One of my very first posts on Mommy Shorts was about the amazing Adele Enerson who started a photo series called Mila's Daydreams. She waited for her newborn to fall asleep and then instead of using that time to shower, eat or stalk old classmates on Facebook like the rest of us, she created dreamscapes surrounding her sleeping child using nearby sheets, clothes and assorted household items.
For the record, even if I was that talented (which I am not), neither of my babies ever napped soundly enough for me to create art around them as they slept. Never mind that my children don't just fall asleep in broad daylight on the floor. To get my babies to nap, I have to leave them crying in a cage in the dark.
"Crying in the dark" elicits significantly less "whimsy", don't you think?
Since Mila's Daydreams went viral a few years ago, decorating your napping baby has taken off in Japan. They call it "nezo art" which literally means "sleeping posture art". Or as I like to call it, "my baby naps much better than yours".
The baby who naps the best? That's a child who belongs to Eriko Ohga, otherwise known as @erichedelic on Instagram. Here are just a few of her amazing works of art:
It would make me feel much better to know Eriko is sedating her baby with Benadryl during the day. But I suspect she's just super talented, really lucky and works FAST.
To see more, follow @erichedelic on Instagram.
Have a tip on someone else doing something cool with their kids? Follow @mommyshorts on Instagram or leave a tip on the Mommy Shorts facebook page.
After seeing the original dreamscapes, I did some with my daughter for a photo calender. I couldnt get it done while she slept. She just ended up being a very good awake subject.
how does she do the outfit change? or does her baby always nap in a exquisite kimono?
Wow. Lucky parents to have such a good sleeper on their hands as well as the energy themselves to do that! I value my sleep way too much and everyone knows that a mom should nap while the baby naps! š
Who in the world has so many blankets???
To get my babies to nap, I have to leave them crying in a cage in the dark. Oh my word, that just made me laugh out loud. Thanks for always being so funny, and verbalising what we all feel!
Those are so beautiful! I could have never done them with my newborn – I was too nervous about waking him up to put him down most days.
Love! These are so beautiful haven’t seen them before!
I agree that the people who make these (admittedly beautiful) dreamscapes are super lucky to have good sleepers/nappers and I kind of hate them. (But in a good, “I hate you because I’m jealous” kind of way. If that’s a good way.) Very beautiful pictures though!
My oldest son is notorious for falling asleep almost anywhere. Lots of times while playing or in time out. He would have been easy to do this with. However, for number two you have to have stealth feet just to get out of the carpeted room barefoot without awakening him!
Ugh. As a first time mom before my child popped out of my uterus I saw these types of photos and thought to myself “Oh this will be so fun!” Needless to say I have to leave my child crying in the swing (because she could cry in the crib forever) to even take a 30 minute nap.
No sleeping dreamscapes for us.
Love the new site design by the way.
I did a few similar to this for various holidays when I was home with my son, but with a wide awake baby, (see my instagram if interested, oobinxoo). By St. Patrick’s day, he was able to sit up on his own so that was it!
[…] home alone most of the time. Are you a creative person? Position that baby on the floor and then craft insanely intricate surroundings during nap time. Dress that baby up like your favorite television characters. Put that baby in a businessĀ suit […]
[…] are home alone most of the time. Are you a creative person? Position that baby on the floor and thencraft insanely intricate surroundings during nap time. Dress that baby uplike your favorite television characters. Put that baby in a businessĀ suitmade […]