Truth be told and I think I've told it before, she never slept in her crib very well, but at least she would start out in her crib after I would rock her to sleep and she had to be in a really good deep sleep or she would open those big beautiful almond shape eyes the minute she touched her mattress and then would start crying and grabbing me sooooo tight. If she did stay asleep once in her crib she would sleep until 1am - 2am and then start crying (screaming mostly) for us. I would rock her back to sleep (and a lot of times fall asleep myself in the rocker while holding her) and try again and sometimes again and again before she would lay back in her crib. This lasted for about six months then I just started taking her back to our bed so we both could get a little better rest. The same thing happened during nap time and when she would stay asleep when placing her in her crib her average nap time was 1 hour. She would go back to sleep and nap longer only if I held her. So I did do that a lot. I felt she needed that extra rest time since she wasn't resting well straight through the night and even getting her in her crib at night could take 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, you just didn't know what the night was going to bring. I will say this again, but this I feel was Eden's only real adjustment issue that was difficult for her.
So that takes us up to 2008 and once she got sick last January , I put her in our bed. That is where I (we) wanted her and where she needed to be. Our little girl was so ill. Of course once she was feeling well again that is where she wanted to "go" when it was bed time. That started another new routine. At (her) bed time she would lay down in (our) bed but the catch was---I had to go too. She would have "meltdowns" if I didn't. So, this is what I did because it worked. Down deep I was afraid by doing this, it was just going to be harder on her later, but I also knew what a strong, smart and determined little girl we have and she had (and still does) take all new situation head on and bulldozes through them. She is a very tough cookie! At this same time, I told her(in a very calm, upbeat and positive voice) I couldn't lay down with her during her nap time,( I wasn't even going to start this) so I would give her two options to choose from, "You lay in Mommy & Daddy's bed by yourself or on the couch." (and yes, I would always say something about her bed, but she didn't even consider that being an option. Even after we turned her crib into her day bed in the Spring of 2008.) She chose the couch and this is where she napped for the next six months or so. Changing the routine again, I told her we were starting something new and she needed to start taking her naps in Mommy's bed while I worked in the living room. She went with it and done really well. Of course she did need to have one of her movies playing. Eddie and I both would make a comment from time to time to her about sleeping in her big girl bed, but she wasn't having any part of it not even at nap time........UNTIL DECEMBER 22, 2008.
Eden had overheard us (Daddy and Mommy) talking months earlier that when "Eden did decide to sleep in her big girl bed that we might need to place a small TV in her room so she would be able to play one of her movies while falling asleep since this was the habit she was use too already." We know that our girl has a outstanding memory ( as her Daddy puts it) "like a steel trap", but were we surprised when on Monday, December 22, 2008 our princess announced, "I would sleep in my big girl bed in MY ROOM today if I had a TV in there to watch a movie". So what did her Daddy do?????? Yes, you got it, he fixed her right up and within 15 -20 minutes she was fast asleep. I just had to take a picture of her BIG accomplishment. Everyday since, she has taken her nap in her room and the past couple of weeks she has slept in her bed ALL night LONG. We are soooo very proud of her!!!!! Eddie has always said that she would just up and say " I'm going to my room to sleep tonight" and that would be it. That is pretty much how it happened.
SWEET DREAMS BABY GIRL!!!! (or should I say, "Sweet dreams BIG girl")
Oh, Hope everyone is having a good start to the New Year!!! Check back soon for more updates and pictures from our start of 2009. Blessings to everyone for a very Happy & Healthy New Year!!!
1 comment:
YAY Eden! Maybe that's what we need to do for Maci. A tv in the bedroom--what a great idea!
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