Rocking up on all fours. Are all milestones a double-edged sword?

For a week now, Nolan has been getting his knees up under him, pushing up off his chest and rocking back & forth on all fours. Yesterday, while up on all fours he reached for a toy with one hand!

It's so exciting to watch your child reach new milestones, cheering them on as they figure it all out.

However, with all this new excitement comes some major sleep disruptions.

At least for us.

Since the day he figured out how to get up on all fours, his daytime napping has become one big mess. He still naps, going down awake and falling asleep in his crib on his own (thank God for small miracles, right?). But he's not able to make it past that first 30 minute sleep cycle. Like lightening striking him, he jerks awake, pops up on all fours, and begins to rock in his crib, all the while sobbing. Sobbing because he's exhausted. Little man wears heavy bags under his eyes all day long and no matter how many naps he takes (we are up to four a day!) nor how early we put him to bed (as early as 4:45pm!), nor how long he sleeps at night (some times up to 14 hours!), the lack of good quality, restorative daytime napping is taking it's toll on him.

And on me.

Ugh. I forgot how quickly things change with infants and how easily their sleep can be effected when they reach new milestones. I'm so ready for this phase to be over...