Up until the last several months, both of my children have been great sleepers. In bed and sleeping by 8:30 pm - and not a peep from them until the morning. Which also means that I had a little unwind time in the evenings to get lunches packed, clothes ironed and set out for the next day or just watching a show that I have dvr'd.
Adrianna has decided that she was no longer going to be a good sleeper and that she was going to wake up in the middle of the night sometimes several times, or that she wasn't going to sleep in her bed. I at first thought this was due to the transition of sharing time with Joe and I - he has them every other weekend so I was giving her the benefit of the doubt - but now that it has been several months (4 to be exact), I want to sleep in my own bed and not on the couch or recliner with a toddler clinging to me.
Last night was the night I decided to start the sleep re-training for Miss Adrianna. I picked her up from day care and warned the provider she may be grouchy for the next couple of days as tough love night was starting - at this point I was still half thinking to myself I hope I make it I am such a whimp when it comes to letting my kids cry it out...BUT then Adri decided to tell Jessica (the most awesome child care lady EVER) how all she has to do is "jump and cry in my bed and mommy comes and gets me"
I just looked at Jessica and said "OH MY GOD, she totally has me pegged" well that was it; this was a challenge at this point - and anyone who knows me I don't go down easily when a challenge is presented.
So the time came - I purposely started the bedtime routine early as I knew that the ear piercing sounds that were to come out of the room were not going to be good and that they would last for a while -
Jammies on, teeth brushed, books read, water cup filled - kisses to Quentin and then Adri and I started upstairs, she told me all about being a big girl and sleeping in her bed all night - until we walked into the room then the crying started. I told her it was night time and that it was time to sleep. I also told her that once I left her room that I would see her in the morning and she needed to be a big girl and go to sleep. Put her in her crib and the SCREAMING promptly started, I told her I loved her and see you in the morning...the time was 7:37 pm.
Quentin and I sat on the couch and he held my hand and told me it was going to be ok - he is such a sweet kid.
I called a friend who gave me a pep talk and told me that this was necessary and that in the long run it will be good for everyone in the house. He also told me that I had to be strong and that I could make it. I played a couple games of Angry Birds...I looked at the clock and it was only 7:47 pm. TEN FRICKING MINUTES is all that had passed and I was already wanting to throw in the towel.
I set up the tent in the living room for Quentin - we watched a little TV ... after an hour of listening to the non stop calling for me and screaming the crying started to slow down surely she was tiring herself out - Quentin was done with listening to the crying at this point and said "mom can't you hear her calling you" I told him that she had to learn to sleep in her bed and that this is how she was going to learn.
Then it happened - it was quiet - I looked at the clock it was 9:28 pm she cried almost 2 hours and then gave in - I cried a little bit because I felt like the worst parent in the world that I hadn't comforted her to sleep and I could hear her on the monitor with the little whimper that all kids do after a hard cry -I went to bed myself because I didn't know what the rest of the night would be like...she slept all night not a peep from the room.
I left for work this morning before she woke up but have asked Jessica to make a BIG deal out of the fact that she slept in her bed all night like a big girl...
Hopefully tonight won't be so bad, I know there will be crying but am hoping (wishful thinking I know) that the crying doesn't last 2 hours again...
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