Oh, naps!

            Where do baby books get babies that nap 2.5 and 3.5 hours a day? Do you have to put in a special order for them in the hospital before you deliver? I am more and more convinced that this is the way it's done! I was definitely out of the loop at the time and no order was put in! As a result, my baby does not want to nap more than 20 minutes by herself, plus, maybe additional 20-30 minutes, when I am laying there with her. The rest of the time, the world is too much to miss:)

           I went to the library and got a book on baby's sleep that has 800 or so positive reviews on Amazon.com: " Healthy sleep habits, Happy child ". It states that you should try to put your 4 month old to nap 2-3 times a day and the first two naps should last about 2 hours. If Aubrey's naps lasted two hours that would be so great! In fact,  I think, that those naps are what I am going to ask Santa for Christmas this year! I am not upset that she doesn't nap and I get no time for myself, I am upset because she seems exhausted a lot, and I know something should be done! 

       The book also states that the 1st nap should occur between 1-2 hours after the baby woke up. It is true that Aubrey can be put to bed within that time frame, but she does not sleep for 2 hours. I think the longest she slept this week was 30 minutes.

 Since we are trying to cry it out for our night time routine with some success, I decided to try the same for naps. I am so losing this nap battle... I fell like the worst mom out there! I am torn between picking her up and not letting her cry which will result in an overtired child or let her cry and cry myself by the door! So hard!!!!! 

        The books do omit a lot of things, such as what do you do if they fell asleep after CIO and then woke up 15 minutes later and they need a 2 hour nap? Let them cry? Pick them up? No answers!! They just assume as soon as the baby falls asleep, it will stay asleep for 2 hours. I wish they did not make those assumptions! I found myself to resent the books and everybody who is eager to give me sleeping advice. What do they know?


      All I know that it seems like my baby is just like me, and I hated naps! So, after all, I am not going to get my Christmas wish granted this year:)