Catching ZZZ's

Since she's gotten used to no longer nursing to sleep, Eva has been going down very easily. Her daily nap is usually after lunch, around noon. I change her diaper, put on a lullaby CD, rock her in my arms for a few minutes, and then lay her down in her crib and walk out of the room. She rarely cries, but will just drift off to sleep on her own. Her naps have shortened recently from 3 hours to 2, but she doesn't seem to need that extra sleep anymore, unless she's sick. At bedtime we add a bath and a story, but the rest of the routine stays the same. I really can't say why she doesn't cry anymore when we leave her room while she's still awake (for awhile it really bothered her), but maybe she's come to appreciate sleep when she's tired, instead of fighting it. It's not unusual for her to ask for bed when she's tired, by coming up to us and laying her head against her little hand.