Phase 2

So if you read my last post, you know I am trying to use the Babywise method of sleep parenting for Niko. I am a lot late in starting the process as ideally you want to start from day one and he just turned 10 months old. Last week we worked on phase 1 of retraining which was getting on the feed/wake/sleep schedule. For Niko this meant learning to go to sleep without nursing. Niko is a champ and took the transition in stride, no problems, but continued to only have 3, 30min naps.

Phase 2 started yesterday and this phase is trying to teach Niko to fall asleep unassisted; basically put him in his crib, walk away, and he falls asleep all by himself. I geared up on Sunday for this to be a horrible week of crying and tantrumming. He usually screams whenever we put him in his crib or whenever he wakes up. So expecting a horrible week seemed reasonable. So far I have had an altogether unexpected experience.

At yesterday's morning nap there was some crying but he fell asleep and slept for 30 min. At his afternoon nap he fell asleep in 10 min with barely a whimper and slept for an hour! I thought, "wow this was an easier transition than I thought." Then came the late afternoon nap, or lack there of.... I put him down and he sat peacefully awake in his crib for an hour without making a sound! So I got him up didn't think to much of it, and put him to bed just a little early. My thought was, maybe he doesn't need the nap since most kids his age average 2, 1.5-2 hour naps a day. I figured I would try and adjust the schedule to make that work today. (An amazing side note... he woke up 3 times during the night but went back to sleep each time within 10 min and without me going in!! the first night I've stayed in bed all night since he was born!!!) He went down for this morning's nap fine, but for his afternoon nap he sat awake again for an hour, no crying, got him up and started the cycle again, he started to fall asleep during lunch, so I put him down again, but again he is peacefully sitting in there awake!! What to do? I don't know. The book does not talk about a happy kid that wont go to sleep. I feel like he'd sit in there all day without sleeping if I let him. How do I get him to sleep?

I love that he is cuddling with a puffer fish... ;) crazy kid!