Go to sleep you baby!

I find the next sentence very ironic:

Julia's my good sleeper.

I find that statement ironic because that wasn't the case for a looooooong time. At least for night time sleeping. You see, Julia slept in our bed for the first 9 months (the first 6 months Evan was there too, but then he went to training...so those last 3 months were just me and Juju). And she woke up a lot to nurse. She also needed to be held to sleep, so we wore a lot of slings for a long time. Elisabeth, on the other hand, was in her own crib at 3 months and sleeping through the night. She didn't like being cuddled during the night like Julia did and I must tell you that Elisabeth has been told many a time that she wins extra points for being such a good night sleeper at an early age.

Even when we moved here to Colorado, the girl still woke up a lot. And, I don't blame her because it was the first time she had a real room all to herself. She probably woke up nightly at least twice a night until she was around 16 months or so. Sometimes she wanted nursed (until she weaned at 14 months) but sometimes she just wanted someone to hold her. Evan took over once the nursing stopped as the parent on night duty and she eventually learned to sleep all night. Which we love.

But, Julia's always, always, always been a great napper. She needs them, she wants them. She will voluntarily tell me when it is time for her to nap. She loves going "night-night" and cuddling her "baby" (which is a plush bunny) and being wrapped in her "blankie". Elisabeth? Well, she gave up naps at 18 months and never looked back. The girl could (and has) stay up till midnight and still be bouncing out of bed at 7:00AM. She just never needed as much sleep. (Elisabeth lost points for being a poor napper, in case you were curious.)

Because I know she needs naps and loves them, this is why I am sooooo frustrated this week.
Julia has been slowly pushing her nap time back. Which is fine--I am all about using her cues to know when she needs sleep. But, she's been wanting to sleep around 1:30 or 2:00. She naps for at least 2 hours. Elisabeth gets out of school at 3:20. We need to be out the door at 3:00 to get her. You see my dilemma.

I have been calling a neighbor whose daughter is in Elisabeth's class to occasionally walk her home for me if Julia's gone down late for a nap, but this has been happening daily for a week now and I always feel guilty for calling so much.

So, this is what ends up happening:
And I either end up managing to get her to stay asleep after we get home and letting her sleep till 4:30 or she wakes up after only a 30 minute nap and then is the most beastly 22 month old to roam the planet.

I need for school to be over for the year. Julia is suffering from this crappy nap schedule. Order must be restored in my home before I lose my mind!!!!

Only 8 more days of school. Only 8 more days of school. Only 8 more days of school...