Nap When the Baby Does!

I don’t know about anyone else but in the past year I cannot count the number of people who have told me to nap when the baby does. Even before I gave birth, everyone I met told me to nap as much as I could before the baby came.
I’ve never been a nap taker, as a child I would skip naps because I was definitely sure I would miss out on some amazing part of life while I was sleeping. That mindset has transformed into habit, and I can count on one hand the number of naps I took before the baby came.
Now, my baby is just over 5 months and I still never nap. There is some drive in me to get as much accomplished as I can while he sleeps. It might be rushing to throw laundry in the washer, to fold the next load or quietly stacking dishes in cupboards so that doesn’t wake him up. I am constantly trying to make myself feel better about not going back to work and prove that I am still doing SOMETHING of value.
Yet, every time the thought crosses my mind that I need to prove I’m doing something all day, it makes me incredibly frustrated.
I always said I was going back to work after baby. There was no doubt in my mind, until I started thinking of daycares, my long commute, missing his milestones. Those are the reasons I chose this. I CHOSE to raise my child. To wake up every morning to look into that smiling face, to change diaper after diaper, to snuggle him close and work in his development. I don’t need to prove anything.
I may never get my naps, but what I get is worth that. I get to see my child change rapidly before my eyes. I’m finally experiencing that “amazing” thing I thought I’d miss out on by napping. I’m experiencing life with my baby.
None of this means I don’t wish sometimes I could sleep for hours on end and relax, doesn’t everyone? It just means I’m grateful for his naps to give me a recharge and the ability to get things done around the house.