naps, bedtime and sleep

this whole week our major new accomplishment has revolved around sleep. as i previously wrote, i have recently given up breastfeeding. in turn our sleeping routine has changed in ways i never dreamed possible.

our night time routine has always been a struggle. between teething and breastfeeding, it's just been hard. i've tried several times to sleep train maya, but most of the time something changes in our schedule and we get off track. it could be traveling out of town or her being too cold in her room, etc. either way she and i have had this off and on battle in getting to sleep without my nursing her. since she has pretty much decided she didn't want to breastfeed anymore, i've had no choice but to be firm with her nap and night routine.

this week what became a new tool for getting her to sleep was integrating a new toothbrush and taking her to the potty right before sleeping. it seems strange but her making her own choices seems to help. she brushes her teeth, with my help, and then i wait for her to ask to go potty. i tell her, "ok, let's go potty and then we go to sleep" (i say this a few times before we get to the potty). once she is on the potty i let her choose what book she would like to read and after see is done (most of the time she actually goes potty), i take her to the bedroom and tell her it's time to go to sleep.

she doesn't like to be rocked in a chair, or cuddled, so she doesn't stay long in my arms most of the time. this last week i have followed this routine to the t. now when i put her down in the crib she lays there most of the time, without crying or growling and then she falls asleep (knock on wood). oh my, what a beautiful thing that is! the silence is blissful!

naps, well that's another story, but we are getting there. she does cry more with naps, but with the same routine being used i'm sure see will get it very soon. and on a side note, i have noticed that she is sleeping through the night more often and her naps are longer.

i was very sad initially about not nursing but now i see that there are advantages! the fact that she can sleep without much fighting is so wonderful.