I haven't written a follow-up post about Sierra's sleep training because I didn't want to "count my chickens before they hatched." However, since Memorial Day, when we started sleep training, she has been sleeping through the night! Praise God! I feel like a new, well-rested woman!!!
Sierra is such a good baby. I don't really know what a "bad baby" looks like though. Let's just say, she is well-trained. Her schedule is wonderful and she is always soooo happy! You can definitely tell that she is a good sleeper. She is a joy to be around and we enjoy sharing her happy sleep habits with everyone who asks, "how is she sleeping?".
This weekend was spent with many of Brian's extended family members (on his Dad's side). Of course they all asked how she was sleeping and we happily exclaimed "She sleeps through the night! Goes down around 8pm and sleeps till 6am." Usually the response to this statement brings shock, a lot of people can't believe that an 8 week old baby is sleeping so well. Then of course we explain how we trained her and it only took about 3 days, but after that, she now likes to sleep just like the rest of us.
Then Saturday evening came and we were all together for Brian's cousin's graduation party. 7:30 pm rolls around, so I nursed Sierra and then laid her in the pack 'n play to go to bed. (The party was suppose to last until at least 10pm and we wanted to stay and visit with family we don't see very often). Like normal, Sierra cried. She usually does this for about 5-10 minutes when we put her down. Well, after 20 minutes of crying I went in to soothe her for a few minutes. She was acting hungry still (she had fallen asleep nursing the first time) so I nursed her for about 10 more minutes and put her back down. She started to cry and I walked away. She might have actually cried herself to sleep that time, but some lady that was attending the party went in and took her out of her crib! (I am sure this lady meant well, but seriously people, don't take a kid you don't know out of it's crib!). As I was coming out of the restroom, I saw a lady (that we are not related to and had never met) walking through the kitchen with my daughter in her arms. At first I was shocked and then the lady said, "is this your baby?" and I responded "um, yes" and she said, "oh, she was crying and so I picked her up" and I said, "yeah, we just put her down for bed." She replied, "oh, no! I busted it, she has heard your voice now" and she handed Sierra to me. Basically after that, for the rest of the evening, Sierra screamed at the top of her lungs (even when Brian and I were in there with her). Both Brian and I missed most of the party because we were taking turns tending to her inside.
Needless to say, the drive home was a little somber. Brian said he was feeling discouraged that we won't be able to take her any where, if she will only sleep in her own room and her own crib. I had not mentioned it, but I was feeling the same way. We weren't sure if maybe it was the busy day and lack of good naps (maybe she was overtired), or if the 105 degree heat was making her irritable, or the different environment, or all the new faces...we have no clue. But we do know that Sierra made us look like big liars! The funny thing is, as soon as we gave up on the sleeping and brought her outside to pack up and go home, she was all smiles! Talking and laughing with everyone, like she had NOT just been screaming the 2 hours prior. When we got home Saturday night, we changed her and put her right to bed, she was asleep in less than 6 minutes! Sunday night was fine too! UGH....not sure what her deal was!
Brian and I have many trips planned and events this summer that will require the kid to be flexible in where she sleeps, we are hoping this weekend was just a fluke and she will do well for us the next time. We don't want to be those parents that are stuck at home and can't go anywhere because their kid determines what will happen next.
We are headed to Richmond this weekend for Father's day, so I guess we will see how it goes! :)
3 comments:
I feel like we had this issue as well...just for a little while. Like everything else, it will eventually pass and she should get used to sleeping in her pack-n-play wherever you set it up. Of course, there will always be the protest cry...Pierce STILL cries when we put him to sleep, especially if he knows there's more fun to be had! :)
Love you!
oh, i understand that well. I have two very extraverted babies who hate going down when they know people are hanging out. As with all things parenting, you just have to play it by ear, and while you have to set rules andboundaries for her, you also know that sometimes sitations require different things and you need to respect her needs (like nursing her again, even though you already had! way to go). I always have trouble finding the balance between a stricter routine (which we know makes our kids more secure and happy) and understanding special circumstances. As with all things parenting, we just need to pray for wisdom from the Lord in even the tiniest instances :) Sounds like you guys are doing a great job. Don't be discouraged, and keep taking her out. She will adapt to your lifestyle becuase you all are a family and she is 1/3 of it!
I have to mention, though, about good/bad babies. I don't think there is such a thing. My mom always reminded me of that when I would say my girls were such "good babies". She would say, "would you call her bad, if she was the opposite?" No, they are just content little people. and we need to be ready to love and cherish the not-so-content ones too, whether they are ours or not, because i hear those ones come along too :)
but way to go on having a content little baby girl. It probably has a lot to do with your training, and more to do with the grace of God towards you all.
You won't be those parents that let your child determine what happens when. I know that won't happen. I agree with Katie, she WILL get used to it. Mia fights us when we sleep away from home, BUT we still do it, because we have to do what we have to do and she has to fit into it... Wils and Maegan had to learn, too, though Maegan, by FAR, was the easiest! We are about to leave on a cross country trip and Miss Mia is going to have to enjoy her pack n play or else she's going to be one sour puss... but it's Matt's family reunion, so we are going!
Hang in there! This to shall pass!
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