One nap, two naps, no naps… OOPS!
It’s great to be able to say that Jackson is eating well. That should definitely be noted, because he is; he’s eating like a champ. Not putting any weight on (because he’s too much of a busy-body) but eating very well, nonetheless.
To reference the superb children’s author, Sandra Boynton, I title this post “one nap, two naps, no naps… OOPS,” honoring her brilliant, Blue Hat, Green Hat, because her book(s) are that good.
I digress… Jackson’s naps suck. I don’t know if there’s some sort of anti-napping-growth-spurt that babies hit right before they turn 1, but if there is, Jackson’s hit that. If that doesn’t exist, then I throw my hands in the air because I don’t know why the hell my kid won’t nap. He’s wears himself out, that’s for sure. He “should” (ugh, that word again) be sleepy and nap… but he doesn’t.
So, I decided to consult others on the topic of naps, or not napping, rather.
“When do your girls nap?” I ask my french press coffee friend, amongst other parents who have bright-eyed, non-exhausted little one(s) running about on the playground.
And most people have a definitive answer to this question… they have some sort of schedule/routine/something that they go by. I don’t. Jackson is 11 months old, and I have no routine. Never did. Never will (?)
I remember my friend Sarah telling me, when she had her (now 3 year old) daughter, Lily, that if she didn’t establish a routine, she would lose her mind. And, here I am, 3 years later… So when Jackson was brand-new, I called Sarah remembering her predicament those years ago… I was (am) losing my mind, desperate for a routine, searching for something to grasp hold of.
I still haven’t found “it,” the niche, the sacred holy grail when it comes to taking care of one’s spawn. WTF?! I still have no routine. Nothing to bank on. I do not know what waits for me around the next corner, so to speak. I still do not know what to expect. I still know nothing. NOTHING.
So what’s up with these naps??? Because “supposedly” one gets to the point where one’s child takes ONE nap a day… and in the words of my mother, “it’s one major nap, like, out for the whole afternoon.”
My eyes widen to think, nay imagine, the possibility…
If this is true, this whole “one major nap” thing, then I have a few more months to go… assuming that Jackson goes along with “the norm,” which he has never done.
So, three months from now, when Jackson hits this 14 month marker, I’m coming back to you people… I’m coming back, and handing my no-napping magoo over to you and saying, “Here. You try.”
think of them
March 24-25, 2009
I’m torn writing this post. I am selfish in the sense that I have completely 100% savored the weekend that I have just had with Paul and Jackson. Sunday we celebrated Jackson’s 11 month birthday in downtown Annapolis, watching the boats pull up into “ego alley” and seeing kids feed the ducks. Jackson snacked on an ice cream cone as Paul and I watched him in amazement… this time next month he will be 1…
And as I read Matt Logelin’s post “and we’re off” that contains an exquisite video of his precious daughter, Madeline, I am overwhelmed with sadness for him. This week he will celebrate his daughter’s 1st birthday on the 24th, and shortly after, the 25th will mark the 1st anniversary of his wife’s death.
What do you do with that? How does one celebrate and grieve at the same time? How is the human body capable of both containing and releasing such raw emotions?
I have followed Matt’s story for months now. I link to his blog and the foundation that he has started in memory of his beautiful wife, Liz. I am proud to watch Matt via blog on his travels, taking his sweet daughter here, there, and everywhere, recording every bit of their excursions. I am proud to read about how he has embraced fatherhood in the midst of his own horrific demons.
And tonight, Sunday night, I find myself alone at the computer, lights turned off, Jackson asleep, Paul getting ready for bed… and I find myself anticipating the week ahead for Matt. For this magnificent father, this magnificent man… who will endure both sheer delight and sheer pain in the span of 27 hours all over again.
I just ask that whatever readers I have out there, please just think of them this week. Even if you don’t link to their site, read their story, check out the foundation (I know we all lead busy lives of our own)… just think of them this week. This is a good man, a good family. He needs good thoughts coming his way right now.
rubbish
jackson helped out with the spring cleaning today.
ready for my close-up
“dancing baby day” is every other thursday at our local library. it consists of precious ones of all ages gathering in a room with their parents and wiggling around with a crazy lady who sings kid songs and blows bubbles.
after participating in “dancing baby day” a few times now, it’s come to my attention that our little magoo may possibly enjoy the process getting dressed in his most stylish duds more than the social interaction itself. thus, a photo session ensued…
and then he was ready to go.
ps- jackson’s t-shirt was found on the “clearance” rack at target for $2.95 (with discount and coupon). the real reason i bought it was not because of the slashed price, but rather that it was found in the “infant boys attitude tees” shirt section.
blog shmog and shit
i’m struggling with this blog shit. and today it is shit for me because i’m frustrated and tired and without something interesting to write about. and though i hate to be so “bleh” about it, i am.
FEEL FREE NOT TO READ ON…
jackson puked last night. which sucks. i honestly felt my heart sink when it happened and thought to myself, “ah shit.” i don’t know if it was a fluke. i don’t know if he’s picked up a bug from traveling for a few days. i just know that he’s not feeling good, because he “tells” me that by puking.
he kept his bottle down this morning, which is good, but wasn’t really interested in eating much else, which is not good. he’s sleeping a lot, which one would think would be a nice break for me, but in the back of my mind it’s a red flag that says, “jackson’s not feeling good. PAY ATTENTION!”
aside from the occasionally puking magoo, i have this blog. this “other baby” that i am trying to nurture and raise (more or less) and it’s really frustrating me right now.
i want this blog to “go somewhere” and “be something” but i’m not sure what that “something” is yet… or not sure how to go about getting there. i’m just plain old not sure. and i don’t like not being sure. it’s scary.
this call that i had yesterday from johns hopkins ended up making me feel like i had been dooped. i started receiving emails from their communications department a few weeks ago, expressing interest in our story, our blog, our son. i was stoked. didn’t want to be too stoked, but c’mon, when you put something out there like this and get a response, you get stoked.
so i spoke with this woman yesterday, finally making human contact regarding our story and what we can do with it to help others… or so i thought. basically what they want is to consult with me and two other families (who have done something similar to what i have done) on blogging.
WHUT?!
instead of asking me about jackson and his current status, (ill. not ill. puking. not puking.) she asked me about my friggin blog design. she wanted to know how my blog started and where i’m going with it.
I DON’T KNOW LADY!
and then she wanted to know if i would consider consulting with them on a hopkins blog, which (in her defense) could potentially be a good thing. if this is a project that links parents together as a support system/community, then cool, sign me up. if this is just a bullshit way of expressing interest in my child in order to get me to “create” a blog for you, then leave me alone. i have a sometimes-puking child to take care of.
which brings me back to my original point, i don’t know what i’m doing with this. i don’t know where this is going or where i want it to go.
I WANT TO CONNECT.
I WANT TO HAVE A VOICE. and yes, it would be nice if that voice were heard.
but i don’t want to be messed with, especially when it comes to my son.
Have a Sip
