One for the books!

Our days lately have been something to be proud about and document in the books.... so I thought I'd do just that! Julia has been doing an awesome job with sleeping lately! Again, I hate to jinx us, but I'm starting to feel pretty confident that her good sleeping habits may actually last (at least for a little while, until the next 'thing' comes our way.... whether it be another growth spurt, developmental change, or travel interference).

For a week now, Julia has consistently been having fabulous nights! She (more or less) is going down around 6:30pm for bed, waking once around 3:00am to eat, and then sleeps again until 6:30am..... and she has chosen this route on her own, in the respect of dropping the night feedings! It makes me feel good about sticking with the multiple feedings at night for as long as I did, because maybe she really did need them! Naps have also FINALLY been improving. She used to be the queen of chronic SHORT naps. Generally, we'd get 3 30-40 minute naps in a day. But, the new norm lately is to produce at least one awesome nap lasting anywhere from an hour and a half to two+ hours once a day! I am loving this! Not only does it allow me to get more things done during the day while Julia naps, but it also allows her to stay up a little bit later in the day and entertain us longer! She also has, seemingly, managed to have successfully conquered the task of putting herself to sleep! And, I'm very proud with the way we handled this "sleep teaching" - that in which on most nights I would stay in the room with Julia, cribside, until she was asleep. Now, I have faith (on most days) that I can just lay her down in her crib and walk away and know that she will peacefully be asleep soon............ however, now that we have conquered this feat, I find myself staying in there again (on some occasions) to rub her back to sleep, etc. just because 'I can' and I'm realizing that she's not going to need (or want) me to do it forever. I might as well take advantage of it while I can.

That's all. Just wanted to share our success! We're very proud - and also very hopeful that it will continue!

(Before I go.......... I simply cannot just submit a post sans photos or videos(!), so here are a few of some of my newest favorites).

And, a little bit of 'happy' for you all......

This is a video I took yesterday morning. PUH-LEASE ignore my awful (and probably too revealing) pj's, bedhead, and groggy morning voice. Her little giggles are far worth me submitting myself to such embarrassment here on my blog!