He was going down (clearly exhausted) around 5:30, waking once for a nappy in the early hours then sleeping till 7 and playing till nearly 8. He sleeps 11:30-whenever, usually an hour and a half, during the day, and is usually exhausted by that time. The last couple of weeks his sleep has been disturbed - he calls out, it's not even shouting, once or twice then goes quiet again - during the evening. Last night he woke at 7, 9:30, 11 when I changed his nappy just in case, 2:30 and 5:30. Woke at 7 and chatted happily till 8 as usual. He's been very subdued the last couple of days and I wondered if he was coming down with something but the lack of symptoms makes me think it's not that. The lack his normal response to calpol indicates not teeth because when he's teething, calpol has an instant effect. I can definitely feel at least one and possibly two big hard pointy patches at the back of his mouth though behind his premolars and got nipped in the process of finding out although he's been fine about teeth cleaning where he normally gets really sensitive on that side when things are moving.
He's clearly exhausted. Was giving me all the signs at the usual times. He woke at 6:15 and has worked himself into a fury. Calm as soon as he comes out of the cot. I've changed his sheet, changed his nappy, changed from wool longies (usual winner) to wrap with cotton bottoms. Sat with him - he batted my hand away and gave clear signs he didn't want me there. Read his Night Night book again and had a cuddle in the chair. He had calpol at 1ish and 5ish, I have ibuprofen in reserve. He's had a chamomile powder. He's just gone quiet again, my next thing to try is a banana as he hasn't eaten much today, although was offered many different things of varied textures both off a spoon and finger food. He barely finished one yoghurt at dinner, ate 1/3 of a banana, left some of his homemade muffin (all surefire hits normally) so I'm as sure as I can be that he isn't hungry.
R doesn't have either formula or breast milk feeds. He has cows milk either with or on cereal depending on what he chooses in the morning. Then cheese and a yoghurt during the day, oily fish twice a week and spinach every 2-3 days. Weetabix and cheerios/other enriched cereal for breakfast. As he self-weaned, I'm assuming he doesn't need it but do make sure he has calcium and iron rich food regularly budget allowing
He still quiet. I might have to give up on the bath and just have a wash under the headless shower (makes the least noise, bathroom is next to his bedroom) at nap time tomorrow. Am definitely risking a 
now though!
A huge, self-indulgent, epically long and dull rant. But it's that or call my mum for help and there's not an awful lot she can do except pour wine and i have some of that already I'm off to a meet up of crafty local crafty mners tomorrow so hopefully some of them will have suggestions, their kids are all older and one (who I know already) has 5.
After that I might try having a really quiet week. I normally get him out and about morning and afternoon, either to playgroup or the shops or just the park over the road, to get him thoroughly tired. Maybe he needs some quiet time at home?