looking for it

It's been a rough few weeks. We had the car break down. Mason had strep. I had a stomach flu. Then I had a stomach flu again. Then Rissa got the stomach flu and puked all over herself and her crib. It's just been a rough time. During this rough time, there has been a spark of awesomeness: Marissa's recognition of her own fatigue and her desire to go to bed when she is tired.
Any mother who has ever had a toddler knows how rare and therefore how totally rad it is when your toddler not only makes it a breeze to put him/her down for a nap, but also actually requests naps as soon as s/he feels a little tired. I cannot tell you how many times that girl has come up to me and asked for a nap, much to my great relief. This week, probably because she was feeling craptacular, she was asking for and then taking two naps a day. And that alone has made a huge difference in how this rough spot has played out.
I'm so grateful that Marissa takes after her mama in the sleep department. I'm grateful for the excellent sleep training advice I found in Marc Weissbluth's Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, and for our fantastic pediatrician who recommended it to me way back when Mason was a baby. Finally, I'm especially grateful that Marissa came to live at my house. She's really great!