the following sentence:

“I’m quite sure she will ____ before she leaves for college.”

You can fill in the blank with “sleep through the night,” or “in her own bed,” “brush her teeth,” “be out of diapers,” Oh, the list is endless!

:)

Comment by Kate

August 19, 2005 @ 6:32 pm

Good advice Margi :) Naptime doesn’t always go over well at my house either. She usually ends up passed out on the couch or in my arms. What is it about a soft comfy bed that kids don’t like?

Comment by Alison

August 22, 2005 @ 11:17 am

Cute…G has yet to fall asleep while eating, playing, etc but he too *has* to cry before falling asleep (at night)….I just check the time and tell myself “in x minutes, if he’s still crying (screaming) I’ll go in…” and then usually he’s out. Just this weekend, we have officially shifted to the crib for naps (vs our bed)– the bed is just SO easy… my theory is he doesn’t nap as long in the crib…but I *guess* a short nap is better than falling off the bed and causing brain damage ?!?

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