After swim lessons each day, Emma Vance drifts into a heavy sleep, and today she passed out in our bed with a peacefully-slumbering Cricket at her side. I’ve made it well-known that the hour of 1 p.m. is sacred around here — it’s the one moment in the day where both girls nap at the same time. And, for me, it’s been the moment in the day where I pass out as well. In fact, I’ve napped at this time most days over the past year; it’s become a necessity without which I’d crash and burn by dinnertime. However, today I was wide awake…against all odds.
With a congested newborn and teething toddler, nights have been wakeful around here. Cricket is on Day Eight of her cold, and her congestion has made her sleeping fitful. She snores like an old man, occasionally choking and waking herself up. It’s pitiful since there’s not much we can do to help her beyond holding her upright and using the bulb to try and clear her tiny nose. Her disrupted sleep schedule has made for some late nights and early mornings, and so you would think I’d be desperate for my midday nap. However, over the past few days, I haven’t felt like I’ve needed that afternoon siesta. I’ve been doing Whole30 for about a week now (more to come on that down the road), and one of the benefits it claims is for better sleep and more energy, which I’m realizing is actually happening! The benefits of feeling better rested are many, but this afternoon they came in an unexpected way.
Today, since both girls fell asleep in our bed, I snuck in next to them and tried to sleep. (I still feel like if I don’t at least try to sleep when I can, I’ll regret it later that night!) Laying next to my snoring newborn and slumbering toddler (who fell asleep with a lollipop in her mouth), trying to will myself to sleep, there were a million things “I should be doing” running through my head. Cleaning. Laundry. Paying bills. Doing design work. Making phone calls. Writing this blog…but I had to silence the call of my to-dos because the call of rest was more important in that moment. The glow of the spring sun spilling in the windows of our room, the warmth of my little girls all tangled together beside me, the rare sound of nothing as the house sat silent — I just soaked it in. For a full hour. Wide awake and dreaming, I snuggled my slumbering girls and held them close while they’re still little and need me. Thankful for that precious time, even though they’ll never remember it, I realized during that hour of do-nothing-ness that although I may not need a nap, I always need rest. We all need rest, and today I claimed that glorious hour in the name of being close to my girls happily. And guess what? The to-dos are still there. No harm, no foul.
