I see the light.

hush, little baby.

Something magical happened today. DC put himself to sleep without a sound, without a babble! Recently, since his teeth have finally popped through, I noticed that he didn't want to be nursed to sleep. I would spend hours trying to nurse him into that deep lull, which once so easy would come over him while he suckled, but I guess as he has gotten older, and the pain of teething has finally begun to subside, he was ready for a more independent sleep routine.

Confused by the sudden struggle of nursing him to sleep, I spent a few days attempting to continue the old habit, however after a few days without naps, because he wasn't responding to the old nursing to sleep bit, I figured I would try something new. (this momma thing is a just roll with it kinda job. isn't it?) So here is how it all went down, leading to the most shocking moment of our lives!

Day 1- I nursed him until he started to doze off. He wasn't completely asleep, when I slipped him into his crib because he never falls asleep while nursing anymore! He was not a happy camper. So I wound up his little giraffe, gave him his binker, and assumed my position by the crack in the door. For about 5-7 minutes he didn't cry, but he yelled at me. I watched through a crack in the door because for some reason if I am in the room while he is in the crib, it is like torture to him. After those few moments passed, he put his head down, and whined a little, those really quite about to pass out whines, and bam.

Day 2- I nursed him, and he was tired, but I think he knew that if he dozed off, the same process of Day 1 would go down, so he fought his sleep hard. I must have nursed him for 2-3 hours on and off, until I finally just said to him "okay baby, it is time to sleep. You're tired, and momma needs you to sleep, please." I gave him a final nursing sesh, rocked him to one full round of "twinkle, twinkle," and put him into the crib. The moment he felt the release from my arms, and was placed into his crib, he was pissed. Screaming and throwing his arms, he looked up at me with that mad little look he gets. So I wound up his little giraffe, gave him his binker, and assumed my position by the crack in the door. A long 30 minutes of him babbling to himself ensued. He babbled and babbled, like he was telling the giraffe I was a real jerk, and then like magic he dozed off.

Day 3- This is the amazing part! I fed him. He was pretty awake for all of it. I rocked him to one round of "twinkle, twinkle," I wound up his little giraffe, gave him his binker, and assumed my position by the crack in the door. Not one single sound. It was like he finally understood. Sleep time! Not a whine. Not a yell. Not a babble. Not even when I first laid him down! As I watched, he grabbed the giraffe, cuddled it close (my heart melted), gnawed on it for a bit, and then five minutes later, he was sleeping. I mean I did a happy dance and everything!

The best part of this is not just that he knows the routine, and goes to sleep right after, but he also plays by himself now! That never happened. Like I have said before, I never got a moment to myself. Not to eat, not to clean, not to rest, not to shower, really not to be normal, for basically his whole life, and now I get like ten minutes every so often. It is so nice, and let me say I did hit my knees and praised Him for such a miracle. Finally, I see the light!