Two Naps A Day Keeps The Rocking Away

I hate to even type this up because of the likely jinxing it will bring, but since reinstitutiing the morning nap three days ago, Ella's nights have been so much better. The last two nights I haven't heard her once. Which means, I, too, have gotten two full nights of rest. Hallelujah! I'm like a new woman. It's been so nice to be this happy and far less irritable. 

That's pretty much it. A 45-minute nap in the mornings combined with a good 1 1/2 to 2-hour nap in the afternoons seems to have helped her nights improve drastically. We're still dealing with a little bit of rocking before she falls asleep, but we're staying on top of it. We remind her throughout the day that beds are for resting and not for rocking, and right before we put her in bed, we remind her again. We've also been snuggling with her more throughout the day, and I dance and sway with her often. She's been so very sweet (and far more obedient and helpful and loving) these last few days, and I attribute it mostly to the rest she's been able to get. The poor kiddo was sleep-deprived and could not fix it on her own. And her mommy was the one who caused it in the first place. Mommy-fail :/. 

Anywho, here's our happy girl yesterday morning. 

They both had a fun time hanging out with Grandpa after lunch. 

I cannot express how much I LOVE this hand-me-down outfit (hat, too!) and the girl who's wearing it, of course. 

And this shot of her right before she woke up from this morning's nap made me smile. So thankful things are getting better.

**Update**

I knew better, and I typed it up and posted it anyway. 

Last night, Ella and I spent an hour and a half awake from 2:30 to 4am. The rocking, admittedly, was far less violent (and there was no humming involved) than it usually is at that time of night, but it was enough to wake me. I went in, and I held her for a long time. Her little leg beat time against my own. She was very restless. I laid her down and covered her up. I had to go in three more times to put her back down, and the last time, I held my hand on her back and rubbed it gently for almost ten minutes while I prayed over her. Thankfully, Jack seemed to sleep through all of it.