Sleep Training

As we all know Abigail and Sleeping do not go together, She has never really took a long nap, 30 minutes and she is up and ready, which is nice when you want to go some where, but you cant do anything in the house, i have to do everything separate. shower, then get ready, or dishes or laundry, never two tings at once. She use to sleep really well I would get her ready for bed, and by about 7 p.m she was asleep and at 4 am she would wake up to eat, then go back to sleep until 7 or 8 a.m Then the beginning of June hit and her schedule went off, it got worse and not better, I figured it was due to all the moves, a new place, not seeing all the people she was use to reconnecting to her dad, so when she woke up I comforted her, then after a month of that I figured well maybe she needs to eat maybe she is growing, but then I paid attention and realized she was not eating she was just pacifying.

I knew I needed to do something but I didn't know what or when, well on July 29th, I went into her room at 9,10,11, and 12, when she woke up at 1, that's when I said, it is not going to get easier later so do it now, so then she laid there crying while I rubbed her head her belly her legs, she screamed at me,asking why I was not holding her, rocking her, nursing her like I do every night, she was mad she was awake, and tired and I was doing nothing to help get her to sleep.

I told dustun to go sleep on the pull out bed, so he could get some sleep, it was going to be a long night, well after an hour of her screaming at me, and my head saying just put her to bed do this another night and my other half saying another night you'll be just as tired. She finally passed out, she slept until 7:00, I was awake at 5:00 my body was so use to her all night and then she went a night with nothing I was in pain.

Here comes, putting her to bed with out her bad habit rituals, I will do everything I can to comfort her with out removing her from her bed.

July.30th & 31st 3 or 4 naps today, and all had some tears but she slept with in about 30 minutes, Dustun put her to bed, I told him she was going to see if he was weak and let her out of her crib I told him she was going to throw a huge fit, she did, it took almost on hour of her crying before she passed out, she slept all night again, I was in pain again.
Aug. 1st & 2nd: went smoothly, she fussed again but it was only taking her about 10/20 min to fall asleep, and mostly she would just talk to her bear, or touch the sides of her bed, and a few cry's here and there.

we begun the phase out, were I rarely touch her head or her tummy,

Aug. 3rd: I would get her ready for bed, and rock her for a bit then give her a kiss tell her good night, I love you, and to take a nap, in the morning she fussed for about 40 min, and Dustun had lunch duty, she fussed for about 40 min again, now the 3rd nap, she and I fell asleep while she ate, (oops)

Aug. 4th Today was good, she was able to go to sleep with out me, I just laid in bed, and wait for her to start to fuss, then i would give her binkie back and reassure her that I was there still, then i would back off again.

Aug 5th Today was pretty much the same as yesterday, it is only taking her about 10 min to fall asleep with minimal fussing and basically no crying, tomorrow we start the next phase.

Now we begin to just put her down and leave the room completely. only to come back if needed.

Aug 6th for her first nap today, I made her a bottle and laid her down and gave it to her, then I went in after a few minutes and replaced it with her binkies, she did noticed but didn't care, she went to bed with out me being in the room, Amazing! but the best part she slept for an hour and forty minutes! so awesome! her second nap we were at the movies, so she fell asleep in my arms, she slept for almost an hour, even through all then nose of the movie (transformers) When I put her down I did all the normal night time things, and laid her down it did take about a half hour for her to fall asleep ,and I did have to go in about 4 times to reassure her I was still her, but she did fall asleep with out throwing a huge fit.

Aug. 7th the first nap, she fell asleep in the stroller while we were out for our walk, second nap, took about on hour for her to go to sleep, some playing, some fussing and some crying, I finally went back to touching her, she finally passed out, third nap i was strong, I put her down, and she cryed for about 15 minutes total, I went in every 5 min to reassure her and giver her binkie and have her snuggle up to her bear, she finally passed out. For her bed time she fussed for a bit, but was able to go to bed on her own

Aug 8th today was pretty much the same, we were at the zoo for her morning nap so she slept in the stroller, but her second nap and bedtime, she did cry for a few minutes, but she did finally pass out asleep.

Aug 9th. This morning I left the house and told dustun what chores to do and how to take care of Abby, I told him not to give in to her when she cries, well he put her down for her morning and afternoon nap he layed her down and she cried for about 5 min then he went in there gave her binkie and her snuggles and left the room she was asleep before he left the room. well bedtime came and it was awful I think she was overtired, it took almost an hour her screaming/crying and us going in every 5 min, before she fell asleep.

Aug 10th, I put her down for her morning nap, and she did not fuss, cry or scream, she fell asleep! so exciting, I am hopping it will stay this way, I know there will be times I have to go in there, but I know that she can fall asleep by her self no more of me holding her for ever, or me nursing, rocking, touching or whatever else I had to do before.



My main goal of all this, is to be able to get her ready for bed, and put her down in her crib, and walk out, and for her to talk to her bear, fuss, then just go to bed,I know that once she master's that then if she wakes up in the middle of the night she can put herself back to sleep, or maybe just maybe if she wakes up after her 30 min nap she can put herself back to bed for a bit longer, or maybe she will be able to fall asleep in the car. I know this is a life long skill that I can only teach and not do for her. This is one of many.