Crying it out

Dear Ella,

There are many things that I love to do with you: nuzzle you, laugh with you, play with you, stare off into space with you. However, when 5pm rolls around, the Witching Hour as some call it, the fun dies down and the fussing begins.

It starts with a little push and squirm and pretty soon you're rollin around in discomfort. I pick you up, no go. I give you a bath. The warm water and the squishy rubber duck seem to do the trick for about ten minutes. Just as your toes start to prune and the bubbles fizz away, you start protesting. Up and away we go, in the comfy yellow towel. The changing table is never much fun. You like to sit up, but putting a diaper on a sitting baby? Not possible. So you cry some and I button you up somewhere between my lap and in between my knees as you squirm your way down. I offer you some bobbie to comfort you, you push away. Ok, not yet. So we play with some toys, but of course you want the objects that aren't exactly meant for you. You have that determination that both poppa and I have. And now you've started reaching for things, throwing yourself, devil may care! We read some books and everything seems calm and cool. Until you get sleepy. I used to have to rock you in my arms for at least an hour, walking back and forth, hardwood floors creaking, you nuzzling your way into a nook in my arm. Then as soon as I lay you in the crib, wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Oh bother Ella! So I pick you up again and here we are 9:30pm and you're restless, im tired and were both frustrated. Drastic times call for drastic measures.
I'd heard about the Ferber Method through some baby books and online research. It seemed so cruel, I judged, I had opinions. Poppa and I both decided it was way too extreme. Letting you cry until you fell asleep? There was no way my heart could handle it! But handle it, my heart would. It was the only solution. So after doing research and making sure we were doing it right, which in turn led to the best results, it was decided, Ferber we would!
Unfortunately for me, the day I decided to start the Ferber, poppa was at work. So we did our nightly routine, bath, playtime, snuggle, boobie, bed. You cried. It was tough, I wanted to cave in. But I called Abuela, and she talked to me to distract me. And you fell asleep. Alone. It took a while, we're still getting the hang of it. But guess what? You're sleeping better than you have in a long time, and that says a lot! On Sunday you let us sleep in until 8:30! Do you know how amazing that is? Granted, you still cry here and there, sometimes more than others, it does take a week or so. But we're doing it. And its only for your best interest. The neighbors may hate us for it, its ok, they sound like fighting cats most nights anyway. Tonight you cried for about 20 minutes, although it always seems like a much longer time, and you fell asleep on your own. I wake up more rested, you do too!

Oh our adventures in trial and error baby Ella. Thanks for sticking it out with us! Love, momma.