Sweet, Sweet Naptime

My sweet Kaitlyn has her last two teeth coming in before we go get to the 2 year molars. Unfortunately they are her canine (or eye) teeth which are especially painful.  It has been about all we can handle- they have obviously been hurting her and she has, therefore, been incredibly whiny which hurts me. haha! This morning as she sat in her highchair having just finished her breakfast, she was in one of those whining fits where nothing satisfies her. I asked her partly out of frustration if she was ready for a nap. She immediately started asking for baby and "pup-pup", her two beloved sleep mates. 

I love that my girls (usually) love naps!!!

This brings me to a mini-lesson in raising children. For those of you who don't have kids yet, please consider this:  Always whisper sweet, comforting, joyous words as you put your infant down for a nap, not "you are crying and whining so much I can't stand it, TIME FOR A NAP!"  For your own sake, teach your children (in the sweetest voice you can muster) that "they will feel so rested and refreshed when they wake up" and that God gave us times of rest so that we can have more fun when we wake up. It's too hard to have fun when we are sleepy so we need to rest.  In other words, I try to never use naps as a punishment. Naptime is the best time of the day not a time to be dreaded!! haha  My girls cooperate amazingly well most of the time and even occasionally ask to take a nap and I'm convinced that this helped. I certainly think that God has blessed me beyond measure though, do not read this thinking that I think it is all about me, I'm just saying a little brainwashing encouragement helps in these areas ;)

Also, just a thought to ponder but don't you think a good attitude toward rest time will lead toward a good attitude toward the Sabbath? For:

"The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." 

Mark 2:27

and

"Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may

be refreshed." 

Exodus 23:12

Because blog posts just don't seem complete without pictures...

This was actually when she woke up, not when she was going down for her nap ;)

Sometimes she's just not sure if she's ready to get up and leave her "passer" in her bed, hehe
Oh, and yes, I said we would be getting rid of it after our last vacation but then she starting getting 4 more teeth. Maybe after this next vacation ;)

Playing peek-a-boo with Mommy. Kaitlyn is quick to wake up and be happy.
Nothing like Mommy and Addison (or even Daddy) haha!