Sleep Solution?

Riley was acting tired earlier than I normally put her down this morning. I remembered reading in The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night that alot of times we miss the ideal window of opportunity for sleep and try to put the baby down when they're too tired. She advises to watch for signs the baby's ready for sleep and put them down regardless of schedule. I did exactly that at 9:30am instead of her usual 10:30 or 11. I still nursed, rocked and read to her. She wasn't too happy about this for about 2min and then she was out.

She slept her full 2hrs, not the hour I've been consistently getting since we moved her back to the crib, and when she woke up she didn't cry. She went "Aah?" and a cheerful mommy leapt through the door to cover her good girl in kisses. Riley was so overwhelmed by my overly affectionate greeting she cried briefly, which made me laugh.

She was in a fantastic mood and played happily until about 1:00pm when I started noticing eye rubbing, ear tugging and fussiness. She slept an hour and a half and again woke up without whimpering and spent the rest of the day playing happily.

It only occurred to me later that she had started her new earlier bedtime last night, 8pm. That was another suggestion from the book. Maybe moving up bedtime re-set her naps. She woke twice in the night briefly, but slept in the crib from 8pm-6am. Whatever it was I am so grateful for such a wonderful day!

I fully expect the unexpected now as days as glorious as this can't happen every day.

PS: The following day Riley refused to nap at anytime all day more than 15min, I blame karmic balance for the shift. I still think we're on the right track.