Such an Angel

In the last week we have changed Cecilia's bedtime routine, beginning last Wednesday. After her bath we had been getting her pjs on and then reading her two books in her bed and then laying down with her in her bed until she fell asleep. Now, after her bath, we get her pjs on, read her two books in our bed, and then take her to her bed, say goodnight, and leave the room. The first night we tried this, she cried for 13 minutes while knocking on her bedroom door before climbing into her bed and falling asleep. By last night, after her stories, she grabbed her stuffed lamb, ran to her bedroom, climbed into her bed, pointed at her lamp for me to turn it off and waved goodnight to me. Such a difference. She learned so quickly and has been so good. It was simply heart-wrenching that first night listening to her cry and bang on her door like a helpless child trapped. And then last night to have her get into bed by herself and wave goodnight to me was simply adorable.

The first 3 nights, she slept all the way through the night as well - all 11-12 hours! The last two night have not been so blissful. We are still trying to discern what the difficulty is but we are betting the fact her nose has been running a marathon has something to do with it - whether it is a cold or teething or both. Here's hoping we only improve though.

We certainly think it would have been preferable to start this process with her before now, esp. with a new baby coming, but between illnesses, changing beds, and moving, I'm not sure how feasible it would have been to consider it within the last 3 months anyway.