Sleep Training - Or Die Trying

So, we have decided that it is time to Baby Whisper again. It had gotten pretty bad around these parts. I have personally gone to bed whenever my baby demands it MANY times these past few weeks because he wouldn't settle unless he was snuggled up in my arms in my bed.

We set out to

• teach him to self soothe
• stop using the yoga ball to bounce him to sleep
• stop nursing him to make him fall asleep
• get him on a proper schedule
• get him to stop the constant (sometimes hourly) nightwaking
• stop nursing him to sleep all night long
• stop letting him determine my bedtime

We use the Baby Whisperer, as you may be familiar. The book essentially calls for picking him up to soothe him and putting him down to let him fall asleep while sshhing and patting his back. At his age, the pickup is dangerous because he thinks its a rescue so basically I just lay him down as he tries to climb out of his crib. It's been 3.5 days and I have had mild success. Let's play a little game of guess who:

• Guess who cried during afternoon nap time today?
• Guess who got a few 3+ hour sleep stretches the last few nights? (Which is GOOD)
• Guess who slept in the crib last night?
• Guess who secretly wishes we would just quit baby whispering and nurse little Z to sleep?

The answer to all of the above is Zayd AND Mommy. Yes. We have both shed some tears and after 1.5 hours of pick up/put down last night, I just climbed in Zayd's crib and we went to sleep. It is kind of a success as I didn't nurse him, he didn't get bounced, and he didn't come into my bed before he was welcome. I do see the downside. It isn't lost on me.

So, that probably says more than I could ever explain in words. I slept in Zayd's crib.

We'll let you know how tonight goes.