Co-sleeping days soon to be over… :-(

It’s really late and I should be going to bed since we are going to the early service in the morning… but I thought I would write this while I’m still thinking about it. 

In this post, I mentioned at the end something about having to take naps with Sweet Pea because she will not go to sleep on her own in her crib. 

Ok…  if you have been reading for a while, you know that I went back and forth about the Ferber Method.  I couldn’t decide if it was the right thing to do.  But I eventually decided it was and I finally got her “ferberized”. 

Here is how things pretty much are now…

At night, we have supper around 6:00ish.  We let Sweet Pea play or do whatever for a while.  At 7:15-7:30, we give her a bath.  I usually let her play a little afterwards.  Mr. R leaves to go to work around 8.  She drinks a bottle then and I might rock her for a few minutes while we watch some tv.  Then, I take her to brush her teeth.  Then, I take her in her room and read her a couple of books.  Then, we say her prayer.  I kiss her goodnight, put her in her crib, and I leave the room.

She might fuss for a few seconds…maybe a minute.  But she goes on to sleep with no problems. 

Nap time is a completely different story!!!!

Being a SAHM, I have gotten spoiled….  I love taking naps.  So, when Sweet Pea naps, I nap.  The only problem with this is… we nap in the same bed.  So, on the days when I need to do housework or want to blog or need to take a shower while she naps, it just doesn’t work out…  She thinks that I have to lay down with her in order for her to fall asleep.  And don’t even think about trying to put her in her crib after she falls asleep…yeah right!!  Her eyes pop wide open!!!  Anyway…

I tried to lay her down in her crib the other day because I was going to wash dishes while she napped, and she cried and cried….and cried!!  I thought she would eventually lay down and go to sleep (like she does at night) but she never did.  I went in there a time or two to lay her down and give her the paci.  But she kept standing up and crying.  So, after about 5 minutes, I finally just went in there and put her in the bed with me and we took a nap together. 

But I don’t need to continue this.  As much as I enjoy taking naps with her and having our mother/daughter cuddle time, I really just need her to get used to napping alone…… and sleeping alone…period.  There is going to come a day when she has to go to daycare (hopefully no time soon) or go to kindergarten (it will be here before we know it… :-() and Mommy isn’t going to be there to lay down with her.  So, I guess we need to break this habit sooner rather than later so she doesn’t have the feeling of abandonment when that time comes.  Make any sense???

Another thing…  I mentioned that she goes to sleep just fine on her own at night.  Well, she sleeps just fine by herself for a few hours.  And it seems like something goes off in her head when I come in the room to go to sleep (because I sleep in her room in the extra bed).  She wakes up.  She knows that I am going to sleep in there, so it doesn’t work for me to pop the paci back in her mouth and lay her down.  So, I end up putting her in the bed with me for the rest of the night.  So, I’m thinking that I need to stop sleeping in there all together…  Sad sad day…  I just hate sleeping in mine and Mr. R’s room.  It’s just not very inviting or cozy…  And the bed hurts my back.  But I guess I’m going to have to start sleeping in there, regardless…..

I know some people will say that I need to enjoy this time while I can because she is going to be grown in a blink of an eye and I will wish I could cuddle up to my baby girl and nap with her.  And I know that.  But is it really healthy for her???  I mean, she already has separation anxiety bad enough as it is…  So, I think it would be best if we broke this habit now.  :-(