Naptime Cage Match

Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the fight of the century! Here in the corner to my left we have....Doodlebug! Barely 14 pounds sopping wet, his greatest weapons are his baby blues and his dimples. He's never yet met an opponent he couldn't out-smile!

And in the other corner, with hair sticking out at every possible angle and sporting the latest in spit-up stains, it's...Mommy! She's tired, she's sick, and she's desperate for a little peace and quiet. Someone once said you can't force a baby to sleep...but that someone wasn't her. She's not going down without a fight, folks! Grab your popcorn, because this is going to be a good one!

So be honest with me now...how bad is it when you start hearing imaginary voices? OK, OK, I am only kidding. Mostly. I'm not that far gone, yet. But today has been such an overly dramatic battle of the wills that I've been narrating it myself. (Fine, so maybe I am that far gone...or maybe I just watch too much reality tv).

Doodlebug does not want to go to sleep. He decided at 4 AM (during his third middle-of-the-night appearance) that sleeping is overrated, and it is not something that a fashionable seven-month old should be doing. He nursed, and then he flashed that beautiful gummy smile my way..."Mommy, let's play!"...but I was not to be swayed. We nursed again. And again. And again. And again, until he finally fell back asleep. And as soon as he was back in his crib, he woke up. So he left me no choice...it was time for a sneak swing attack.

The Master Chief and I settled him in the swing with a toy, and quietly slipped out of his sight. Sure enough, that boy was sawing z's in no time! He slept until 8 AM!! Even so, he fought me hard for his morning nap - every time those sweet little eyes started to close he would jerk upright suddenly. It took a half hour, but I finally got him to sleep.

This afternoon, though, he was determined not to give in. He fussed, he twisted around (while still latched...OUCH!), he smiled his best. No matter what I did, he would not settle. Time for the big guns...

Doodlebug is now sleeping soundly in his swing. And Mommy is eating lunch and catching up on her Google reader. I think that's called a KO folks!

(photo credit: januszek on stock.xchng)