Stroller naps

Night and day! That's what the difference feels like between whether David has taken a nap or not.

Disclaimer: Andrei and I are not obsessed with David's sleep schedule. :)

BUT...before becoming a parent, I always thought it was kind of weird how parents would talk about this magic combination they had found for their child to sleep (or eat or use the potty, etc.). Place him in X position and turn on X song for him to fall asleep. Place a spoon in each hand and turn on The Little Mermaid for her to eat her oatmeal. Ridiculous, right?

Ahem.

It gets me 2 hrs of free time, okay?

Whereas I had previously thought that parents using all these funny methods were trying TOO hard, I now realize that it's the opposite. Employing methods that "work for now" actually feels a lot more laidback. Yes, you might have some weaning to do later, but it will get you through this season.

We are really privileged to have this indoor porch area (pictured above) in our apartment off one of the rooms. It's in very good condition, though not quite warm/cozy enough to be a hang-out place...more of a space to be used for storage or messy projects.

Russians are big on fresh air (though not drafts) for sleeping, and if you can't get outside, an alternative is to use one of these porches...if you have a closed-in, one of course. There are others that are more of a balcony-type and used more typically for smoking growing flowers in window boxes. In fact, that's how the pigeon got in that time.

If the baby is small enough and you have a closed-in porch, you get him all dressed, pack him into a bag/basket/cradle, and toss him out there  for a nice peaceful slumber with some fresh air.

Still asleep!

Getting David ready for his porch stroller nap is almost like going on a walk except that there's only one person to get dressed. All the additional wrappings I need are a sweater and slippers! We also put the monitor out there in case we're not going to be in earshot. He is usually asleep within 15-20 minutes of "strolling." Of course, he is also in a "sleeping with specific animals" phase, so that adds a few minutes. But it's still easier than rocking/ bouncing in our arms!

When David gets a good stroller nap, I feel like I can finally relate to some of those other moms who actually get stuff done. I can start to believe that it isn't a conspiracy. There have been projects I've put off for years months only to finish them in one naptime. Sometimes I even finish them in one hour and then I have another hour to do something else. Wow! Sometimes I can do dinner prep or get all the dishes to be clean AT THE SAME TIME. Sometimes I do an exercise workout AND take a shower, all without being interrupted.

Other times, I lie down and take a nap. That's gotta count for something, too. :)