I am exceedingly tired today, and really I ought to be napping while Grace is napping. That's what all the baby books tell you to do: nap when the baby naps, and don't feel guilty about it. Trust me, I do not feel guilty regarding naps. I feel guilty about loads of other things, but NOT napping. Napping is necessary.

I am so tired because I was up till almost 2:30am last night emailing back and forth with Kurt and amusing myself betweentimes by playing speedy Bingo over on Pogo.com with my good buddy Art. Art must be my lucky charm because I managed to get Bingo!!! I was amazed.

See, this is what I don't get. Why do people want to make me feel guilty because I sleep so late in the morning? I know Michele teases me gently, and I don't mind because I know she's not doing it to be rude. But I have friends here that are flummoxed that I sleep in so late. Grace is fine in her crib till 9:30am, so why should I get up any earlier?? What would that accomplish?

My friends also are taken aback when I ask them not to call me before 9:30am since I am usually still sleeping. How is that so wrong?? I know most of my friends have kids, so I try not to call them around the time I think they're putting the kids to bed. And I never call my friends who go to bed early any later than 9pm because I know they're already winding down for the day. I try not to call some of my friends in the evening because I know that that's their time alone with their spouses. So why is it to wrong of me to expect the same courtesy in the morning?

Some folks are just born to get up early. My sister Michele is a perfect example. If she sleeps till 6:30am she's slept in for the day. Some days she even gets up at 4:30am, voluntarily, no less. For her, she likes to get her workout in, breakfast eaten, and her day started in general as soon as possible. But this means she's also in bed by 9pm at the absolute latest (unless it's the weekend, where sometimes she can make it to 10pm).

I'm completely the opposite. I would much rather sleep in each morning because my "me" time takes place after Grace goes to bed. At 7:30pm, Grace goes to bed, and I spend the next half-hour cleaning up from the day. I stay up so late at night because that's when I'm guaranteed that Grace will stay asleep and safe in her crib, when I can even kick back with a glass of wine or a bottle of beer if I choose. And if I'm staying up till 1:30 or 2am, why would I get up at six like all my other friends? I'm a person that needs at least 8 hours of sleep; there's no way I could function on just four.

Maybe my friends are jealous I get to sleep in. At any rate, I just wish they'd quit trying to give me a guilt trip.

And now I think it's off to take that well-deserved nap!!