Well, tonight was night #1.
Brodie has two weeks of leave so I decided that now was the time to teach Taylor how to fall asleep on her own, without swaddling, nursing, or rocking, everything she requires now. I decided to try the Cry-It-Out (CIO) method, otherwise known as the Ferber Method.
When I notice Taylor getting sleepy (usually around 8pm) I will feed her in the living room. Then I will go into her room and have nothing on except for her blue nightlight and her music box that shines shapes on the ceiling. I rock her for 10 minutes to get her very drowsy but not asleep. Then I put her in her crib, pat her a little and kiss her good night. I exit the room and hope for the best.
Tonight she cried for 45 minutes...very hard. I even thought she threw up at one point. I go in to check on her every 10 minutes to make sure she is not stuck in the slats of her crib and that she is basically okay. Eventually, she became very quiet. Brodie checked on her and she was passed out! Whew...Thank God!!!
Now, the hard part comes when she wakes up in the middle of the night to eat. I will feed her then put her back in her crib. If she cries, which she surely will, I will have to just let her CIO again. Now, Taylor usually goes to bed swaddled while I nurse her to sleep in the rocking chair. I put her in her crib sleeping around 9pm-9:30pm. She wakes up at 11:30, 2:30 & 5:30. She is usually up for the day around 7:30.
I will do this same routine every night until she learns how to fall asleep on her own. It shouldn't take more than a week or two.
Please keep us in your prayers as this will not be easy for any of us!
