To say this last week and a half has been challenging would be the understatement of the month. Will has been teething, which translates in our home to a fussy, clingy, paci needing little man. By night that transpires in wake up calls ALL throughout the night. The past few nights Will has been up screaming from 4-6am. I was a sweet Momma for a week and got up, gave him some ib profin and even fed him a bottle before putting him back to bed. Now that teething seems to be over, I think he's going through a growth spurt.
All that aside, we have had to implement some tough love. The last three nights when the screaming begins, I have just turned off the monitor and let him cry it out until it is time to start the day. Any time after 7am is acceptable in our home, but prior to that Mommy and Daddy are NOT coming! I'm not saying that it has been easy, because it is not easy for any Mom to hear their child crying, but I will tell you that after just a few nights of screaming for two hours Will begins to get the message that we aren't coming. In our home, we firmly believe that the most loving thing we can do for him is to teach him how to self soothe and put himself back to sleep. It is so easy to let our home become child-centered but we know that is NOT what is best for Will or our family, so for now, we press on!
....Dear Lord, please let us see some progress tonight because I am one tired momma!
I can totally relate, Caroline! Whenever Evelyn (or one of the boys when they were babies) wakes up in the middle of the night, I go in and make sure she's not sick or has a dirty diaper, and if she's fine - then that's the last time I'll go in there. They do learn so very fast that there's no use in crying. It is HARD to hear them cry, but it doesn't usually last long. They will survive it! I think y'all are doing a great job by teaching Will to self-soothe. You'll soon see the fruits of your labor! :)
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