While he is sleeping

As I have said before, Vinny likes to sleep. He is a very good sleeper and it has become very easy to know when he needs a nap and if you time it just right, and take his cues, it is a very calm and pleasant experience to put him down for a nap or for the night.

The cues include simply knowing how long it has been since his last nap, knowing what he did that day, and paying attention to his voice and body language. When the coos and ooohs become a bit longer and louder, that is a cue. If he puts his head on the ground or on a shoulder, that is a cue. And of course if he rubs his eyes or grabs for his face or is frustrated with simply sucking on his hand, that is the easiest cue of all.

At that time it is very easy to snatch him up, sing to him while you walk to his bed, place him gently into it, give him a binky if he needs it (this is about a 50/50 necessity), exchange a couple of grins and coos, and then walk away. He is usually asleep within 5 minutes with no crying. The smiles he gives you when you have placed him into his bed are just heaven. Its like he is saying, "Hi you! Thank you for putting me in my soft, delicious bed. I like my bed. And I like to sleep. And I like you. Good night."

For a few weeks now he has taken to 2-3 hour naps in the morning and another 2hour nap in the afternoon. When this first started to happen it was such a relief. To have a routine. To know when he would be down and to take advantage of that time to do other things like clean, shower, blog, read.

Usually that first hour is a very welcome reprieve. We both get a break from each other and get to reboot for the next bit of play. I usually get to catch up with a bit of other stuff and then can sit down to read some emails or news or blogs. Then when the second hour rolls around, I start to look around for other things that I could be, or should be doing. I go to check on him every so often and am surprised to see him still deep in sleep. When that third hour starts to roll around, I begin to hear phantom stirrings and rustlings. I check on him every 5 minutes, certain that he MUST be awake by now - but no. He is still deep in dreamland.

I sit, twiddling my thumbs on the couch in the living room. Willing him to wake up and join me. I start to miss him and resent the sandman that takes so much of his time away from me :)