Dear Mr. Dad: We're having trouble getting our almost-4-month-old daughter to take naps. Until a week or two ago, everything was fine. Now she won't go down for more than 45 minutes. We've heard all kinds of advice on what to do, but we're trying to let her soothe herself to sleep — and trying to strike a balance between running to her crib whenever she wakes up versus letting her scream until she passes out. What's your take?

A: You're definitely on the right track with trying to get her to soothe herself — a tremendously important skill. You say she was napping fine until recently. Did something change in her schedule, diet, routine, or surroundings? Babies are remarkably sensitive little creatures, and their behavior is often a response to what's going on around them.

Pay especially close attention to "sleep hygiene." Are you putting your daughter down in a room where there are lots of toys around? If so, that could be the problem. Even though we think we sleep through the night, most of us actually wake up many times, take a look around, and go back to sleep. When your baby wakes up for those few seconds in the middle of her nap, if she sees toys, she'll want to get up — and why not? Who'd want to sleep with all those cool things to play with. If all she sees around her is her crib, though, she's more likely to drift off to sleep for a bit longer.

Dear Mr. Dad: I'm a 37-year-old mother of two, ages 18 and 5. I really want another baby, but my husband had a vasectomy immediately after our second child was born. At the time, I was exhausted and fighting post-partum depression, so when he came in an announced that he was getting the surgery I agreed. But now, when I tell him he can get it reversed and that we could start trying for another baby, he just says, "oh" and leaves the room. What can I do to change his mind?

A: Unfortunately, there's no quick solution to your problem. It sounds like your husband really has no interest in having a third child and it's entirely possible that you won't ever be able to change his mind. Either way, though, this is too big an issue to ignore. The two of you need to have some long, serious discussions in which you both listen carefully and respectfully to each other.