we interrupt this regularly scheduled blog posting

...to tell you that for BOTH of his naps today, I have laid Jude down in his crib awake, and he has fallen asleep on his own! With NO crying! NONE!

Here's the naptime routine we've established:

I take Jude back to his room, lower his crib rail, and turn on the radio static. Then I wrap him in a blanket, lay him in the crook of my arm, and sing "Baby Mine" to him. After I finish singing, I lay him down in his crib, put the crib rail back up, close the door, and leave. He's almost always awake when I lay him down, and he even watches me put the crib rail back up (I don't make eye contact - someone told me that making eye contact with a baby you're trying to put to sleep is one of the worst things you can do because it'll get them all riled up).

I started this whole thing about a week ago (we would rock him to sleep in the rocking chair before, then set him in his crib), and he cried for 30 minutes the first time. Then 25, then 20, then 10, then just a few whimpers, and now...

now, my friends! NO crying! And...AND....he slept for almost two hours for his morning nap. But I have a feeling that's just a fluke.

After one year, we finally have a baby who takes a nap without crying. Sing it with me, friends, "Oh happy day..."