Transitions...

Stewart has changed a lot in the past week. Not only is he gaining strength, stability and agility, but he is developing more of a personality. He is an incredibly mellow and happy baby. He keenly observes his friends and shows an obvious desire to master the same level of skills they have. He is learning his name, and is beginning to respond to it. He is also beginning to heed when I tell him to "please stop" and "not safe," especially when I place one hand on his chest to keep him from squirming on the changing table. Does he understand or is he just aware that I am speaking directly to him? I speak directly to him a lot, so I think he is noticing a difference. We clap and giggle when he does cool new things like climbing up to me on the couch. He loves to tickle and play. He is also a determined and persistent little man. Let's hope this will be a positive character trait, and not turn into obstinancy! When he really wants to stand up on the dog I have to redirect him. But no biggie. And so of course, with those grand changes changes in sleeping and eating patterns are occurring too. I don't know when it began, but somehow over the summer between vacations where he slept in strange places and teething pain, he has begun to routinely wake in the middle of the night. How I miss my perfect little sleeper. Because of my separation anxiety while I was at work and my joy to be home with him over the summer, I have begun to spoil him by taking him out of his crib and either allowing him to nurse or to sleep in our bed, and usually both - something I vowed never to do! So now the question of how to break this habit, for both of us. I've been good about having a bed time routine as every expert suggests. But I have yet to teach him how to fall asleep independently. He almost always nurses to sleep. His father could put him down for a nap and he would just fall asleep, but his dad hasn't been putting him down for over a month. He would do it for me occasionally, but he hasn't in a while. Again, my own fault really. I'm figuring it'll be easy to work on this at nap time than at bed time because I'll have more patience. I'm thinking it'll be easier for him too because its not dark and as lonely and scary. This afternoon I put him down, he cried for ten minutes and I went in and rubbed his back to reassure him I was still here, as experts have suggested. There is a lullaby CD playing too. Then I left him for another ten minutes, and did the same. We're in the 3rd round of ten minutes, and he is still screaming bloody murder. I'm about to give in. Wait, he's stopped? Three minutes to go... a whimper... Okay, I'm giving him a few more minutes so that if he is asleep I don't wake him. This napping thing is also tied to the changes in eating. He's been eating three meals a day of rice cereal and pureed fruits and veggies for the past week. But he still needs a shot of milk, which I did give him about an hour before I put him down for a nap, so he should be fine. But, he didn't seem to like his second turn at bananas this morning, having given up after half of the serving. Did he not like the bananas or was he full? Maybe he is still hungry... Oy vie. To make it all the more complicated we're off on another vacation this week... we're very excited to go and introduce him to more members of my side of the family, but is this the best time to change sleeping patterns when he'll be sleeping in a strange place again? I've never handled life transitions very well... I sure do hope he can handle them better than me. I would love advice on this one. HE'S ASLEEP!!!!