one smooth bedtime!

Palmer's sleep learning is still a work in progress but we've had some great victories so far! He took a couple long naps today with my mom here following the plan, and tonight he was smiling when I put him in bed at 8:30 and didn't cry at all! I think he's getting more comfortable being in his crib whereas when we would rock him or nurse him to sleep he was never really awake in his crib to get used to it. I guess that's why he screams when he wakes up in the middle of the night and realizes where he is! I think that will keep improving though as he gets better at putting himself back to sleep. I can already see him developing self-soothing habits like putting his hands in his mouth and clutching his raccoon blankie up to his face.

I have resorted to pacifier use once or twice since starting this on Friday night, but only after doing 4 or 5 check-ins and if he's really hysterical. It hurts to see your baby upset like that! We have stayed disciplined though and haven't given in to picking him up until his feedings or "wake time". Four to five AM this morning was definitely a rough stretch! I was planning on waking him at 5 to nurse, but he beat me to the punch. I was between a rock and a hard place because we're trying to avoid feeding him in response to the crying so we can break that behavior habit! On the other hand, it was almost time for him to eat, so it was a long shot that he would ever stop crying and go back to sleep. I ended up just waiting til a lull in the fit when he calmed down and picked him up to nurse then.

Hopefully we're through the worst of the learning process and we can iron out the wrinkles over the next week or so! I'm having dreams of rainbows, gumdrops, and actually getting things done while he naps this summer :)