The Perils of Nap Time

Nap time around here has gotten interesting.  Now that the boys are sharing a room, it makes getting anyone to get to sleep and stay asleep for long kind of interesting.  The little one really needs naps every day, but the older one has kind of outgrown the want for them.  As a result, it means the room has to be off limits for a while out of each day.

Getting the little one to sleep in his own bed has proven to be a bit of a trick.  He's big enough now that having him sleep on my bed for a nap isn't all that practical.  He'll be into everything in the bedroom before I have a chance to know he's awake.  Therefore, we've started putting him in his playpen for naps, letting him sleep with us at night.  I miss the days where we could just put him in his travel swing for naps!  It was so much easier to know he would be safe and secure.  I also miss those days when he was small enough to sleep in our bed without having to worry about him crawling off when he wakes up.  Still, he's bigger now and we've got to find other solutions that leave him safe and with the ability to rest.

Today we ran into our first major issue.  The kids thought it was a brilliant idea to put all of their toys in the baby's playpen instead of cleaning up.  As a result, I went to put the baby down, but there was nowhere to put him down!  By the time they cleaned it out (as loudly as possible) the baby was awake again.  I finally got him back to sleep and put him down.  He's not feeling well today, so he really needs his sleep.  Then I wrangled the kids into the kitchen for lunch.

Nothing would keep them quiet today.  I don't know what's gotten into them.  From playing to fighting to everything in between, they have to do it all with high pitched noises.  First it was shrieks from them pushing and hitting each other constantly, something that's not terribly normal for them.  After that it was hitting over a cereal box and shrieking with laughter like it was the funnies thing in the world, something that never amused them before.  I finally took away the box and then they'd hit each other and shriek with laughter.  I separated them and they shrieked so loudly, laughing and giggling, that they woke the baby up from across the house.  It seems like they were really out for me today, though I know that's got nothing to do with it.

Even trying to get them to settle them down to do school work didn't help.  Instead they screamed and moaned, throwing a fit, so that didn't fly.  I couldn't even suggest reading quietly because reading ended up with screams as they fought over books, again, not a common trait for them.  No matter what we did, the two of them wanted nothing more than to scream, shriek, and wail.

The poor littlest one has been so miserable all day and so tired.  I finally put him down in his familiar swing, even though he's almost two big for it.  In five more pounds, that swing will need to be retired.  He cuddled up with his thumb and pulled his blanket up, giving me the most tired, pathetic look possible and was asleep before I was even able to leave the room.

What about the older two?  They're still shrieking, screaming, and wailing over everything.  Thankfully the littlest one sleeps like a stone in his happy little swing.  He's not as secure in the playpen as it's not his old, familiar spot.  He's not as comfortable with the bed either anymore with all the moving.  He can't find his comfortable cuddle spot anymore.

It's going to be an adjustment.  Hopefully the screaming kids don't drive me too terribly nuts.  In truth, I want nothing more than a peaceful, relaxing day.  I'm still feeling under the weather.  Their shrieking, screaming, and general noise is certainly not helping...