Sweet Sleep

I have some very happy news.

My sweet 16 month old girl is finally sleeping through the night! Yay! It feels amazing to actually sleep again.

A week ago today I made the decision it was time to let her cry it out at night. We had to do this same thing with Ethan. The first few nights are not fun and your heart breaks as their momma BUT it was needed. We did it with Ethan at 13 months.

I had been weaning her from nursing during the day over the past couple months but she would still get up once, sometimes twice in the night wanting to nurse back to sleep. It had become a comfort for her. We would have done it sooner but a couple months ago she was really having a hard time during the nights as she was cutting 4 molars. Ouch! So, nursing was really my only way of comforting her during those nights. Ok, and a little orajel and tylenol helped too.

So, Monday night I decided it was time. Time to let her cry herself back to sleep and not nurse. I think I put it off for awhile also because she may be our last baby and knowing that I may be done nursing forever just made me a bit sad. It is such a bonding experience with your baby. So, she cried for over 2 hours. I went up there twice. Once to rub her back and the other time I held her and rocked her for a few minutes and then laid her back down and walked out. I felt so bad because she was whimpering and looking at me with her big beautiful eyes and saying, "Muhh, Muhh". She wanted milk, she wanted to nurse.

Tuesday night she only cried for 40 minutes. Still a very long time as her momma but much better than the first night. I went up there after 40 minutes and held her and rocked her again. For me the key was not caving and nursing. It was so cute because she recently has fallen in love with this baby doll my aunt found at a garage sale.

YESSSS! She may be a little girly after all. :)

So, I had the brilliant idea to ask her if she wanted to sleep with her baby. She stopped crying, her eyes lit up and she said, "Bebe...Bebe" So, I grabbed her as we made our way down the stairs in the dark to search for her bebe in the toy bin. She was so happy once it was in her arms. So, I took her back upstairs, laid her down with her baby and covered her up with her blanket and she cried and was mad at first but 30 seconds later she stopped. After 40 minutes of crying hard, the baby did the trick! I couldn't believe it and thought it was just the cutest thing ever.

She has pretty much been sleeping through every night since. She did wake for a minute last night and cry so I went up there and just held her for a minute and laid her back down with her bebe and she went back to sleep. We knew she would be easier to adjust then Ethan did at her age. When we did it with Ethan he wasn't eating during the night he simply woke up multiple times in the night wanting ME. He's always been our sensitive child. But, it only took a couple nights of crying for each of them and that was it.

It has been really nice to get some good sleep again. I have a lot to catch up on. You know, the last 3 years or so :)

Here is my sweet Grae with her bebe. Aren't they so sweet together?


And then here are two amazing pictures of my babies. Seriously, I still look at them each day and am in awe. They are beyond cute and I am beyond blessed to call them my own. I just love these moments. The moments of them lovin' on each other and being best buds.
Blessed to the max,
Momma Keri ♥