Sleeping Baby

Well, I finally did it, I got Brenley on a sleeping/feeding schedule. I have been wanting to do this for a long time. I've read up on how to do it and talked to friends who had done it and after much debating and a little procrastinating, I did it.

We had planned to let Brenley sleep in her own bed for the first time on Friday night. Al got a call on Wednesday from his friend Lance saying that a bunch of guys were going to Lake Whitney Saturday night and he wanted Al to go. Al looked at me with those eyes that said, "I really want to go." I knew that Friday night would probably be a long night and I didn't want to do Saturday night by myself. So we decided to start her in her crib Thursday night, to have two nights under our belts before he left.

Well Thursday came and Brenley would not sleep more than 30 minutes for her naps during the day. I was really frustrated, so I decided that it was time for her to learn how to fall asleep on her own and fall back asleep when she wakes up early. The only way I've heard that works is to let them cry it out. So after she woke up from a 15 minute nap, I let her cry for 50 minutes!!! It was awful! I told myself that I wasn't going to let her go longer than 45 minutes, but when that time came I could tell she was almost out. It worked!!! She fell back asleep on her own. During her crying, I was crying. I called my sister and my mom a couple of times for reassurance. It was SO long! I let her cry at her next nap too, but she didn't sleep very much and was pretty cranky. So, I decided I was going to let her sleep with us that night and then we would start fresh in the morning with her schedule. We both slept great, 10 hours!!!

So, 7:30 am came. Al had already left for work and Brenley and I got up to start her routine. The day went fabulously. She would get sleepy about five minutes before her nap time. I would lay her down in her crib, she would cry a little, but then fall right to sleep. I was so proud of her.

Then that night we bathed her, read her a book, nursed her, and put her down for the night, in her own crib. She slept really well. She woke up twice to nurse. She had only been nursing once at night before, but I can deal with it. She cried a couple of times and Al would go in to put her thumb back in her mouth. She slept so well I even had to wake her up this morning so she could stay on schedule. I didn't sleep very well though. I was constantly listening to the monitor. I'm praying that tonight goes just as well, especially since Al is gone.

To get Brenley to sleep before we had been holding her and walking around the house with her paci in until she fell asleep. But she came up with something different now that she has to fall asleep on her own, she sucks her thumb to get herself to sleep. There's a picture below. She's so smart!

Well, I don't think we've mastered the schedule (she just had a rough nap just now), or her falling asleep on her own, but we've had a great start. Thanks Mom, Shelly, and Kara for all of your advice. I couldn't have done it without you!

Brenley sleeping in her crib at night...so peaceful.

Sucking her thumb.
At one point she had her thumb in her mouth and another finger up her nose. Let's hope that doesn't stick.