Mission Crib Sleeper....failed.

[Lil_Ds_Mommy]

I promised an update on moving Elijah to the crib, so here it is:

I failed at Mission Crib Sleeper....but happily!  The night started out well.  I nursed Elijah to sleep at about 8:30, laid him in his crib, and went about my night.  He was sleeping pretty well, so I thought that things were going to be awesome.  Then, Elijah work up at about 11:00 p.m.  I went into his room and nursed him back to sleep (while sitting on the floor because I have never had a need for a glider before this!).  I laid him back into his crib, and then hubby and I went to bed...after I put a chair in Elijah's room and made sure that the video monitor was perfectly set up with the perfect view of my beautiful sleeping baby laying in his crib.

I got situated in bed.  And then I felt like something was missing.  I missed Elijah already.  I had the video monitor set up right next to me, and while I was reading before I went to sleep, I think I watched the screen more than my book.  Eli asked if I was all right and I told him yes, although I will admit that I was actually holding back a couple tears.  Yes, tears--I am a big  crybaby.  Finally I relaxed enough to go to sleep after reading/starting at the video monitor.  Then at about 12:30 a.m., Elijah woke up again.  I jumped up the second that I heard him making noise on the monitor and made my way to his room.  Call me lazy, but this sucked.  I am so used to being able to just roll over and help the little guy out without getting out of my cozy bed.  Anyway, I got to his room, nursed him back to sleep again, laid him down in his crib and turned to go back to my comfy bed.  Before I even made it to the door of his room, he was awake again and standing up in his crib with his eyes open big and wide.  I took him out of the crib and sat in the chair, rocking him, and trying not to fall back asleep myself.  This time, Elijah was not so cooperative.  He cuddled up with me, but kept his eyes open as if he knew that I would lay him in his crib alone if he closed them.

I decided to take him into the bed to cuddle or nurse just until he fell asleep.  I knew that he would fall asleep a lot faster this way.  Sure enough, I took him into the bed and he cuddled up right in between Eli and me and went right to sleep.  I was going to move him back to the crib (I REALLY was) when Eli woke up and looked at Elijah sleeping in between us and said that I could keep him in there with us.  I thought it was sweet--like he was admitting to missing Elijah being in the bed without actually saying it, haha. 

Since then, I have decided to put Elijah in his crib until we go to sleep and then move him into the bed with us.  This has worked wonderfully.  I still get to have him in the bed with us, he wakes up less, and we all get more sleep this way.  I love co-sleeping....now we just need a bigger bed! 

 

[Sherral]

Apr. 16, 2008 at 10:48 PM I love co-sleeping!  It's the greatest.

[britt_michajr]

Apr. 16, 2008 at 11:13 PM I really like this post. It almost seems like it is part of a baby book, ya know like a "how to" or something like that!!! Its sweet!!!

[LuvBeingMommyNE]

Apr. 16, 2008 at 11:18 PM Great post!  Glad to hear things worked out for the 3 of you though in the end. :)

[surfarosa25]

May. 4, 2008 at 3:35 PM My hubby was the one pushing to get my daughter in her own crib. Finally when I was all set for it he was the one who was upset and didn't want to let go! Everytime I let her cry he would go in and pick her up. Now he admits to missing her a lot and so do I sometimes. She won't sleep in our bed even if we try now! It's all for the best in the end though :)

[Laurajk]

Jun. 8, 2008 at 5:00 PM Well to each their own but I must tell you from experience that my daughter slept with me until she was 10 and it was a nightmare!!!!  I tried continously to get her into her own bed to no avail. I was exhausted, she was exhausted and she never learned to go to sleep on her own.  Then she has my granddaughter and started the same thing.  I begged her not to.  But after 9mos of hell of waking up constantly, kicking  her, flipping and flopping in bed she decided to get her into her crib.  After about 3-4 days she got her in her crib.  It was tough at first like you said but now she lays her down at 7pm and she sleeps til 8 or 9 the next day... never wakes up at night!!!!  EVERYONE is getting sleep finally.  And the best part my granddaughter has learned the skills to lull herself to sleep.  A peditrican told me when my daughter was a baby.. the best gift to give your child is the knowledge and ability to fall asleep on her own... he was so right!!!