Hi ladies!

My 11 month old DS has never self settled. Not once, ever. Every time we rock him to sleep. A few months ago, we tried to get him to self settle by putting him in his cot, patting him and so on until he went to sleep. It didn't work. Even though he did eventually go to sleep he started waking up more regularly and his daytime naps dropped to 1/2 hour. So we went back to rocking. We don't "rock" him so much as just sit with him in our arms & cuddle. That has been fine because I enjoy the cuddles and it wouldn't take to long, usually less than 1/2 hour.

Now this is changing. It is now taking up to an 1 1/2 hours of rocking (both physically rocking & sitting with him cuddling) and singing and patting. He just refuses to close those eyes. As much as I love the cuddles, they aren't as much fun when he is wriggling and crying and pretending he's not tired. I'm hoping that this is a sign that he might be ready to try going to sleep in his cot. I refuse to CC so I would be there with him the whole time, patting him or picking him up if he needs it.

So I have many questions
1. how do I make the transition?
2. do you think he might need to drop a nap? he is having 2 at the moment and this pattern happens at both naps & bedtime.
3. he is teething at the moment so do you think this is just a phase and will go back to normal? His 3rd tooth just poked through today but this pattern has been happening for a while now - maybe a couple weeks.
4. How do you convince him to lie down in the cot? He is standing (and climbing) so the mattress is on the lowest setting, very hard to bend over & hold him down.

Sorry this is a bit rambled, I have so much going through my head right now.

TIA