Quick update to last night's saga… She was cold. She went to sleep relatively easily once she was wearing her sweater. What can I say…? I feel like an idiot. I should have known better.
I am noticing a pattern. Most of the times when she is having a hard time going back to sleep, it has something to do with temperature. So we'll need to keep that in mind.
Funny (now) story… Here is an account of our conversation once she went to sleep at 3am or so.
Daddy: She's asleep.
Me: She was cold. I feel like an a-hole.
Daddy: (in a very sleepy voice) Yeah, same here, the hell with f'ing cry it out.
Why is it funny? Because he never ever swears! It was music to my ears because I hate cry it out!
He mentioned cry it out because the last few times she was up for hours in the middle of the night, he suggested cry it out because nothing else worked. Turns out one time she was too hot and the other time she was cold. So, moral of the story, when she cries and cries, it's for a reason, never just for the hell of it.
Speaking of cry it out, I respect that it works for many people, but I know that it is not the right thing for our kid or for us. I have realized and accepted that, no matter what, there will be some crying while you are sleep training. But, after having her in our bed for 13 months, I did not feel comfortable with suddenly putting her in a room she had never slept in, in a strange, new bed, and leaving her alone in there to scream until she dropped from exhaustion.
What we did and still do is we are in the room with her, saying "sleepy time" and such phrases if she does not lie down. Otherwise, we wait quietly, usually spend some time on the computer, while she goes to sleep. Time-consuming, I know, but it's what works for us.
Sleep training has been a very hard road for us, but, I am happy to say that she no longer dreads going in the crib. She now knows that her crib is the place where she sleeps and where she can play a bit before going to sleep, if she would like. So, yes, I complain when we have a hard night, but we have come a long way. Hearing her laugh and talking to Momo, rather than screaming her head off when I put her in the crib makes my day!
Hoping for a better night tonight!
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Aside from our personal objections to cry it out, it now won't work for our boy anyway, because if he cries too much, he pukes. Of course, Ferber says to just clean it up and get on with life if that happens. Thanks, but I'd rather that he keep down his food. He needs it.
ReplyDeleteMy husband said that our boy climbed into his own bed yesterday, very briefly, while they were playing in his room. He has a toddler bed. That he never uses.
He has plenty of challenges already. I say do whatever works for you guys. Snuggling with baby is so nice, so, if it works, why not? Unfortunately, it doesn't work for me because she'll attack the boobies! She'd stay latched on all night if she could.
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