Good Night, Sweetheart

This last weekend I went to a women's retreat at our church and my three girls stayed at my in-laws for the night. When Justin and I came to pick them up on Saturday I was told that Vada went to bed at eight and only woke up once during the night. Slightly frustrated in myself I later discussed this with Justin. I asked "What am I doing wrong?" We always have the same routine, dinner, bath, meds and p.j.'s, then we lay down at seven. However, for me Vada goes to sleep around ten, sometimes earlier and sometimes later but for the most part its pretty late for her age. It doesn't matter if the lights are on or off, if I am reading or watching t.v. or the room is completely silent, she always falls asleep late. She wakes up like clockwork as well, at eleven and then again at least once more during the earlier morning time. I have had maybe a handful of full nights rests since she was around six months. 

Vada co-slept with us up until about a year ago. I have never done the cry-it-out method as I just don't have the heart to do it, or at least I didn't until I realized that Vada is staying up with me not because I am doing anything wrong but because she wants to be up with me. She went to bed fine for my in-laws and Justin says she will go down for him fairly easy as well --if i'm not around. He thinks that she just favors spending time with me, not to sound coincided but I can see this as well.

So, last night at seven I laid down with Vada, as usual, only this time, when eight o'clock came around I put her in her crib. I told her that I loved her, kissed her sweet soft cheek, said good night and walked out. She began to cry, then yell, then she took a break to play with the light switches and to knock on the door while calling for me. Then, when nothing brought me back into her,  she began to cry some more. It was heart wrenching to watch (I have a video camera on her) and over the course of two hours I went into her room three times to calm her back down. Finally, at ten she was asleep. Was it worth it? I don't know. She went to bed the same time as usual but I was able to get my exercises done throughout those two hours of her being in her room, miserable. :( 

I am going to give it another try. Tonight, I will start our routine out the same way, only I will bring her into her room a bit earlier this time. I have been told by other parents who have gone through similar situations or who have done the cry-it-out way that this will take a few days but eventually and soon, she should be going to sleep on her own and hopefully staying asleep throughout the night. We shall see!

Below is how V feel asleep. She was playing with her light switches and had left the lights on. I went into her room to turn the lights off and this is how I found y little angel and this is how I left her.