Sleep pattern success!

I'm so proud of my little boy. He's finally turned what seems like a permanent corner in his sleep pattern. Since about mid July he's consistently gone to bed between 7:30 and 8pm (unless we're in a situation where this hasn't been possible, out for dinner, etc.) without hesitation. There have been a few exceptions but I can't even remember the last one.

Around 7:30 (or a tad earlier if he's been grumpy) I tell him it's time to get ready for bed and we go into his room to put pajamas on. I give him a clean diaper if needed, put pajamas on him and then we go back out to the living room where he hangs out with daddy for a few minutes while I get his bottle ready. If he's in a good mood I sit him on the floor to "help" me put his toys away. Mostly I put them away while he watches and/or takes them all out again. If he's grumpy we skip right to the bottle. We say goodnight to daddy and I take him to his room, feed him his bottle and we cuddle for a minute or two. I then put him in his crib, turn on his musical seahorse and say goodnight. I turn the light off and leave, closing the door behind me. And that's it. He goes to sleep on his own, every night. Sometimes he talks to himself for a few minutes before falling asleep but he doesn't cry. Bed time has become non-negotiable and I love it! I don't know how long this will last but it's been going on for a while so I'll take that as a good sign for now!

Naps have also been getting better. Most of the time I can just lay him down in his crib, say goodnight and leave, and he goes to sleep on his own. We're not quite 100% in the nap department yet though, he still sometimes protests. Usually the morning nap goes well but the afternoon one has to be timed just right and the timing is a little harder to figure. If he's not quite tired enough or if he gets too tired he fights the nap.

Progress is being made though, and life is good!