Training

You know how they say that training a dog is actually more about training the human? I feel like this same idea applies to Eloise and sleep. Not that Eloise is anything like a dog, it's just a similar scenario.

We are now just two stickers away from a full sleep chart and all it took was for Chris and I to train ourselves not to give in. It seems so silly now that we've been struggling with Eloise and sleep for as long as we have when all it took was perseverance. Eloise still occasionally wakes up but I just walk her back to bed and give her a kiss and that's it. Or I she wakes up mid-dream and puts herself back to sleep. It's remarkable and kind of ridiculous all at the same time how simple it is.


In other news I was only up with Spencer once last night, so perhaps his sleep regression this week was just a minor blip and we can get back to normal, whatever that is.

Why Sleep?

Is there some seven month sleep regression I should know about? Because in the span of just a few nights Spencer has gone from rockstar sleeper to little terror.

Spencer is still going down without issue but for three nights in a row he has woken up less than 30 minutes later and requires an hour of bouncing to put him back to sleep. If he was just fussing I'd leave him, but his cries are the full-on, wailing-coughing cries that Eloise used to do right before she barfed. It's on nights like these that I dream of separate rooms.

It is not surprising that Spencer started waking up at exactly the same time that Eloise started sleeping. It would be silly of me to expect easy when it comes to sleep around here, right?

This is a Big Deal

Today marked the fourth in a row that Chris and I woke up in the morning for the first time since going to sleep. We were not woken up by children during the night and we did not have to share our bed either. I'm sure this sounds like any old morning to many of you, but if you have been reading this blog for a while then you know how much we have struggled with Eloise and sleep. Waking up after an uninterrupted sleep is a luxury that Chris and I have not enjoyed in almost two full years. This is a big deal.

Last week we reached a breaking point and even Eloise knew it. Her sleeping with us has gone from fine to unbearable. She used to just fit in and peacefully slumber but in the last few months her sleep has become restless and she aggressively kicks her legs on top of the covers, wakes up demanding things or nails one of us with a kick to the jaw. Chris and I have started getting more frustrated with her and each other, often arguing in the middle of the night or dealing with whining and tears. We are tired, Eloise is tired and the effect of her sleeping in our bed has gotten to be too much. 

Eloise asked the other day, "Mommy, why is it all dark under your eyes?" I explained that I have dark circles because I am really freaking exhausted (though not in those exact words...) and she noticed that it looked a little dark under her eyes too. We both agreed that the solution was sleep and Eloise suggested trying to stay in her bed all night. Great idea! The first night Eloise woke up four times and Chris and I took turns taking her back to bed. The second night it was only once and when I tucked her in again I surrounded her with peeps and dolls to keep her company. The third night she went to bed at eight and woke up at eight without so much as a peep. Same goes for the fourth night. Eloise is so ridiculously proud of herself, and we are too. 

Spencer has of course has been sleeping through all of this. He does occasionally fuss in the night but we leave him and he puts himself back to sleep. I wouldn't dream of bringing Spencer into our bed or even waking up to nurse him in the night. It might seem harsh, but this ridiculous sleep game needs to end with Eloise. 

Slowly the boxes of Eloise's sleep chart are filling up with stickers and we have promised a trip to Toys R Us for whatever she wants. Yesterday it was a monster truck and today a Frozen Anna doll, but honestly, Chris and I are so thankful to be the only people sharing our queen bed that if Eloise wants a ride-on Barbie jeep I might even consider it.

Seeking Ken

That joyful picture of Eloise I posted after the second night in a row that she slept in her own bed? That was basically just for show. Since then Eloise has slept through the night in her own bed precisely once, and I think it was only because she stayed up too late.

The Sleep Through The Night chart on our fridge has three stickers, just one away from a fourth-sticker treat (something little like a lollipop or a new hair bow). Eloise needs 16 stickers to earn that Ken doll and at this rate she'll be seven by the time that happens. We keep reminding Eloise that all she has to do is stay in her own bed, even if she wakes, in order to earn those stickers but she is smarter than that. She knows if she wakes up and comes into our bed we won't fight it so when I am putting her to bed now and ask her if she's going to stay there all night and she says, "Um not tonight. I'll do it tomorrow, okay mama? Is that a good idea?" Sure, but it would be a better idea if you just slept, Eloise. 

No Just Gas

Spencer has smiled at me more than once in the past few days so I am convinced a smile no longer means gas. His smiles are all gummy and lopsided, lighting up his whole face and melting my heart.

Since reaching the six-week mark Spencer has been more alert and has come out of the 'newborn fog' that babies start their lives in. He is now looking at us when we speak, can lift his head and hold it up for a few seconds, clasps onto me when I carry him and is over 12 pounds of rolly poly baby goodness. He has a soft tuft of hair at the nape of his neck, cute little eyelashes and has thankfully grown out of newborn acne. His legs still curl up when we cuddle and we still need to support his head, but he is definitely showing signs of being more baby than newborn.

There are exceptions, but Spencer eats well, sleeps well and is generally happy. At just seven weeks I feel like I already know what to expect from him, such a contrast to Eloise who has always differed day to day. As I write this (what do YOU do while breastfeeding at 4:44am?) Eloise is asleep in our bed. You'd think that a fuss-free day with an easy bedtime would lead to her sleeping through the night in her own bed, but I just never know what to expect. Spencer on the other hand just woke up after sleeping six hours and is busy eating again so he can get back to sleep. This is my introduction to the difference between boys and girls. 

Night Two

She did it again, Eloise slept through the night in her own bed! It was mighty early when she woke up this morning but I can't push my luck too much. 

Spencer also had a successful night, sleeping 8pm - 3:30am, which is amazingly almost eight hours. Now, if I could only figure out how to go to sleep at nine o'clock we'd be golden. 

All Night Long

Last night something miraculous happened that had me singing Lionel Richie's "All Night Long", all morning long: Eloise slept in her own bed, all night long.

Apart from having friends over for dinner last night - which is not totally unusual for us - the circumstances for bedtime were no different. We skipped bath since it was already past eight, Eloise put on jammies and brushed her teeth without argument, had her milk and easily went to sleep. All very normal.

What was not normal was that Eloise was still very asleep in her own bed when I went to get Spencer for his 1am feed, and still asleep when Spencer woke again at five. Chris took the kids this morning and let me sleep in (because he is the best) so Eloise was basically bursting at the seams in excitement to see me when I woke up.

"Mama, mama, I stayed asleep! I stayed in my own bed! And now I get a new Ken with two legs and soft hair*!"

After hugs, gushing about how proud of her I was, a round of high-fives with Chris and more hugs, I went on to explain that it will take a few more nights of sleeping in her own bed before we go Ken-shopping. Still, this is such a huge step for Eloise, you don't even know. Hoping for many more nights of Eloise sleeping in her own bed I will leave you with this...

*Eloise had my Ken doll. He has been an amputee for over 20 years and has hard hair. But he's still a Superstar.

Easy

As first time parents you read books, lots of books. While you are pregnant you read books on every moment of pregnancy, books on birthing, books on baby care and name books. When the baby arrives you read books on development and breastfeeding and sleep. I still have many of these stacked next to my bed, but this time around they remain unopened.

With my second baby my lack of reading and research comes from already knowing what to expect and just being too tired to read. I'm also not as concerned about the milestones Spencer should be hitting or getting him on a routine at the 'right time'. I don't need a book to teach me how to soothe him or help him sleep, I have tricks learned from Eloise and really, Spencer is proving to be a pretty easy baby.

Our routine right now is totally Spencer-set. Unlike Eloise, Spencer doesn't like to be 'over handled', if he's tired he doesn't want to be cuddled or rocked, he is ready to be in his crib. His routine makes for a more content baby but it has been a process for me to adjust to his cues. When Spencer gets fussy mid-morning I know he is ready for his first nap, when I put him down after lunch I know I can count on him sleeping for three or four hours and by about 7pm he is ready for 'bed'. Spencer will wake up around 11 o'clock for a bottle and is down again for four or five hours. After this he will wake up every few hours, but at least he will easily sleep in his crib between feedings.

I'm still super tired - working late means that my sleep coincides with Spencer's up-every-two-hours pattern - but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I doubt very much I will be waiting until Spencer is 11 months old for a full night's sleep. He's just much more easy.

Big Fat Boy

Long before Spencer was even a bean in my belly, Chris was certain out next child would be a 'big fat boy'. Since we have always struggled to get Eloise to eat enough and even more, to sleep, Chris decided that our second baby would just do both from birth without question. As it happens, he seems to have predicted correctly. Spencer's appetite is excellent, if not insatiable, and I'm confident this contributes to his ability to sleep. 

For the past few weeks I've been trying to follow Spencer's cues when it comes to developing a routine. I definitely don't have it figured out, but I am starting to see a pattern. I'm still a little lost when it comes to his routine in the mornings but Spencer is easy going enough to sleep in the Bjorn or stroller as we do school drop off or head off on an activity. By lunchtime he is ready for a big feed and goes down for a few solid hours in his crib. He wakes up again, we feed, play a little, do a bath, get him into jammies and he's back in the crib around 5pm. Spencer sleeps right through Eloise's witching hour and the bustle of dinner before waking again around 9pm for a bottle of expressed milk with Chris, then goes down for another five-ish hours. After this stretch of sleep he wakes every two hours or so to nurse but still, not bad for a little dude who is just a month old. 

Besides lots of food, I contribute Spencer's sleeping to his sleep position. I remember a friend with two good sleepers tell me that she put both of her kids to sleep on their tummies. Spencer had been fussing and resisting sleep in his crib for hours one day so I decided to give tummy sleeping a shot. That first time he slept on his tummy was the beginning to longer stretches of sleep for Spencer and more sanity for me. I feel like I'm breaking the rules by doing this but I'm okay with that (I am a rebel after all). I put him into the crib awake on his tummy, he doesn't make a peep and then goes right to sleep. It's a miracle.  

6 Hours

I had to check the clock multiple times and was reduced to counting on my fingers for confirmation, but there it was: Spencer slept for six straight hours last night! And honestly, I'm not all that surprised. 

His appetite is becoming insatiable. Each time he nurses during the day - which is often - you'd think I have never fed the kid. He sucks like he hasn't eaten in weeks, with a voraciousness that leaves him almost breathless and requires burp breaks just to let him catch up. Spencer is a little tank. 

Last night Chris gave Spencer a bottle and he downed three ounces, crying for more. I nursed him for another 45 minutes before putting him in his crib and boom, six hours later there we were. You'd think Spencer's six hours meant an uninterrupted sleep for me, but Eloise had other plans when she arrived in our room at midnight. I tried to reason with her, "But Eloise, your not alone in your room anymore! Spencer is sound asleep in his crib." She just looked at me in her sleepy stupor as if to say, "Nice try, lady," crawled up into our bed and fell fast asleep on my pillow. I retreated to her bed. By four o'clock Spencer was up again, ending his lengthy sleep with an exhausting 'every hour feed' for the rest of the night. I wouldn't say I felt rested today, but I do feel better and hopefully Spencer's six hours are just the beginning.

Battle Sleep

As you can imagine, nights with two children have been an interesting adjustment. A three year old who will not sleep through the night alone and a growing newborn was bound to be tricky but we're entering disaster territory here. Before getting into bed every night I feel like we are suiting up for battle: diaper caddy locked and loaded? Check. Bra stuffed with enough pads to keep me relatively dry? Check, check. Extra burp cloths, nipple shield and a pacifier at the ready? Check, check, check. 

Chris and I start off in bed together and try to fall asleep as quickly as possible before one or both of the kids require our attention. Our "good nights" have been replaced with "good luck" and I'm not lying when I say we mean it. It has been a game of musical beds (Spencer and I in our bed, Eloise and Chris in her bed, Spencer in his crib, Spencer and I in Eloise's bed, Eloise, Chris, Spencer and I in our bed together) every night since we brought Spencer home and neither Chris nor I seems to have found a solution to our sleeping arrangements. Eloise still insists on being put down in her bed, a now ridiculous exercise as we all know she will sleep in there for just a few hours before coming to find me. Trying to set a good precedent we have been putting Spencer in his crib at the same time as Eloise goes to sleep but this only lasts an hour or so before he is up again. A few hours after that Eloise wakes up which in turn means I have to wake Chris up (he sleeps through everything) and we have to work fast to decide who's sleeping where and whisk Eloise back to bed before she is fully awake. Meanwhile, Spencer is up to feed and needs a change typically every two-ish hours, so I only ever get a taste of sleep before I am up again. 

Some nights are better than others but last night wasn't great. Spencer was up every two hours on the dot and required two complete outfit changes thanks to leaking diapers and milk spills. I smell like milk and our sheets need to be changed but looking down at my now perfect sleeping boy (go figure) it's pretty easy to get over it. I guess I'll sleep when they grow up and in the meantime, pass the coffee. 

Eloise and the Hairy Chickens

In conjunction with the other scary things we're dealing with, Eloise's recent dreams have been vivid and nightmares are occurring often. Not every night has a nightmare, but when they come Eloise wakes up crying and can recount her dreams with an often full - albeit nonsensical - account of the goings on. It seems to me that Eloise's active imagination is getting the better of her. 

We're into a good (by our standards) sleep routine right now with Eloise asleep by 7:30 without a fuss, the result of a child who really needs an afternoon nap but won't. But by 10:30 or 11:00 she is up again, whimpering as she recounts whatever she has been dreaming about in the early stages of sleep. Sometimes it's entertaining and she easily goes back to sleep, and other times we have to comfort her for some time in order to erase whatever it was that left her so afraid. 

After a slightly traumatic trip to Maplewood Farm - my girl is unfortunately developing fear of fowl - and an influential afternoon at Science World all in one weekend, Eloise was left with some pretty vivid memories. The experiences she took away from both outings had an impact on her imagination and have unfortunately resulted in a recurring nightmare about hairy (not feathered) chickens and giant eggs that hatch in both her bed and ours. She woke up screaming one night and again the next, but was calmer the third night as she explained throwing things to get the chickens to go away. This nightmare has occurred probably half a dozen times now and it's so frustrating that there is absolutely nothing I can do from stopping it from happening again. 

We talk to Eloise about her dreams and nightmares to help work out what they mean and why they are scary, but they are ultimately something she needs to figure out on her own. For now all I can do is be there and do my best to fill her mind with nothing but positive images.

Yours, Mine, Hers

The sleep situation around here is not good. Eloise continues to sleep in our bed nightly and as I grow bigger, my ability to sleep comfortably is becoming more difficult. It's my own fault that we've gotten to this point but, dammit, I'm tired.

Chris remarks that in order for Eloise to sleep soundly throughout the night she must be able to touch one or both of us. Usually it's me, with her head on my pillow and her face pressed against mine, but she likes to keep tabs on Chris by draping an arm his way or digging her feet into the waistband of his pajama pants. Or Eloise sleeps full starfish above the covers, a hand or foot on each of us, resulting in no duvet for the left half of my body.

Eloise's requirements for a sound, full night's sleep also include a space-hogging selection of peeps, cozies and Baby Emma, Eloise's beloved baby doll who has a very hard, round head and pokey digits. Recently Eloise has been waking up in the earliest parts of the morning crying uncontrollably because one or some of her peeps are no longer right under her arm. I've designated Chris to find the missing whatever because by this time I've already woken up once with Eloise, twice to pee and am finally enjoying my first fully uninterrupted stretch of sleep. If Granby weasels his way up - only ever on my side - I throw in the towel and head to Eloise's bed.

Perhaps I'm enabling this manic sleep pattern to continue, but I'm really lobbying for a king size bed.

Mama, Just Sit

Even though Eloise still manages to wander into our room every night, I've been relegated to the stool at bedtime. No longer does she require me to snuggle in beside her, under the covers. No, now I am to sit on the stool next to her bed and wait until she falls asleep... "Mama, just sit." Sometimes we read a book, but not very often these nights. Eloise even declines my offers to read Olivia or Eloise or Grumpy Bird or Dr. Seuss' ABC (all favourites), I suppose books are just too distracting when it's time for sleep.

Naps are still a thing of the past and on a busy day a (dreaded) car nap means bedtime will be a nightmare. Speaking of, nightly Eloise has been stirring and crying - typically an hour or two after she's gone to sleep, but before she comes to our bed - and I'm pretty sure she's having nightmares. She never fully wakes up, but often mumbles something indecipherable and will cry until she feels a comforting hand on her. I would never deny her the comfort of something a simple as Chris or I checking in to make sure she's okay, but I do worry that these sleep-interrupting nightmares are one of the reasons that Eloise ends up sleeping with us.

This would be yet another change in our sleep patterns, I sure hope we have something a little more regular to rely on by the time May rolls around.

Sleep Talker

I don't want to say I've given up, but I've given up, and Eloise sleeps in our bed every night. Chris is pretty insistent that she starts in her own bed, since we don't want to send the 'wrong message' (riiight), but I find this whole step pretty useless. No matter what the circumstances are, Eloise's little clock is programmed to come into our room between 11pm and 1am. At least if she is already asleep when we get into bed I don't have to wake up to a crying toddler.

I know what you're thinking, we need to put Eloise back in her own bed, we need boundaries. As I've mentioned here before, we've tried that, we've tried that four, five, six times in one night, but I need my sleep. I've made a rule that Eloise must sleep on her own pillow, that's a boundary, right?

Thankfully Eloise sleeps well in our bed, so we all sleep well, but we're in such close quarters that we've also learned she's quite the sleep talker. Chris and I often catch the end of a 'conversation' when we get into bed and have to stifle our laughter so we don't wake her. Here are some recent snippets:

"Goose is a galaxy girl."
"Armadillos get scared. They roll in a ball."
"My Daddy's not here, he goes to work."
"The monkey wore two band-aids. Then he climbed up the tree."

"Tigers say rarr! Mama I'm not afraid of tigers."

"I don't want dinner, I want Franklin." (Sounds like Eloise dreams in reality.)

Sometimes Eloise's sleep talking makes no sense and other times it's like she's fully awake. At least I know I can count on some laughs when I have to share my side of the bed every night. 

The Week the Naps Went Away

And that was the end of naps.

For two weeks now Eloise's incredibly reliable, two-hour long midday nap has been a battle and yesterday in the car, with a big bottle of milk to boot, Eloise resisted. No naps mean no down time for me, a crankier afternoon for Eloise but an easy bed time. I wouldn't go as far as to say it's for the best, but if getting Eloise to go to sleep for the night is a five minute process now I guess it's not the worst. 

Still, I love those two hours to myself! It was my opportunity to really buckle down and get work done or actually complete a task around the house. Have you ever tried spray painting a craft project with a two year old present? Not great. 

So my question is how on earth I get Eloise to understand that no nap means she still needs to spend an hour of quiet time? I know people who have their kids play quietly in their room during what used to be nap time, but I'm not sure I can get Eloise to understand this. I don't want lack of naps to turn into more time with the tv, but I also still need the time for myself. And sometimes a nap too. 

The Sleep Saga Continues

The past few nights have been brutal. Eloise is back to her old sleep-resisting tricks, has been waking up in the middle of the night and on top of it all, refuses to nap. By the time she is finally asleep and Chris and I have eaten, it's usually close to 10 o'clock and I still need to put in a few hours of work. Once I finally get into bed I know that Eloise is going to be awake again shortly so I haven't been sleeping that well. It's starting to feel like I might as well keep working until she wakes up, at least then my sleep would be 'uninterrupted'.

I don't get it. Eloise is more active these days with preschool on Tuesday and Thursday, dance on Wednesday and playdates, trips to the park and outings every other day of the week so you'd think she would be considerably more tired. She is generally a happy child and always energetic, but the sleep thing still continues to be a challenge. We're also struggling with night accidents again as Eloise flat out refuses a diaper. The night before last she woke up at 2am soaking wet and I had to strip everything down and get a wash going. Eloise did not like this. She had a full-out, fist banging, screaming tantrum when I tried to take off her nightie and continued to scream, exceptionally loudly, as I suggested we change her bed, her panties, visit the bathroom and wipe her down with a warm washcloth. I'm such a terrible mother, right? My Mom could hear Eloise's tantrum from the top floor.

Today we were up for most of the (very) early morning. Eloise woke up to pee (hooray!), then woke up again because she wanted to sleep in her bed with Chris. She woke up the next time to come back into our bed and then woke once more, crying, because she felt like there were shreddies stuck in her teeth. I pleaded with her to go back to sleep but she just wanted to dig her feet into my face while repeating "Mama, mama, mommy, mama, mommy, mommy," so I gave up. This was at 6am.

Owl Jammas

You'd think by two Eloise would have figured bedtime out by now. For most toddlers I think the process has become quite simple: you get into bed after a full day of fun, close your eyes and wake up in the morning rested and ready for new adventures. Apparently she hasn't quite gotten the memo.

We've struggled with sleep basically since Eloise was born. For a good six or nine months she was sleeping through the night uninterrupted, but this has been replaced with a hellish bedtime rigamarole (my least favourite part of the day) and a nightly wake up between midnight and three. When Eloise wakes up she sometimes cries, but usually she just gets out of bed on her own, opens her door, pads down the hall to our room and wakes me up to lift her into bed with us. A better parent would just walk her back to her room but let me tell you, once you've spent an hour or more of your very minimal evening free time putting your child to bed, another hour spent doing it all over again in the middle of the night is just not an option.

At least now when Eloise sleeps with us she actually sleeps. I think she heard the message loud and clear that it is not acceptable to kick Daddy in the face while suffocating Mommy but she does still insist on sharing my pillow. This ultimately results in me hugging the edge of my own bed while Eloise sleeps starfish and Chris enjoys the other two thirds. I am seriously considering a King.

And that bedtime rigamarole I mentioned? It goes a little something like this:

"Milky?" Eloise laughs hysterically as we hand over her bottle (yes, it's still a bottle) of milk.
"Read Grumpy Bird?" We read Grumpy Bird.
"Pee pee on the potty?" I take Eloise into the bathroom and take off her pajamas and diaper, at which time she decides she no longer needs to go. I have a hard time ignoring a plea to pee while we're trying so hard to potty train, even though I know it's likely a trap.
"More milky!" Because of course the first bottle has been drained. We give in praying that she will fall asleep with another half-bottle of milk. 
"Owl jammas on?" I say no, she is already wearing pajamas, nice striped ones.
"OWL JAMMAS! No striped jammas!" This is ridiculous.
"Mama's bed!" Not happening, Eloise, you're sleeping in your bed.
"OWL JAMMAS!" Screw it, where are they?
"I'm just crying now." She proceeds to practice her best pouty face as I locate the owl pajamas.
"Oh hi owl jammas... "
"Mama's bed? Okay." At this point, I'll try anything
"I have a runny nose, tissue? I hold it?" I grab a tissue and we transfer her Piggy, Penguin, Cozy and her pillow to our bed.
"Mama's nighty night? Put it on?" She wants to wear my nightie but agrees to just holding it.
"Eloise's bed now." AND back to her room.
"Aw, it's so tiny. Hi flower pillow. Dada snuggle?" Chris' turn.
A final plea for Eloise to lie down followed by a few more minutes of fussing with her Piggy, Penguin and Cozy and she finally settles.
"Okay, Dada, I so tired." That is an understatement, kid.

Time elapsed: 50 minutes

Bedtime is the Worst Time

Bedtime has become the worst part of my day. Our intentions are always good: have dinner and bath early, read a few stories then finish off with milk and a cuddle. Yet an hour after finishing her milk Eloise is still farting around.

"Mama ticky? Ticky back. No, ticky tummy. Ticky armpit? Ha ha that tickles." Not funny.

"Mama, sing? Sing Franklin." I sing the Franklin theme song. "Sing Franklin and tree fort." I make up something about Franklin's tree fort to the same tune. "Oh no, tree fort is broken. Sing that Mama." This is ridiculous.

I should mention that by this point we are in my bed since Eloise rejects hers before this debacle even gets started. The idea is that we will just transfer her later. The idea. What typically happens is that Eloise will stay right where she is and all 22 pounds of her spend the night pushing up against me and scissor kicking Chris. "No Dad, just Mama," is a favourite nighttime saying.

I know this is just another sleep pattern, another stage, but this is getting really stupid. And I'm pretty sure it's my fault. So, new mommies and mommies to be let me caution you this: when the urge to go to your newborn with every sleep-snarffle and peep occurs, don't do it. Wait. Wait two minutes or five minutes and let them learn to soothe themselves right from the get go. Avoid having to decide if you cry it out or not and hopefully, avoid the bedtime mess we've gotten ourselves into.

At least there's hope for baby #2.

Naps are Good

We may be on the mend where bedtime is concerned now that Eloise is finally getting over her cold - for the second time. I'm not going to consider it gone quite yet as I'm still running after her with tissues and reminding her to cough into her arm, but I think we're getting there. Last night she was only up at one o'clock and slept straight through until seven. Progress.

Naps on the other hand have been positively delightful. It goes like this: Eloise asks for milk, suggests we 'ie down' and heads into her room. I then pass her the milk, kiss her head and walk out. Then she sleeps for two + hours. Easy peasy. So this is what it's like for my friends with kids who are good sleepers.

Another naptime trick I've learned? Letting Eloise bring whatever she wants to bed with her. I don't care if it's a Barbie or Toby the Train or a water bottle (?), if it means she'll sleep I'm all for it!