Nap Prisoner

Dear Connor,

I was able to sleep train you so that you can now fall asleep by yourself at night but I still cannot get you to take naps on your own. You have so much to do, so much to see, so many toys to play with! You just cannot be bothered with naps so when it's time for one, you fight it. I lay you down in your crib, you pop right up, I lay you down, you pop back up, lather, rinse, repeat. If I just leave you in your room, you scream and cry for the entire hour or so that you should be napping. The only way I can get you to take a nap is to lay down on the couch with you and wrap my arms around you. You eventually fall asleep and then I can get up off the couch. 

Except that sometimes, I can't get up off the couch. As soon as I move my arms, you stir and grab them in your half-conscious state. So I lay back down, put my arms back around you and wait until you drift off again. But when I attempt to get up a second time, you immediately sense it (what are you, a ninja??) and reach for me. If your flailing hands don't make contact with my arms, you wake up and start crying. There are times when I spend a good half of an hour trying to slip off of the couch without waking you up. Sometimes I am successful. Sometimes I have to lay down and hold you for your entire 1- to 2-hour nap. When it's the latter, I usually get annoyed. I have laundry to fold! Emails to write! Lunch to eat! But you know what? There are worse things in life than having to hold you for a few hours, feel your sweet breath on my skin and watch your eyelids flutter while you dream.

Love,

Mom