Why dads are sometimes smarter

I stayed at home with Zoe for three months. During that time, I realized she does not sleep like other babies. She is what is known as a "short napper." She doesn't nap very frequently, for very long, and she is the lightest sleeper I know with the possible exception of my mother. (Interesting side note: Why is it that the two people I've needed to sneak around in my life--my mother during high school and my daughter during her baby phase--seem to wake up the moment I try to walk out of the room?) All the stuff I read about how she should be napping this way or for this long ... does not apply to Zoe. She wakes up after a 30-45 minute nap cheerful and alert. Nowhere near the hour or two hour mythical naps I keep hearing about.

It took me three months of reading books and message boards and trying slings, swings, and everything else I could think of to figure out what it took Nate one day to realize: she doesn't adhere to the textbook sleep schedule. However, she usually wakes up smiling and happy, so she is probably fine. He said, once you stop having expectations about what "should" be happening, we both have a better day.

Mom: three months. Dad: one day.

On the parenthood learning curve, I think I just got lapped.