To nap or not to nap

We are going through a bit of a rough patch with Lincoln lately.  His naps have been atrocious, almost non-existent.  He’ll fall asleep for 45 minutes or an hour and then wake up screaming.  Any attempt to put him back to sleep is futile.  He wants nothing to do with my consoling and only wants to get out of his crib.  But being since I’ve got a few years on him, I know better.  And based on his previous napping track record, (the kid used to nap for 2-3 hours without waking) I also know he needs a nap longer than an hour.  Today, I pulled the “auntie card.”  I laid him down and asked if he wanted to see Auntie Larissa tonight.  He nodded yes and stopped crying.  (This was an amazing response.  I would have asked him earlier had I known how it would quiet him.)  I then proceeded to tell him that if he wanted to see her for dinner tonight, he needed to calm down and take a nap.  He nodded again in agreement and I stepped away from the crib and left the room.  No tears, no screaming, just silence.  I thought for sure he’d pick back up again once I shut his door, but no, all was quiet.  Amazing!  I’ll have to try this little trick again – a little incentive to nap can’t hurt, right?  Who knows, I may just be on to something.