The long days of the (slightly maniacal) mother of a catnapper

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We have a serial cat-napper on our hands, and it might be driving me insane. Up until we moved to Indonesia Bo was a relatively good sleeper… or maybe that’s just romanticised hindsight? We had a system down-pat (a total fluke) and it was working for us in a no-routine kind of way. In fact the week before we moved Bo was sleeping 9 hours in a row at night and napping like a champion here, there and everywhere. Now however, we are completely exhausted. By we I obviously mean me, myself and I because Bo is bouncing off the walls in an energizer bunny kind of way.

Bo has decided that napping is unnecessary. And on top of that she must be attached to mama or her father at all times. And dad certainly comes a close second, she adores him. He has mastered getting her to sleep, sometimes it takes 45 minutes of slow dancing with her on the cool tiles of our lounge room (I use that room title very loosely).

She can be in an open-mouthed, floppy headed, intoxicating sleep on either of us. Or so it seems, until the exact moment you decide that your arms are burning, your eyes are bleary and for-the-love-of-god you need to go to the toilet… and then BAM – hello big brown eyes, she’s awake again and looking at you with the sparkle and cheek that I’m sure we will get to know well over the years. Then it’s party time. But in-your-arms party time because god forbid you put her down for a second. She’s not a big crier, but she’s a big shouter, and makes it quite clear that she’s not impressed by howling, grumbling or generally honking in your direction until you pick up her chubby over-tired body and hold her close – then all noises turn into happy honks and giggles and teeny-tiny-happy-wolf howls right into your ear.

From the time we get up in the morning at around 6am (after an increasing amount of middle of the night mama cuddles and feeds), until the time we start putting her down for the night at around 7pm – I spend the entire day trying to get my cat napper to sleep… then trying to keep her asleep. It’s pretty safe to say right now that NOTHING else is getting done right now as operation get-Bo-to-stay-asleep is still in full swing.

And I may be (read: am definitely) going a little loco for it.

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  • May 22, 2012 - 3:06 pm

    Cassie Nguyen (@cassieishoming) - Oooohhh! I’m right there with ya! :-S Zzzzzzzzz…….ReplyCancel

  • May 22, 2012 - 5:15 pm

    Rowena - Probably not what you want to be hearing but I could have written that exact same post every day of my 20 month olds life so far!! It’s amazing how the body adjusts to no sleep and how your friends understand the new baby loco you! 🙂ReplyCancel

    • May 22, 2012 - 6:36 pm

      travelbarefoot - hey Rowena! As I hit post this morning my beautiful girl rounded the corner of her second sleep cycle, and with a gentle pat n the bum somewhere around hour she made it through to 2 hours with no tears. I managed to shower today! Success!! It’s amazing how much you appreciate an extra 45 minutes to get things done, isn’t it? xReplyCancel

  • May 23, 2012 - 9:59 am

    Vickie van ger Linden - I don’t know if it’ll work but my Ibu, a great napper herself, simply put 5 of us in bed with her. She totally ignored us putting fingers in her hidung. mata and telinga and kept pretending to sleep. Eventually dad would find 6 of us napping! With my own anak2, I did the same. each found life sooooooo boring without Mum , they simply joined me in bed! YES! they too tried to pry my eyes open, sat on my tummy etc,,, but I just copied my Mum.
    To this day, in Indo style all, but son, sleep in the arvo. I CAN’T function without it. Napping is a very sane habit. Housework? Sudah…… good luck but you sound like you are having a ball! <3ReplyCancel

    • May 23, 2012 - 10:45 pm

      travelbarefoot - well it is certainly worth a try!! At least then one of us would be getting the sleep she needs! xReplyCancel

  • June 6, 2012 - 11:52 pm

    Worlds away… « Inked in Colour - […] reading Possum Magic and Where the Wild Things Are for the 50 thousandth time this month (because nap time here is a just a lovely dream and smut would never make it in the […]ReplyCancel

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