Bring Me to My Mommy

We’re lucky, because, for now, my wife gets to work at home a day or two per week. So, while my duties remain approximately the same as on the days that baby’s mom goes to the office, the family doesn’t have to weather the stress of a commute. Getting baby to fall asleep for her naps on these days is no simple matter, however. Normally, some combination of dancing, feeding, and taking her for a walk around the kitchen or around block will induce the magic and highly sought-after state of unconsciousness. But when mom’s in the house, baby’s head just doesn’t want to go down on dad’s chest for the dance-walk jive. Instead, she cranes her head around with the same fascination you would if someone told you your mom was near after you hadn’t seen her in a very long time. In baby’s case, the period spent without seeing her mom may only be ten or fifteen minutes, but it obviously seems like ages. I’ve tried reading her books, changing the room she’s in, changing what floor she’s on, turning on the pink electric mobile over her crib and putting her under it, but when all is said and done she wants to know where mom is. I have more to learn.