Master Manipulator

I've come to the conclusion that my almost-8-month-old is, indeed, a master of manipulation. She's known this for quite some time and her powers are nearly driving me batty. Really.

Ava has decided that she does not want to sleep...ever. Not because she isn't tired, trust me, she is. But because she would much rather be held and hang out with me than go to sleep. So her newest sleep issue is that she just won't go to sleep. She'll cry and cry when I put her down for a nap, and since she sounds so darn pathetic, I will reluctantly go in there to give her her binky back and pat her on the back. This used to work like a charm, it only took once or twice and she would give up and go to sleep. But now that she's figured out her powers of manipulation? Forget it. As soon as she sees me, her chubby legs starts kicking and she gets the biggest grin I've ever seen and starts cooing as if to say, "See? You can't possibly leave me in here all alone! I am the cutest thing you've ever seen. You know it's true. So pick me up and let's just forget about this nap business, ok?" It's ridiculous. This morning it took 40 minutes and me going in to her 5 times before she fell asleep for a grand total of 20 minutes.

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Well, just STOP going in there and she'll learn eventually and she'll just go to sleep." And I know that you're right, I really do. But for some reason I cannot stand to hear this child cry, I just can't take it. My pulse starts racing and I break out into a cold sweat and I feel like I'm going to pass out if I am not up the stairs and in her bedroom in 5 seconds flat.

I know that Aiden never did this. He wasn't a good napper, but it sure wasn't because he wanted me to hold him, lol. He never did the "Come save me!" cries of torture and then put on a huge smile the second I walked into the room. Don't get me wrong, he's a pretty cuddly kid now, but as a baby, no way.

So I am stumped. If anyone has any great words of wisdom for me (other than to buy earplugs, which I have and yet have only used one night for about 20 minutes, lol), please don't hesitate to help me out! I've resorted to moving her swing back into her room and plopping her into it when she wakes up after 20 minutes, like she always does. For whatever reason, she never cries in the swing and she goes right back to sleep. But if I try rocking her or anything like that she is grabbing at my face and trying to play and taking her binky out and trying to give it to me and it is basically the opposite of soothing to her. I feel like I'm back to square one and I have no idea where to go next. :(