I should tell that first, while we were in California I started putting her down awake at bedtime. I had thought everything needed to be "perfect" when we initiated real "sleep training," but really I learned that it would work out and I needn't obsess over it so much. Her whole little life I had been kind of sleep training anyway in that I would always try to put her down awake for naps - it worked pretty well until she got a little bigger and more aware [and more overtired from her short little naps]. Anyway, the first night she fussed about 10 minutes, then slept for her usual 25 minute "nap" and then cried for 45 minutes :( It took several nights of figuring things out, though she never cried as much as the first night. Ever since though she will fuss a little when I put her down and usually sleep past that 30 minute mark [ok I am realizing mid-sentence that these are boring details....sorry!] or once in a while let out a little cry for a minute or two. If she does wake up before it's been 3-4 hours I let her go back to sleep on her own. Unless it really seems like she is upset, then I'll go in to feed her. I also used that time to 'wean' her out of being swaddled. She was sleeping so poorly, I figured it couldn't get any worse. I'd swaddle her at bedtime so she knew it was bedtime, but then she obviously broke out of it in her fussing and I just wouldn't re-swaddle in the middle of the night. SO all that was fairly settled when we got home.
While we were gone she had grown out of the bassinette, so we had to do something. I figured it was as good a time as any to have them start sharing. That first night I put her down in their room and then would go get her when she woke, bring her to the rocking chair in our room to nurse and then take her back. It seemed kind of silly to walk back and forth, so I just moved the rocking chair in there. Seriously, it is all working so well! I don't know if you caught through all my complaining how TIREd I was. In CA she would wake up like 8 times a night!! After the 2-3am feeding, I would bring her to sleep next to me because I just couldn't get up anymore. I knew I was making it worse because every time she'd wake up - every 45 minutes - I would
nurse her back to sleep. Neither of us slept well at all and I felt like I was drunk all day long from being tired. It has been so good for both of us to sleep separately! She's only waking 2-3x a night now. If she wakes up and it's been just a short time since feeding her, I try to let her fuss back to sleep which usually works really well. If she starts seriously crying I go feed her, though that doesn't really happen. I do sometimes bring her into our bed around 5am to nurse her back to sleep. I'm just not ready to risk her AND Vera waking up at 5:00 :) It's pretty amazing though, Vera always sleeps right through everything and we don't even have a good white noise machine just a humidifier. Edie usually goes down an hour or more before Vera does which helps too. I will also add that Vera has only woken up in the night to call us since they've been in the same room! I think she must subconsciously know she needs to be quiet 'for the baby' - or maybe she just feels secure knowing she's sharing a room with her sister.
It is definitely my goal to have her sleep in her crib until morning, but in the meantime I will savor these sweet little moments sleeping with her! What a little sweetie. I took this picture this morning before I left for work. Can't wait to tell you all about my new job!
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