Sleep. An update.

She's so well rested now, she can't help but smile

A while ago, I posted about Ellie's lack of naps. She refused to take them. She would cry, loudly for what felt like hours if I even attempted to put her down for a nap.  Even just walking into her room would prompt a fit of epic, arching-back, purple-face proportions. She was having none of it.  And so we suffered. Both of us exhausted, but not knowing what to do about it. 

Some friends of mine and I meet every Wednesday for mom's group.  Last week, only two of us were able to meet. So Ellie and I went over to her house for breakfast. 

My friend, Kelly, has a daughter who's just a few weeks older than Elliott, and they had started sleep training when her daughter, Audrey, was only a few weeks old.  What was breakfast, turned into an entire day at their house.  Kelly was able to coach me through my first day of real sleep training with Ellie. She distracted me while E cried herself to sleep that first few times.  

I know that the Cry-it-Out method is controversial to some. But it worked WONDERS for us.  I noticed a change in my baby right away.  That first time, she cried for her an entire naptime.  But crying time decreased with each subsequent nap. She's able to put herself to sleep now.  She's much happier because of it.

And our world is a bright, shiny, happy place now.

Ellie is taking 3-4 naps a day (with little to no crying in the beginning).  And they have consistently increased in length.  What were 45 minute naps, are now 60-90 minutes.  And bedtime is a breeze! 

Our house is clean, laundry gets done, meals are made AND eaten with both hands.  And I have time to type on this here laptop! It's a miracle!