Sleep Training Night #1

He did it. 

We just got through our first night of the CIO sleep training.  And, it only took an hour!!!!  (I realize that to some people this might be shocking and upsetting but I was prepared for 2 hours of rage and ignorance). 

We switched up the bedtime routine so that he would recognize that we were about to embark on a new bedtime journey.  He responded well and talked for about 20 minutes before screaming his head off for 40 minutes before finally falling asleep in the corner of his crib, damp with his tears. 

Now...before you launch into lectures about trust and abandonment issues, I was SURE that M was ready to go to sleep on his own before we started this process.  AND we tried lots of other less abrupt methods but to no avail.  My little boy just loves to play and laugh so when we tried The Sleep Lady's technique at this age, it just didn't work.  It was wonderful a few months ago but now that he can stand, walk while holding on, crawl, and say Mama & Dada, being next to the crib or in the room just seemed to confuse him. 

I love(d) rocking my boy to sleep but his 20+ lbs didn't seem to want me around anymore.  He would squirm and push against me, almost protesting my existence but seeming to need me to help him turn that corner into dreamland. 

Soooo -- after much debate, lots of conversations with mommies, and one day of procrastination, we did it! 

Of course, I do not have a backbone for these sorts of things so I left D with the monitor and headed to the basement to organize.  God Bless plastic bins - they can occupy me for hours.  D made one visit to escape the monitor for a minute.  My dear hubby - just couldn't listen to screams of "Dada, Dada, Dada" without tears in his eyes. 

The funniest part of all of it was when I checked on him about 15/20 minutes after he fell asleep.  He was in the corner of his crib, curled up on his tummy, peacefully sleeping and .... STINKING OF POO!!!  I thought "seriously??? now what??!!" 

But my amazing husband had faith that we could tackle this so we lifted him out of the crib, changed his diaper in tandem-style, and laid him back down.  He slept through the whole thing. 

We shall see when we hear from him in the morning and how the next few nights go.  It seems hard to believe...so I won't until I know it's for real.