Please explain - A times vs cap naps

[3littlemen]

I'm a bit confused. I thought the idea of Easy was to follow a times that suited lo. So as they got older the a times naturally increase. Of course, at some point, naps need to be limited in length or dropped (3-2,2-1 etc) to fit it all in. What I'm wondering is how does nap capping fit in? If Lo naturally gives you an UT nap first up and a better one later in the day, would you bother increasing first a time to get a longer first nap?
FOr instance currently, at 8.5mo we get at 55min nap on a 3h a time, the next nap 3-3h30 later on is 1h30-2h long. BT is 3h30-4h later. Do you push out the first a time so the first sleep is no longer UT and then cap it in time for another 7hr+ worth of A time for the day, or do you just leave it UT and hope they keep going to sleep for you?

I'm a bit confused.... some clarification would be great!

[nevinsmama]

Your routine sounds great for a LO of that age. I would totally expect one nap to be 1 hour ( or less!) at this age as you are working towards 1 nap. Getting the timing right on that 2nd nap is important for it to be the restorative nap of the day adn it looks like you have that. If you get nap refusal of the 2nd nap then I would start cutting the 1st nap back, maybe 15 minutes at a time. How are your nights? If they are decent then I wouldn't change anything!

[3littlemen]

like magic really, all of a sudden **poof* in a cloud of smoke they disappear!!!

I noticed we've got our first top teeth (four of them actually) coming through... but we've also got some all night parties (from 2.30am) and really short first naps (20m! despite being medicated) and 2hr long 2nd naps...

Can pain be causing 40m-1h30+ NW?? and EW? For instance today,
EW 2.30-at least 3.40am, maybe longer
EW 5am still awake
WU 6.30
Nap 8.54-9.15 (in at 8.30,put to bed early as thought he was showing tired, poo'ed though but asleep by 8.54)
nap 12.30-2.30

so do I put him to bed on 3hr30 a time for a nap or for bt? I did an extra ebt of 5.10pm on Friday (its now Monday) due to 50m max of daytime sleep due to being away from home and that's about when all this started - not to mention the teeth.

He will be 9mths on the 18th. I kinda would have thought he'd be on two naps for a bit longer yet... ??wdyt??