All in the name of the nap...

I think almost every mother out there has the same challenge with their little ones... the nap! It's always been about when they'll nap, how long they nap, where they nap, can we transfer, do we keep driving, its a question we always ask, every day!

Lately, Nora's been real hit and miss with her naps. For the past couple of months, she hasn't been going down for her nap when we're at home. But if I took her out in her stroller, she'd be out within 5 minutes! Am I that exciting? ;)

So, the challenge for me lately is to plan the day where we can be out for part of the day, hoping that on the way home, she'll nap in her stroller. But often I want to go out in the morning after Lily's fed and before her next feed (I am still a little nervous feeding Lily in public while Nora may or may not roam around... really don't want to imagine a baby on the boob while I'm running after a toddler). Sometimes, we'll get home & she hasn't fallen asleep, so if i'm feeling energetic enough I'd load the kids back in the stroller later in the afternoon and try again. The plan usually works out when I meet up with friends for lunch playdate outside, cos then we all have help looking after the kiddies, so we can stay out late enough in the day where she's completely zonked.

Sometimes, I don't know whether I should laugh it off or cry when I go out of my way, just so Nora can nap (well, and guve me a little sanity / break). Take today, we needed to go to Costco for a few basic things, so rather than driving there, I thought I'd plan a walk after lunch, then hopefully Nora would nap. Well, first of all, it is a tad hot today, so lugging 2 kids in the stroller is tiring. Secondly, I should've really planned my route so that I knew exactly where the elevators were to get down to the Expo Blvd entrance (I had to turn around twice to get out of an apt complex). Thirdly, even a few 'basic' items can 'weigh' on you... at least I thought in advance to bring a backpack but b/c I also wanted to buy their bulk porkhops I also brought along an icepack = Heavy load on the back (and I couldn't let it slide and not buy all the items b/c who knows when next we'll go to Costco...where do people find the time!!).

So there I was lugging the two kids back home, with a heavy backpack , hot hot sun in my face and Nora just singing & playing in the stroller!! (FYI... Lily just kept sleeping the whole trip). I had no back up plan if she didn't go down, I just assumed it was boring enough... plus, I definitely did not want this trip to be wasted, else I would've just driven!! BUT finally, within 2 blocks of getting home, my little nora was asleep....yay! Thankfully she transfers well from stroller to bed and is napping soundly, while I can rest and rant :)

Things we do for our kids :)

(So peaceful when they nap)