Sleeping and Instincts

One of the most challenging parts of caring for a wee one is the sleeping part. More specifically, the getting him down to sleep part. He can be a little fighter. It's one of those instances where your instincts don't always work or where it can be easy to second guess yourself. Here's an example:

Time	Fact	Thought	Action	Thought
12:30 pm	He’s been awake for 3.5 hours.	He’s probably ready for a nap.	Take him to his crib; he screams so I take him out and we play some more.	Maybe he’s not tired, afterall!
12:52 pm	He’s rubbing his eyes.	Gosh, he must be tired, I should listen to my instincts.	Take him to his crib; he screams so I take him out and we play some more.	Huh. Maybe it’s too early. We’ll wait a bit more.
1:15 pm	He’s fussy. He’s getting frustrated easily.	He’s tired.	Take him to his crib. He cries. I let him cry. He’s quiet and asleep in under 2 minutes.	Geez. I bet I could have done that 45 minutes ago, the first time.

Naptime isn't always like this...usually it's pretty easy. He only takes one nap a day now which can range between 1-2.5 hours. But on tough days it is such an exercise in listening to my instincts and not letting his crying unsettle me too much. Still learning. ALWAYS learning. Forever learning.