Trying not to get too excited

But for the past couple of days, Cayden has not been so reluctant to take naps, and he even SLEPT IN HIS CRIB AND PACK'N'PLAY WITHOUT ISSUE!!

Tuesday night (seven weeks old) I started a nighttime routine around 9 p.m.: warm, calming bath, followed by a new dipey in the dimmed nursery, where soothing celtic meditation music played. Then I nursed him silently (other than the music -- kind of like spa music with an Irish influence) in the glider, swaddled him, swayed him in my arms a bit, then put him down on his back in the Snuggle Nest in the crib around 10 p.m. He was quiet alert for about 10 minutes (Brian came in and told me there was no way he'd fall asleep, and he was sure my crib attempt would be a big fat fail), and then he fell asleep on his own! Slept for about an hour and a half before he woke up to eat.

Last night I returned to bed (I had been on the air mattress in the nursery for the past couple of nights -- really, I'm trying EVERYTHING), and we put him in the Snuggle Nest in the Pack'N'Play at the foot of our bed. He slept in there from 10:45 to 12:30, 1 a.m. to 3:30 and 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. And he went right back to sleep after each nursing -- keeping me vertical only 1/2 hour each time! At 6 a.m. I did bring him back to bed with me to snuggle. But now we have a bedrail on my side so there's no risk of him falling out (thanks, Jenny!)

And so far today, Chicken Wing went down for a mid-morning nap of more than two hours! I tried to put him in his swing this afternoon, but he started wailing after about 7 minutes, so now he's sleeping in his sling, strapped to my frontside.

We're thinking a number of factors are at play here, especially with the nighttime sleeping and the fact that he'll suddenly sleep somewhere other than in our arms: he's getting over his cold, the music seems to be REALLY calming for him, we're getting back to religious use of the swaddle, we're paying attention to limit stimulation at nighttime (dim lights, little talking, etc.) and he's been napping a little better during the day (you know, since sleep begets sleep for babies).

I realize this could all be an anomaly, but the past couple of days have given us hope that maybe he's turning a corner! We can identify some semblance of a routine! What a great birthday gift for Dad, however short-lived it may be.

Speaking of which, here's a pic of Cayden and Daddy, on Daddy's 31st birthday.

And here's a pic of fish lips, just before we put him to bed last night (this is drunk baby, after he ate).