her nap evolution

When Adalyn was a teeny little newborn, she wasn't such a good napper. But she slept great as long as she was in Mama's arms.





Not much housework was done during the day, and I spent a lot of time holding and snuggling her.

Well, as she grew, things didn't really change. I would swaddle her tight, play white noise, and pat her to sleep. And then hold her for her entire nap. It was a tad crazy. She would be sound asleep... until I laid her down. And then she would wake up and cry. Every time! Mark was deployed, so I was on my own - and I did everything I could to get her to sleep! We tried..

the sleep giraffe
Miracle Blanket
Aden + Anais blankets
the Magic Sleep Suit

...we tried it all.











I would even sometimes just wear her for her entire nap. So for the first 6 months of her life, naptime was a struggle. She was never a sleepyhead newborn - she's been wide-eyed and ready to go since her birth day. But that's my girl!

You could set her by the clock. Exactly (and I do mean exactly) 30 minutes after she went to sleep, she would wake up (shifting into her lighter sleep cycle). Every time! So my solution? Nurse her super fast when she woke up to extend her naptime. She would fall back asleep nursing and continue sleeping for another 45 minutes.

And that was our life.

Until 6 months old.



But then! She suddenly decided that naps were fun! And would sleep for longer stretches. All on her own. IN A CRIB! I was jumping for joy at this naptime breakthrough. But you know, I still had to swaddle her, sing her to sleep, and then lay her down exactly 8 minutes after her eyes shut. It was an art - me getting her to sleep so well.



So we continued this for the next 7 months of her life. I swaddled her tight - she loved it - and sung & patted her to sleep. I was beginning to think that my child would forever be swaddled. That I would be singing my 5 year old to sleep. And then my sister gave me the idea of a Montessori bed. Would it work!? Could it?!

IT DID!



We placed a full-sized mattress on the floor, complete with fun Disney Princess bedding, and I couldn't even believe it myself.. she absolutely loved it. She would even run to her bed, plop down on her princess pillow, and wave night night to Cinderella and Aurora.


My baby girl. The baby girl that I swaddled for the entire first year of her life. The baby girl that would upset and frustrate me to no end because of her sleep issues. The baby girl that I always had to lay down when she was in a deep sleep.. that baby girl is now asleep in her big girl bed. And she now takes two 1-hour to 1.5 hour naps every day. I couldn't be more proud. I knew the day would come when I no longer needed to rock and sing to her. At one point I thought it might be when she was in high school :) But it happened. She's becoming more independent by the day. I do kind of miss singing our special songs and looking into her eyes as she fell asleep. But I'm so happy for her that she's come this far.




Nigh' Nigh', Little Toot!