Making the Most of Baby’s Nap Time

Nap Time! O that sweet moment you back out of the door and your baby closes their eyes and drifts away into dream land…YOU DID IT! Baby is resting and now you get to decide how to make the most of their nap. Are you going to clean, shower; call that friend you haven’t talked to in a month? As a first time mom I had been told by people that when your baby sleeps, you sleep! Hah! Yea right I thought. I’m not a “napping” kind of person. That was until my little melon arrived. I had no idea the amount of naps I would need to keep up with my new life as a mom.

In the beginning, I struggled to get restful naps. Sometimes I caught myself walking in circles for several minutes just deciding what to tackle first. Despite how tired I was at times, those dishes danced around in my head along with thoughts of what if he doesn’t sleep long? One of the hardest things is learning you can’t do it all, especially if you were like me, a busy body, always on the go. As soon as you accept that you can’t do it all or even half of it alone, the sooner you will feel better.

I’ll admit after giving up coffee during my pregnancy, treating myself to the occasional cup turned me into super women. I wore a cape for a full 1-2 hours flying around the house cleaning, cooking, and finishing projects before I felt zapped again. Sprawled out on the couch in defeat, I suddenly realized I would not in fact be that mom in the commercials twirling around looking flawless wearing heals made for the red carpet while vacuuming. Instead I needed to accept that if I did manage to do any cleaning, I would be vacuuming wearing a $5 Wal-Mart tank filled with spit up and my child strapped to my chest with no pants (because I just don’t feel like pants that day), dirty feet, and hair that so desperately needed to be washed. Yep this was my new reality.

Maintaining a home can be a daunting task when caring for your melons. It’s ok that you can’t clean while looking hot. Seriously who does that?

If somebody offers their help, no matter how small or big, say yes! I wish I would have said yes to those offers more. If you are fortunate enough to live by family, take advantage! If you don’t feel comfortable asking them to wash your dishes, ask them to hold your baby while you do the cleaning or take a nap. I’m sure they would love to spend the time with your little melon.

Being a mother is beautiful in its self. Just take a deep breath and remind yourself that these sweet little fingers and toes won’t stay little for long and being able to hold them to your heart’s desire doesn’t last forever either. Looking the part is not nearly as rewarding as playing it.