Crib Talk: Bedtime Stories

After months and months of Liam sleeping in our bed with us, we finally decided to transition him back to his crib.  Yes, back.  

Once upon a time Liam did sleep in his own crib.  From about five months old until seven months baby Liam was sleeping in his crib with one to two waking during the night.  As teeth started to push through his gums, Liam's began to wake up more frequently throughout the night.  He was still nursing at this time and even though I would nurse him back to sleep, he would wake up again an hour or so later, still fussy.   I started to nurse him in bed with us and until eventually both him and I fell back to sleep together.  He started to sleep through the night again, maybe waking once for nursing and cuddles.

As the teeth poked through and we found ourselves living in our new home, we still had a sleeping baby in our bed.  Although he may have slept in there for a couple hours a night, we always ended up bringing him back in bed with us.  We knew that we needed to get him back in his crib again.  I was nervous for the transition though and kept making excuses to put it off.  I do admit I was becoming fond of waking up to a smiling baby face, but I also felt worried that we would accidentally hurt him or he would hurt himself.  

We tried a few weeks of him sleeping in his pack-n-play in our room, but it didn't work too well.  He always ended up waking up and seeing us, holding his little arms up to be picked up and put into our bed.  One night we put him in his crib and decided to give it a try.  When he awoke, I went into his room and tried to comfort him then left.  I couldn't take the screaming that went on afterwards.  Liam cried and cried for about a half hour.  Needless to say he was back in the bed with us for another month.

As the weeks went by and Liam was approaching his first birthday we decided it was finally time.  For real this time!  The kicks in the back at night and the poking of the eyes in the morning was not the most pleasant way for my husband and I to wake up.  We also had a scare one morning when we woke up and did not see Liam sleeping right beside us.   After a second we realized he was sleeping at the very end of the bed a foot away from sliding right off.  What wonderful parents!

Since I only work a few days in the summer this was the perfect time to work on the transition.  Though my husband does help with middle of the night wakings, he works a late shift and does not get to sleep as much as I do.  So, we also decided to start on his days off.  We figured this would take time which we both now had since we didn't have to go to work the next day.  We had planned on working with Liam through the transition for a few days, maybe a week before he was settled in.

Night one was a little rough, but not as bad as I anticipated.  Prior to that night, I envisioned myself tossing and turning all night trying to block out my baby's screams...

Liam did alright- waking first at about 11:30 pm.  We went in five minutes after he started crying, laid him back down, rubbed his back, turned on his sound machine with the projector scene above his crib, and left.   He started crying again almost immediately.  We waited ten minutes, did the same thing with him and left.  Again, he started to cry almost immediately.  Fifteen minutes of waiting.  The cycle went on for about forty five minutes.  I went in one last time at the forty-five minute mark, laid him down and told him to look up at the ducks projected above his crib.  He cried on and off for a little while longer, but then eventually fell asleep on his own.  I heard him fussing early in the morning around 2:00 am and went into his room to calm him.  He was still fussing when I got back in bed, but honestly I fell asleep too quickly to worry about it.  

At 4:00 am I heard him laughing over the monitor.  When I entered his room he was standing in his crib, happy as could be.  I was thrilled with our success so far, grabbed him, and brought him into bed with my husband and I.  He slept with us until 7:00 am.  I know I probably shouldn't have done that as it could have really screwed with our plan, but oh well.  I wanted my last few hours of sleep too.   

Night two went well.  Liam woke once at around 12:00 am, but was easily calmed back to sleep by our pats on his back and the ducks shining above him.  He slept until 7:00 am.

Night three: same scenario.

Night four: no wakings until 7:00 am

Night five:  no wakings until 7:00 am

Night six:  no wakings until 7:30 am

And now, FINALLY we have our twelve month old child sleeping in his own crib from 8:00 pm until 7:30 am with NO wakings for the past THREE weeks!!!  

He's going to kill me one day for this picture!  Drooly baby.

I feel so accomplished.  I am shocked at how little time it took.  I am so proud of Liam for being so independent.  I feel so much more comfortable in my bed without a little chubby baby taking up my space!

Annnnddd instead of him taking his naps in the little rocker (one of the best gifts we ever received- great for babies with reflux!) he is now napping in his crib for the first time EVER!  

Yeah, that sleeper is a little small.

SCORE.

Though, I'm not sure how someone can sleep comfortably with their butt up in the air, but whatever floats his boat : )

You can read more about our adventures with the crib by clicking on the links in this post or by clicking on the links below:

Crib Talk

Crib Talk 2

Crib Talk 3: Failure

Crib Talk: Success!