Sleep Training

Because of Josie's personal philosophy (as stated in her photo below)

We decided it was time to tackle this sleep thing. I have been so tired and irritable, and Tommy was starting to get a little grumpy as well. So at her appointment last week we asked the doctor about sleep training. He assured us that she is big enough, smart enough, and totally ready to sleep for 6 to 8 hours without eating. He told us we could try a gradual method, but he recommended we just go "cold turkey," meaning: close the door and don't look back.

At least not for 6 to 8 hours.

I started to cry. Right there in the doctor's office. The doctor then recommended we put Tommy in charge of sleep training.

So, that very night, we went through the little bed time routine we had established over the past few weeks, put her in her crib, walked out, closed the door, and turned on the monitor.

I had prepared a task list a mile long in anticipation of a good 3 plus hour scream fest. I knew I would need to keep myself busy. So I started with the first task on my list, which was folding laundry. Five minutes into the crying and I realized that every muscle in my body was tensed and I was folding clothes like a worker in a sweat shop (super duper fast).

But glory be!

She was out in only 30 minutes. The next night it only took 10. A week later and it is anywhere between 3 and 15 minutes, but totally do-able.

And every once in a while she actually lies down without a fuss at all and drifts off to sleep without a sound. Pure Heaven!

Me, on the first night of Sleep Training.

Even if it was only 30 minutes, it's pure agony to listen to your baby cry and intentionally not do anything about it. All I could do was bury my head in the pillows and punish myself by letting her scream through the monitor straight into my ear.