Really great nap day!

Of course I hesitate to post this because I could be speaking too soon and tomorrow could be a different day but.....ok, I'll say it....today was a great nap day! We're on nap number 3 and it's 3:44pm. That's so much better than yesterday where by 3:44 we were heading towards nap number 5. (daylight savings time screwed things up but either way, it would have typically been about nap number 4 at least by that point.) And with each of today's naps, she went down with very little fuss. We're making serious progress over here!

So today we did our normal nap time routine (draw the blinds, turn on the noise machine, change her diaper, swaddle her legs only, read 2-3 stories, then down in the crib she goes and I walk out the door). And each time I didn't need to return to settle her or reassure her everything was going to be ok. No crying whatsoever and almost no stirring - just off to dream land she'd go.

Not sure if this is the trick to the trade (because this would not have worked for Eloise even a week ago) but today vs. all other days, I tried to see if I could stretch her out between naps. As I said, sometimes this approach can have disasterous effects and not worth it but today, it was fine. Rather than her being fussy (as she typically gets if I miss her "I'm tired" signals), she was all smiles all day. Laughing, giggling, playing and was right on board with going to story hour at the library (despite the fact that it meant we'd be missing a nap) and was also fine with going for a walk vs. being put down for a nap. And no she didn't fall asleep in the stroller:) Instead, she played with her toys and checked out the scenary. When we got home, we practiced rolling over and then as soon as she rubbed her eyes (previously a signal that meant I was too late in trying to get her down), I'd bring her upstairs, we'd do our routine and down she went for her nap - no issue. Score!

1 full day of naps without fuss, no tears and 100% putting herself to sleep (and only 3 naps - not 19:). I could not be more psyched! Yeah Monkey!

Oh - one other thing - on our walk, we were almost home and I saw up ahead two guys taking pictures of something in a tree. I look up and it was a giant hawk. Dang! The guys told me the hawk had been hanging out there for about 5 minutes. My response - people better go put their cats in. So as soon as I got home, I put Sweet Pea inside. He's not happy. What a tough neighborhood we live in. "Wrong side of the tracks," as Mike would say. Lol! It's either Panther the monster cat or a giant hawk. Sorry Sweet Pea!

Flashback pictures. Little swaddled nugget.