So this is what it feels like..

to SLEEP!

I really think I have forgotten what it feels like to NOT be sleep deprived. But today, I got a little taste, and let me tell you, it is wonderful!

To explain:  Friday was a loong loong day.  I was exhausted. Probably due to the weather (see previous post about how I feel about this weather)...and a full week with the kids I nanny.  They are great kids, it just gets exhausting.  Add to that Keller and his crankiness, dirty diapers every 2 hours, and nursing every 3 and you might begin to understand where I was around the 5 o'clock hour.  Broghan got home and took Keller and I immediately went to our room and hid crawled under the covers and slept.  That was helpful.  Broghan was amazing and gave Keller his bath, got him to sleep, cleaned the kitchen and living room AND made dinner (thank you!).

Once I finally emerged from my cocoon, Broghan and I got to talking about Keller's sleep patterns and how things needed to change.  He finally got me to see how me waking up with Keller every 3 hrs at night was very counterproductive for both of us and that Keller probably didn't really need to eat, he just wanted what he knew he could get...attention from me.  So our first move was to have Broghan get up with him instead of me since we aren't really the "cry-it-out" types.

This is how that went: BAD. Keller cried relentlessly for almost 45 minutes while Broghan was holding, rocking, walking, and snuggling him.  Finally, Broghan got tired and just laid him in his crib.  Within 10 minutes, Keller was asleep. My thought: he must have tired himself out, but I'll take it.  He woke up again at 2, this time I nursed him.  Then back to sleep until 6ish.  Broghan was again, A M A Z I N G, and took Keller for a few hours so I could sleep some more.

Saturday we adjusted and tried again.  This time, we weren't going to go at all and see what happens.  Around 8, we did bed-time routine, laid him in his crib.  Within 10 min. he was out.  Around mid-night the predictable crying began, but I held strong.  Broghan didn't even budge (must've been that male-selective hearing thing).  It was just around 30 minutes (I think....I can't see the clocks at night without my glasses so I was just basing it on how long it felt like) and he was back to sleep.  Huh.  Neat-o.  I, of course, sneaked in to make sure he hadn't been injured or something crazy and, of course, he was fine.  So I went back to sleep.  2AM, he woke- I fed- he went right back to sleep. Awesome.  He didn't wake up again until 8:30! Wowzers..

So now last night, Sunday.  And this is by far the most amazing thing to date (ok, probably not, but I'm still on this sleeping high).  We laid him down around 8:30PM, he fussed for a few minutes, then fell asleep. I heard him around mid-night for, oh, 10 minutes, then nothing.  I went to check on him and (haha) he was curled in the corner of the crib, so I moved him back to the middle and went back to bed.  2AM....nothing.  Huh. Weird. Back to sleep I guess.  Then, not until 6AM did my little man make a peep! Holy cow!

This boy made it from 8:30 until 6 without nursing.  I honestly didn't even think it was possible. But he nursed, and FELL BACK ASLEEP! What?! He didn't get up for the day until 8:30.

So yes, last night to this morning was unbelievable and I'm so dearly hoping for a repeat tonight.  I feel giddy just thinking about sleeping for more than 3 hours straight and not having to get out of bed for a whole night.  I haven't done that is almost a year!   I miss sleep and am happy to have it back in my life.  Please, please don't go away! :)

BTW: I guess we are "cry-it-out" types...never thought I'd join that crowd, but I gotta say, it's working...and it doesn't even feel mean.  But as I was saying to people earlier today, a month ago, I don't think we could have done this...so the timing is right, Keller is ready and very willing to put himself to sleep. Such a big boy!!