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...of one nap a day

Oh, the horror!

I have been absurdly spoiled (by God and, vicariously, Abram). My one year old usually sleeps 11-12 hours straight through the night and then takes two 1.5-3 hour naps during the day. Nap total is somewhere around 4 hours on a normal day. I read something posted by a friend not too long ago that had a sleep chart for babies. It said that one year olds should be getting around 13-14 hours a day, I think. Mine is getting 15-16. Like I said: spoiled.



Since we've gotten back from Arizona, we've been on a pretty consistent schedule. It is different from before we went to Arizona, but two weeks of sleeping in a pop up tent for naps and bedtime at different times everyday would do that to any baby, I think. I have come to rely on that schedule. I actually count down the minutes until 9:30 when I put Abram down for his first nap and I formulate everything that I am going to do with my 2ish hours in my head: Blog (sometimes), catch up on missed shows (sometimes), read the Word (sometimes), shower (less sometimes than the other things - gross), etc. Then whatever I don't get done, or avoid, in the morning (empty dishwasher, load dishwasher, fold laundry, pet the cat once (poor guy), take out trash, shower, read the Word, etc.), I do during his second nap from 3 to (sometimes) 5:30ish. It is my perfect situation to allow myself to be lazy and productive. I am usually lazy the first nap and I finally get stuff done out of guilt during the second nap.

Yesterday I put Abram down for his normal 9:30 nap and he was awake (happily singing and talking to himself) for 2.5 hours in his room. That makes me sound like a horrible mom. Who leaves their kid in their crib when they are not falling asleep for 2.5 hours? I do. He was happy. He is normally sleeping. I figured he and his duck were having a nice conversation and I didn't want to disturb them. We had a meeting at our house in the afternoon and he was happy the whole time. My friends who have raised kids this age that came over both said that their kids went to one nap at a year. "It might be time" they said. And a little part of me cried inside at the thought. He ended up going down for a 2.5 hour nap at 2pm and bed a little late because of church.

If it truly is time for one nap a day, I will either never get anything done or never feel rested (at least this is what I think in my mind). I know the nap will probably be longer if there is only one of them, but I don't know if I'm disciplined enough for one nap. My whole personality will have to change with one nap! I will need to become a completely different person with one nap!! And just when I might be getting the hang of it, there will be a newborn added to the equation!!! Can you tell that I'm freaking out a bit?

I decided to go with our normal routine today as an experiment. If he takes a morning nap, he's not ready to give it up, right? I put him down at 9:30, began writing this post, and within 10 minutes it seemed like he was asleep! Yes! Two naps for one more day! Then he coughed just now at 10:05, sang a little "I'm still awake in here, Mom" tune, and quieted down again. So two naps is still up in the air. Obviously I am rooting for one outcome, but I also want to do what is best for my kiddo. If he needs more awake, learning time (because he sure is catching onto things fast, now), I'll do it. I will just need to have a little faith and maybe a lobotomy.

It'll be fine, Anaka. It'll be fine. Won't it?
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