Sleep Training

After a near sleepless night, Rick decided today was the day to begin sleep training with Charlie.  He is a pacifier baby and also loves a good swaddle.  We've come to realize those two don't mix.  Last night we woke up at midnight, and every hour on the hour thereafter, because his pacifier had fallen out of his mouth.  Because he was swaddled, he had no way of retrieving it or finding another way ie his hands to self sooth.  This led to multiple trips to his room to replace the pacifier and ultimately at 3:30 we threw up our hands and handed him over to the swing gods where he finally passed out from 4:45-7:30.  Luckily Rick had already decided to take the day off so he was able to help initiate the sleep training.
Prior to having Charlie, I always thought I'd be hardcore about things such as these.  In the classroom I'm a disciplinarian. Without structure there's chaos and chaos leaves no room for learning!  And then I had my own son and all rational thinking went out the window along with my memory and my flat abs.  Turns out Rick is the "stick to your guns" parent and I am the "let's just love him to sleep" parent.  I know, I'm as shocked as you are.  So this morning, when he laid out his plan to both take the pacifier and the swaddle away COLD TURKEY my heart dropped.  Intellectually I understood we could not sustain this lifestyle.  Neither of us were getting sleep and Charlie was suffering too.  But the emotional side of me felt physical pain in my heart as I thought about what this would mean for 9:00 nap time.  I imagined my beautiful baby boy instantly transforming into the Hulk spewing out blood curdling screams that would literally tear my heart to pieces.  And I was not disappointed.  An hour and a half later and the Hulk showed no signs of waving his white flag while I was barely holding it together.  Ultimately, Rick and I decided it was best if I left the house.

  I mean seriously?  How can you stand that?!  I get tears in my eyes just looking at it!  Ultimately, it took Charlie 2 1/2 hours to fall asleep.  By the time I came home he was up and playing and happy as a clam.

By 1:00 it was time for his afternoon nap.  This time Rick was at the grocery store so it was time for Mommy to step it up.  I laid him in his crib and walked away.  Howls began immediately and I reminded myself to breathe.  30 minutes went by and I decided to go in and reassure him that he was ok.  Alright, really I was reassuring myself....I picked him up and he instantly fell asleep in my arms.  I immediately began to sob.  Who knew nap time could be so emotional for all involved?!

Clearly sleep training is going to be a long, difficult process.  I need to remind myself of the bigger picture and remember that, "This too shall pass."  I'm lucky to have a husband without an emotional bone in his body who is able to stay strong in difficult times.  I kid, I kid.  Wish us luck!