Nap? Nap!!!

Ever since we sleep-trained Ben as an infant, he has gone to sleep on his own. When he was tiny, sometimes he'd cry a bit, but for the past year and a half he pretty much goes to sleep shortly after his head hits the mattress. However, for the past two weeks, I'd put him down for his nap when he's drowsy and yawning, and he'd do this:



He has been spending 1 to 2 hours at every nap and some bed times, talking, playing, and giggling to himself contentedly before falling asleep. I began to worry that he might be trying to drop his nap, although I was still convinced he needed it. So once again I referred to my favorite parenting blog as a reference: Chronicles of a Babywise Mom. I have found it helpful on many occasions, if only as reassurance that I am not alone in my experiences. This time I learned that babies have to retrain themselves about 5 times in life. The physician that Babywise Mom talked to mentioned 2 months, 18 months, and 2 years as being three of those times (and that's been consistent with Ben's experience). So it's just a phase Ben is going through, and I can listen to him giggling in the monitor without worrying he's dropping his nap. (I really need that nap time to recharge!)
Incidentally, in the video above, he kept saying "no" and "uh-uh" to himself, which cracked him up. Apparently when I tell him "no," it's just a big joke!