My favorite nap is always the one I’m about to take – especially this year following the birth of my daughter Senita.
I’ve taken a lot of naps this year. It’s definitely the year I’ve napped the most since kindergarten, or maybe freshman year of college.
I’m not sure that a single period of sleep from the first month of Senita’s life was long enough to be considered anything but a nap.
I’ve always been a napper but prior to Senita’s birth I called it “watching the news.” As soon as my wife came home I’d sit upright on the couch and with bleary eyes and a pillow imprint on one side of my face swear I’d merely been watching the news.
Nobody judges babies or the elderly for napping but wedding-planning brides definitely judge their napping fiances. This year I was pleased to find this sweet spot in the middle of my life where naps are socially acceptable again.
Everyone said when we brought the baby home to, “sleep when the baby sleeps,” and just like that decades of nap shaming melted away.
Although, “sleep when the baby sleeps” is a stupid expression people mindlessly repeat just because they’ve heard it so many times themselves.
Obviously, I’ll sleep when the baby sleeps; anything else would be negligent.
Here’s a response you’ll never hear to “Hey honey, where’s the baby?”: “Oh she’s in the bathtub splashing around. I figured she could chill in there while I take a quick nap.”
It goes without saying that parents sleep when the baby sleeps, but for us stay-at-home parents, a baby’s naps are vital for more than just our own rest, they’re vital for our sanity.
I’m more thankful for the naps Senita’s taken this year than I am for the ones I’ve taken.
Without her naps I’d never shower and only rarely eat. Her naps are my times of solace. This sentence was written during one of her naps.
They afford me great stretches of silence, allowing me to familiarize myself with the clankings and hums of our house.
It’s said a newborn baby can recognize it’s mother’s voice from across the room, but it’s also true that a stay-at-home parent can recognize their hot-water-heater from across the house.
It’s also nice when she naps out on the road, providing me an opportunity to interact with the world without interrupting every thirty seconds to say, “don’t put that in your mouth.”
Some people can’t nap in public, but that’s not a problem for either of us. Traveling naps are some of my favorite. I love nodding off in a car or a plane and being surprised by how much time and distance have passed.
Senita takes this to a whole new level. She’s napped this year in some pretty interesting spots beyond the typical cars and cribs.
She slept through an entire family party celebrating a nephew’s first communion and through a July Fourth party on her raft while floating in a pool.
She frequently naps in walks around the neighborhood and has taken isolated naps in magical places like Disney World and Niagara Falls. How special it is to nap beside a natural wonder of the world.
This is a family trait passed down through the generations. My father is famous for having napped through an attack on his military outpost in Vietnam and I once napped through a work-bonding day where we were forced to watch a 3D movie of The Hobbit.
Perhaps my favorite napping day is Thanksgiving, which provides some prime opportunities like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the period between dinner and pie, and sitting in the car while your wife runs into one last store to check on their Black Friday deals.
If you’re looking for me this Thursday after the wishbone’s been snapped and the pie’s been served you’ll probably find me on the couch with my head down and my eyes closed still giving thanks.
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