Day 1 - Recap

Day 1 was not unlike most other days where I struggle to make Nolan nap. He cried for +/- 30 minutes for his first nap and slept about 30 minutes. As per SS, I left him to fuss for 10 minutes before going in to try to settle him. I picked him up and used the "key words" ("night-night time"), rubbed his back and then set him back down in the crib. Of course, this resulted in an unholy eruption from the poor little dude... Pretty much the same thing happened for his second nap. Bedtime was stellar, like usual (no sarcasm!). He nurses to sleep in the glider and I put him in the crib without a peep.

So, it was good that it only took 30 minutes of crying for him to fall asleep at each nap. BUT, it's not so good that he only sleeps 30 minutes at each nap. 

Following the suggestion of going in to see if I can get him to sleep more after 10-15 minutes of crying just *doesn't* seem like it would ever work for this kid. It pisses him off big time. It's like I'm dangling a carrot.

Here's what I'm most conflicted about: to nurse at sleep times, or not to nurse at sleep times? SS instructs that feedings should be done upon waking and that it should not be part of the bedtime or naptime routine. BUT, after having done CIO at 4 months, and having it be successful for nighttime sleep, we still nurse right before bed. Sometimes he conks out on the nursing pillow and goes into the crib without a peep. Sometimes he kicks around and plays the whole time he's nursing and he goes into the crib awake. Those times he'll usually fuss (but not actually cry) a minute or two, but then goes to sleep.

So, do I keep up with the nursing before sleep part, and just use the rest of the strategies? Or, do I stop nursing at sleep times (which will cause upheaval at bedtime, for sure) and start everything 100% at square one? 

I'm stuck on that.