We did it!!

We've had lots going on around here the past 36 hours or so.

Ryleigh has spent the first 6 months of her life sleeping in her swing. She would not sleep in her bed. I had tried the "cry it out" method and the longest I'd ever lasted was 40 minutes. Daddy doesn't make it past 5 minutes! lol

Well, she turned 6 months on January 1st and the batteries for the swing were costing us about $50 a month and I'd had enough. lol

Would you believe in the 5 baby showers that were given for us, we never received a baby monitor?? Well, the other day, I had an hour to myself and decided to go to my fave consignment shop here in New Castle and I found a brand new set of monitiors for $7!!

So, yesterday, I decided it was THE day. I had to do it during the day, while Daddy was at work. When it came time for a nap, I put Ryleigh in her crib and made sure everything was just right...not too hot, not too cold...no fluffy things in the crib, etc. She screamed and screamed and screamed. Did I mention she screamed? I called my sister and said "Someone needs to come here and break this child from sleeping in her swing because I can't do it." She told me I could, to stay out of her room, to peak around the corner to make sure she was OK, but to STAY out of the room. Fine, I thought. I can do this. 5 seconds later, I said to myself, "Self, I cannot do this." I had to go to my bedroom where I couldn't hear her screaming. I had to close the door. I sat on the bed and bawled my head off. I prayed for her even! Prayed for me too! lol

30 minutes later, she was sound asleep! I don't think the photo will show up very good, but I'll post it here anyway. She feel asleep on her belly, each fist tightly grasping a side bar with her head propped up on the bars of the crib. It was so pitiful!!! I couldn't hardly stand it! She slept 90 minutes, woke up with bar marks on her heads but was happy as a lark and still liked me!! What a relief!! LOL

She'd relaxed a little bit here:

Then, when it came time for bed, I told Daddy we were going to put her back in the crib. He let me handle it cause he can't stand to hear her cry at all. So, I put her to bed and she only cried 10 minutes this time. I had to go in and move her cause she decided to use her soft baby doll as a pillow and her nose was too close into the doll, so I put the doll at the end of the crib. Well, it woke her up of course and we had to listen to her scream in the monitors. Daddy thought he'd have to go sleep on the couch cause he couldn't take it. And he said, "So, she doesn't even have her doll?????" He was broken hearted. She cried about 15 minutes and then went back to sleep.

Then, I got to worrying. Her bedroom is far from ours. She's never slept so far away before...I worried cause she flips over on her belly to sleep...on and on. But, I finally went to sleep from sheer exhaustion.

She slept 13 hours!! 13!!! I got up this morning and went to check on her cause I hadn't heard a peep and she was laying quietly, playing with her paci! I was shocked!!

She was awake a couple of hours, then wanted a nap. I put her in the crib, she flopped over and went sound asleep! Then got up for a while, wanted another nap and repeated the same thing! She flopped over, no crying, slept for 2 hours!!

I'm so proud of my baby girl!! I never thought we'd accomplish this in one day!! My sister is so surprised as well as my MIL!! WOOHOO! I'm proud of me too! LOL I can't believe I stuck it out! Hearing her sob was heartbreaking.

Today she was like a different baby. Calmer, more relaxed...it's been great!

These next 2 pix were taken Sunday as we were leaving church. We were waiting on Daddy to pull up to the door:



UPDATE: The second night in her crib, she slept 9 hours and the 3rd night she slept 10 hours! Woohoo!