Truthfully, this has been behind us for a while, but I still want to write it down and I always enjoy getting the feedback of what has worked for others!
When we hit 12 months, I knew one of our next big milestones was moving to one-a-day naps. Yay! I was excited considering summer was around the corner and 2 naps seems to keep you so close to home most days!
G's morning nap had always been longer than his afternoon one, so I knew that needed to be reversed! So around 11 months I began waking him up from his morning nap, first at the 1 1/2 hour mark and then eventually the one hour mark (sometime between 12-13 months). I know the timetable can vary a lot from child to child, with most books recommending dropping somewhere in the 15-18 month range. Once G hit 12-13 months, his afternoon nap definitely started shortening, so I knew he would probably be on the early end. I think (oh boy, I'm already forgetting!) that around 14 months I started skipping it every other day. That seemed to work pretty well. That way, if we were going to have a late night or extra busy day, he was gradually getting used to cutting it out. His afternoon nap definitely did not instantly turn longer, even when not skipping that morning nap! But after a while it gradually lengthened. After about a month of the every other day, or every couple of days, we were done, right about the 15 month mark. Occasionally, I still might lay him down for a cat nap in the am if he's definitely showing signs of needing it, but pretty much, we're good with the one nap now! And it definitely did lengthen to usually 2.5 to sometimes 3 hours.
One unexpected thing. At first, he still wasn't ready to go down until his 1:30 or 2 (his usual 2nd nap) time. But after a month or two, I slowly moved it up as his tired signs got earlier! Now he goes down at 12:30 and is quite ready!
All in all, it was one of the easier baby transitions that we've done. yay for that! I think it is kind of tricky though. A lot of baby things it can be best to just quit something cold-turkey and get thru a couple of days of chaos! But with the nap, I think their bodies need to be able to make that adjustment maybe over a little more time. Doing every other day or every couple of days is good for that, however, we know how important routine is to them, and so that's where they can get a little confused at a varying routine!
But anyways....we're enjoying our extra summertime hours!
Speaking of naptime, somewhere around the 14 month mark somebody got really attached to his
"B". He has fallen in love with this thing! We're making him keep it in his crib because I can't handle all the germs it would pick up if he dragged it everywhere. :) SO FAR, he has been willing to say "bye-bye B" after nap! But he is also giddy when naptime/bedtime comes because he's SO excited to see B. Can't complain about that!!
We would love to know who gave this to him! (Cornerstone baby shower?) It's half-blanket/half-bear, with a silk edge that he loves to rub. The other day, I was vacuuming and found him sitting in the corner hugging it.
Sweet, but sad all at the same time. :) But he loves it anyways! (Notice in the top picture, he is sleeping on top of it, which he loves to do!)
So, that's our story, do you have any major do's or don'ts?!
3 comments:
That first picture is so cute... He does look so cute holding "B", too :) Elyse just dropped her morning nap within the last 2 weeks, and it is nice to have a long afternoon nap to look forward to! I admit, I am kind of sad to see it go, but many days she still "rests" in her crib if she's cranky and listens to some music... I know for Elyse, it's so important for her to have some quiet time alone to "refocus" at times. heehee... It's amazing how even that can improve her mood! Elyse, too, is usually ready for her afternoon nap at 12:30 at times... makes it hard to eat a late lunch, huh? I love hearing what G is up to- thanks for posting!
I think I will really enjoy going to one nap time too - but I think my sweetie needs to hold onto two a little while longer. That pic at the top totally reminded me of her!!! She loves loves loves this crocheted afghan that my grandma made and she sleeps on top of it, just like the bear...so cute!
Thanks for the update. It's so neat to see what other mamas do with their little ones. I have been thinking through this for some time now. But Maddy has still been hanging onto her 2 naps. She sleeps for about an hour at 10am and then 2 hours at 2pm. some days if we are out, she goes without it. But if we are home, she can't seem to make it without her little morning snooze. I'm not complaining at this point. I love the little break in the morning to have my coffee and read my Bible ;) But I'm sure your tips will be soo helpful for when we officially make the transition!
Post a Comment