When your kids are sick, everyone has a bad day. Whether it be full blown flu, or simply a slight cold, sickness keeps kids from the one thing they need most of all. Sleep.
Life Lesson #35: A tired baby makes life miserable for all around her.
So when I got to the house on Friday morning to find my baby coughing and sneezing, I already knew it would be a longer day than normal. Sure enough, by nine o'clock Eva was already ready for a nap. She slept... kinda. For about 20 minutes. By noontime she was once more a little grouch and down she went again.
Usually, for her afternoon nap, she will sleep for close to two hours. Today, however, she was up again by one. Her nap had proved quite medicinal for her and she was her normal bubbly, happy self.
I was not pleased. Not that she was happy... that part was great. But I knew that if she didn't get her afternoon nap, she'd be a monster by evening. For awhile I tried to get her back down, but my efforts to keep the binky in her mouth turned into her idea of a fun game. I finally gave up and let her just sit there babbling to herself. Eventually I did get her up, and since it was drawing close to three (which is the time Sierra and Ryan would arrive home from school and 'playtime' would begin) I began to engage her in some very active play, with the goal of wearing her out in mind.
It worked. She fell asleep again at about a quarter of three and when the other kids got home I was successful in getting them to play by themselves in the other room.
Eva slept for over an hour and awoke quite refreshed and happy.
If only every afternoon nap-time adventure ended so well. :P
