Sleep Training 101

I am sitting here in my room as I type this and I can't help but keep looking over at the empty pack and play beside my bed.  Tonight began the dreaded sleep training.  Selfishly, I've been putting this off.  If this truly is my last baby, my heart aches that I will never have a newborn sleeping right next to me.  I have so much fun setting the pack and play up in our room; setting up a changing and bottle station in preparation for all those late nights.  And now those days are over, maybe forever, and it just really seemed to go too fast.  With Lyla, I was the typical first time mom and insisted at 6 weeks we start sleep training her.  I mean, it worked out and she became a super good sleeper.  This time, I tried two different times to make the move into Caroline's own room and two times I ended up in tears.  One night I even set up a bed of pillows on her floor so I could stay with her and after a meltdown, Eric packed up my makeshift bed and told me we'd try again another day.  Today Caroline is nine weeks old.  It's time.  I go back to work in a few weeks and we need to start to get into some routine.

As much as I hate it and it makes my body physically ill, we try the 'cry it out' method.  It worked really well with Lyla.  I remember sitting on the loft floor watching "Jersey Shore' as she cried in the next room.  The first night she cried for 45 minutes and I thought it was an eternity.  Each night was better after that and, if memory serves, she was going down without a peep within a week.  

Tonight, I put Caroline down at 7:25pm.  It's now 9:30pm and she still can't get it together.   She's fallen asleep a few times but eventually wakes up.  I've gone in there multiple times (against "Cry it out" rules) and tried to calm her but she is having none of it.  She's gotten into the habit of falling asleep while eating so that's another thing we are trying to break.  I know it's rough now, but it is all for the greater good.  A well rested baby means a well rested mom....hopefully.  And a well rested mom is good for everyone. 

Time to go back in there.   This pack and play might not be empty for long.

Update: 12 hours later.
I caved.  Sort of.  After more screaming, I caved in and gave her a small bottle.  Of course she passed out right away and only protested a little bit when I put her back in the crib.  It was 10pm by then.  At 11, she woke up and cried again.  Luckily I threw the paci in her mouth and it was over.  Repeat at midnight.  At 3:15 she woke up for a bottle.  This is perfect timing since I have to wake Eric up at 3:30am.  I put her back in and didn't hear from her again until about 6:45am.  She wasn't crying but I wanted to get her before she started and woke up her sister.  I brought her in my room to change her and give her a bottle.  As soon as I laid her down on my bed...out like a light.  Little bugger was just trying to get back in bed with me!  Minutes later Lyla woke up so that means everyone is up!   We'll try again tonight.  I don't have high hopes.  Until next time.

Update:  11/14
Night two.  Same routine.  This time she only cried for 20 minutes.  Score.  The next night...zero crying.  I am shocked at how quickly she is picking up on this up.   One week in and she slept from 7:30pm - 5am.  Holy mother!   This is awesome.   As much as I hate the empty pack n play in my room, having our nights back is pretty great.  We've settled into a pretty good routine.  While I put the girls down for the night, Eric cleans the dishes from the day and cleans the living room so I can wake up to a neat and tidy house...only to have it destroyed within an hour, but still.  As soon as the girls are settled I try to workout.  Yeah you heard me. I've been working out.

Update:  11/20
What the hell happened?  I knew this went down too easy.  While little Miss Caroline is still pretty attached to her 7pm bedtime, she isn't so interested in sleeping in super long stretches anymore.  For the past three nights, she is up again at 11pm for a bottle...just as I am finally settling down.  Then she is up again around 3am.  However, after that bottle she does sleep until about 9am.  But that does me no good as her sister has now decided to get up before 7am (which is new...and annoying).  Here is an example of how my last few nights have gone:

7pm - Caroline Bedtime
7:30pm - Lyla Bedtime
8pm - workout, clean, whatever
10:30pm - Mommy falls asleep
11pm - Caroline up for a bottle
12am - Back to bed for me
2:30am - Caroline up for a bottle
3:15am - Back to bed for me
3:30am - My alarm goes off for Eric
3:40am - My alarm goes off for Eric
3:50am - My alarm goes off for Eric
4:00am - My alarm goes off for Eric
4:30am - I finally fall back asleep
6:45am - Lyla storms into my room

In two weeks I go back to work.  I have NO idea how this is going to work.