Nap update

These days Madelyn is either super HAPPY or super ANGRY. She's a baby with two extremes, and it's hilarious and frustrating to watch all at the same time.

We are still having difficulty napping, although I'm strictly following the Eat, Wake, Sleep routine as much as possible. She is doing a lot better about going to sleep - most times I simply put her down still drowsy, rock a minute or two, and she's out...although she doesn't go down without a fight. Many times there is a lot of crying going on as I rock her. However, she's still waking up screaming in increments of five, ten, or twenty minutes without fail for her entire hour and a half nap time. Since she's still not able to settle herself, I'm trying to help her by reassuring that I'm there without letting her see me or hear me. I mostly stroke her head and put her pacifier back in. She usually drifts right back to sleep - for a few minutes, at least. 

It is definitely a frustrating process, and the only thing I can think that continues to wake her must be her acid reflux. I'm praying the medicine will continue to alleviate her symptoms and I know she will eventually outgrow it. 

The only thing I know that would work better would be holding her until she's in a very deep sleep (I did that once the other day and she slept straight through for two hours!) However, I refuse to do so because I know she's getting to the age where she'll come to expect it. Plus, I need to get her straight before she heads to the daycare provider in just a few short weeks. :(  So, however challenging it may be, I'll be sitting here by her cradle waiting to help her fall back to sleep every few minutes. (Who needs to take a shower, anyways?!)

The sleep routine is so dysfunctional, and we know it!