Let the Sleep Training Begin

While I was pregnant, I read "On Becoming Babywise" by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam.

Well I read most of it anyways. But like most books lately, I never finished it.

I read enough to get the just of it and I was set on following what it taught.

 Of course I knew everything about everything before Charlotte got here. I mean that's usually how it works, right? People without kids know the most about how to raise them...and then they get here and things aren't exactly like expected.

At least that's how it was for me. 

I remember my Doctor talking about how if her last child had been her first she never would have had any more. She said she spent hours on end throughout the night bouncing on her exercise ball because that was the only way her baby would stop crying and go to sleep. She said that she bounced on her ball throughout her third trimester so when her daughter was born, the movement was familiar and soothing to her.

Well I had a lot to say about that (only to Zach though). 

"No wonder her baby was a nightmare...she got her into the habit of needing to be bounced to sleep! If she just would have let her cry and put her in her own bed she would have learned to soothe herself."

Because I knew everything about raising babies before Charlotte got here.

Then she got here...

Insert foot in mouth.

...and I said forget what Gary and Robert said in their book!  They don't know how sad her little face is and how heart wrenching that cry can be!

Seriously, its sad! Who wouldn't want to go grab a baby with a face like that out of her crib when she's crying?

Turns out my doctor was right when she told me that if I bounced on my ball a lot while I was pregnant then Charlotte would love it. I spent my third trimester on that ball bouncing and rolling my hips trying to get her to move down lower into my pelvis.

We came home from the hospital and one night Charlotte just wouldn't stop wailing so we broke out the exercise ball.

And...she stopped...mid cry. As soon as the bouncing started she hushed.

When our family came to visit even they took turns bouncing her.

So we have spent the past two months of our lives on that ball. Bouncing and bouncing.

Until last night.

Around 7 last night Charlotte was fussing and just could not keep her eyes open. So Zach and I decided to swaddle her and put her to bed to try to get her to start going to sleep sooner than 11.

Naturally, she woke up as soon as I laid her down in her bed and started fussing. I started to go into her room to grab her and bounce her to comfort her but Zach stopped me and said we needed to start sleep training her.

I agreed.

Well fussing turned into crying, crying into sobbing, and sobbing became hysterical and oh my goodness I have never had my heart hurt so bad in my life!

I kept saying "but Zach she's sad! She wants me. She just wants me to hold her."

He told me she was fine she just wanted to be bounced to be put to sleep and she needed to learn to soothe herself...sounded like something I thought I knew so much about before she got here.

That went on for about 10 minutes and I went in to check her diaper. She was wet so I changed her. I swaddled her again and I confess I bounced up and down for a few minutes just because I had to for my comfort.

I laid her back down and the hysterics started again.

I tried to eat dinner but just sat there listening to her for what felt like eternity. 

I kept looking at Zach for him to tell me "ok go get her" but he would just shake his head 'no' at me.

Finally the crying stopped.

She did it! She put herself to sleep!

I was still traumatized until Zach pointed out that all it took her was 5 minutes, not the hours it seemed to take.

So we spent the evening just hanging out and doing what every cool couple does-

Rock, Paper, Scissors competition! 

Zach won but I'm convinced he's a cheater somehow.

And Charlotte slept...and slept...and slept.

She woke up at two this morning to eat and have a diaper change and then again at 6 but didn't get up for the day until 8.

I must admit, it was a pretty good go for the first night...

 So now to see if it sticks. It's not that I don't think Charlotte can put herself to sleep, she clearly can.

It's a matter of if I can stay strong enough to let her.