Sleeping Beauty

About a month or so ago, I thought we were never going to get a whole night's sleep again. For some reason (her doctor thinks seperation anxiety), Emily would wake up in the middle of the night, usually around 2, and scream as if a monster was sitting on her chest, eating her fingers. It was actually really scary the first time she did it. I remember bolting from bed and running to get her thinking there must be tarantulas swarming into the crib.

We had no idea what to do that first week so, of course, like a good mommy and daddy, we put her in the bed with us. Which worked fine until she fell back to sleep and would only stay asleep if she was in bed with us!

We did about three nights of ignoring the wailing which was really difficult to do but this week we realized just how much that paid off.

Now, we get her calmed down around bed time and get her a sippy and before she's drifted off, Scott goes and puts her in her crib while she's still awake. And you know what the most surprising part is? She doesn't even cry when we leave her in there. It's incredible. Actually, one day last weekend, we didn't rush right in the moment she whimpered in the morning (because mommy had stayed up too late and daddy was sick, okay? Not because we ignore our kid) and lo and behold, she got over the whimpers and was playing in her crib with Dylan (her teddy bear, not the dog).

It's so nice that we don't dread bedtime anymore. I'm sure that's cyclical and she'll have her time of hating bedtime again but for now . . . it's very nice.