Poor Qade’s schedule has been so up in the air lately that I really can’t blame him for being a bit messed up when it comes to bedtime. I actually need to shoulder most of the blame because in an effort to get him to sleep ASAP I would rock him till he was just about out before putting him down. Around 5 months he was totally getting the sleep thing. I’d give him a hug put him down and he was out for the count. Now that he’s more independently mobile and all it’s not as easy. And for the past several weeks as we’ve been in and out of the house with traveling there’s been no ‘regular’ nap times and going to bed in a different place has been quite a challenge. So this week is reclaim territory week. 🙂 It started last night with me rocking him like usual to calm him down and get ready for bed, but then I put him down while he was still plenty awake. He didn’t react kindly to it either. But Stu and I stayed strong with each other’s help, and while we went in periodically to reassure him that we were still here, we didn’t pick him up. In fact if he was standing I would lay him back down. It did take awhile, but he finally fell asleep. He woke up one time screaming in the night, but I just went into his room put him back down and he fell asleep very quickly. Today I did the same with nap time. I’ve decided to go to a 2 nap a day schedule to see if that will help. He fussed for awhile today, but not even half as long or hard as he did last night. I know some people don’t like the “cry it out” method and they think it’s too hard handed and unsympathetic. I can understand those feelings because as a mommy, you never experience anything more heart rending than your baby’s cries. Last night was hard on me too, but I KNOW it’s for his good and that’s what keeps me going. I don’t want bedtime and naps to be a battle. I know he needs sleep, even if he thinks he’s missing out on adventures. He’s always so much happier when he’s had a good night’s rest, and I don’t want him to have to be dependent on me to get the sleep he needs. Teaching him to put himself to sleep NOW will be much easier than waiting till he’s older. I especially want him to have the art down before we have to put him in a toddler bed. Well, that’s all for now. Just wanted to share with you what’s going on in Qade land. 🙂