The Importance of Naptime (for me)

What can change my beautiful baby girl from this:




to this?


(and yes, I feel sufficiently guilty for doing this to my daughter's picture. And for giggling a little while I did it)



No nap.

Buttercup is (*knock on wood*) a tremendous sleeper at night. She generally gets up around 8 a.m. (which is lovely for me) and goes to bed around 6:30 or 7:00 p.m. (which is also lovely for me). During the time in-between, she generally takes an hour-and-a-half to a two-hour nap.

Not quite so much lately.

Buttercup figured out a pretty remarkable strategy a couple of weeks ago: If she poops half an hour-45 minutes after I put her down for a nap (regardless of what time it is that I put her in her crib), I will come in and change her diaper (I tried not to for a couple of times but she just kept mewling at me until I gave up). She can pretend to be happy and oh-so-awake and Mommy, confused and delighted by all the hugs and happy squeals she was getting, would let her get up and go back to playing.

This lasted about three days before Mommy caught on, and about another week until Mommy had convinced Buttercup that while she would come and put a clean diaper on her, it would not deter her from getting her nap. Back in the crib Buttercup would go, with a distinct "WTF?" look on her face. There was much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth for a bit, but I held firm. Because not only do I prefer the first picture to the second, but (and this part is a secret):

I still like to take a nap, too.

Amazing what a little extra selfish incentive will do for those boundaries, huh? ;)