Well, the first night of Kallen's new bedtime routine went pretty well (all things considered). I was gone at worship team practice for most of it, but I did get home just as Shawn was laying him in his bed. Shawn said he was wide awake and smiling when he layed him down, but by the time I walked in Shawn was just sitting in his room humming while Kallen layed in his bed. We decided we better leave the room so we went downstairs to watch him on the video monitor. As soon as we were out of the room he started crying and we decided to let him cry it out for 5 minutes to see what would happen. (longest 5 min. of my life!!) I then, ran up to his room to give him his pacifier and calm him down a little bit. After I did that it did not take him long at all...basically by the time I made it back downstairs to the monitor he was out. I really missed rocking my little boy but I will survive!! :P
Next step...stop the 2-3am feedings. He has slept from 8pm-6am several times so I know he can do it...now it is just a matter of stopping myself from just getting up, feeding him and going back to bed. We will give him a few nights to get used to his new bedtime routine and then we will start the next battle. :)
Go Tiffani!! You can do it!! You'll be so glad in the long run if you conquer this stuff now. I have at least 3 friends with kids Bennett's age (none from church :) who still wake up a couple times a night and need to be laid with to fall asleep. I couldn't take it!!
ReplyDeleteKeep us posted!!
Oh Tiffany, I totally understand how you feel. I also started this with Zeke when he was around 4 months old. After having one child, that still sleeps with us and needs us to lay down with her in order to go to bed, I decided that things were going to be different with him. Ella also woke up every night at 2 am to nurse until she was 1 year old. Not fun. It is sooo hard to listen to them cry. Zeke is a very stubborn little boy, sometimes crying for a couple hours before finally giving in. So it took us about a month to get him into a routine.
ReplyDeleteNow, he will either fall asleep as soon as I get done nursing him or we let him cry for about 10 minutes (this is usually the amount of time it takes him to get sleepy enough to go right to bed) and then go in and lay him down and give him his pacifier. I have gotten a little more relaxed now and sometimes will hold him for a few minutes till he falls asleep. He has been sleeping through the night most nights (last night was an exception, he was wide awake at 1 am and wouldn't go back to sleep) since he was 5 months old. He does wake up at 5 to nurse, but I'll take that over 2 any day.
It is so nice and definitely worth all the work. It will probably be hard, but don't give up. Just when I was about to give up and stop doing it, things worked themselves out. Stay strong :)