To Cry or Not To Cry

I have come to terms with the fact that Sydney is at the age where it's ok to let her cry a bit. Up until recently, I have not been a supporter of the cry-it-out method. I truly believe that babies under six months should be attended to when they cry. Sure, maybe they'll learn that no one is coming if you let them cry, but I don't think you're doing anything positive for them. And why let my baby cry herself to exhaustion, when all it would take is 10 minutes of nursing because she's hungry?! My baby always has a reason when she cries, I'm sorry I'm just so darn good at knowing how to quickly fix it and move on. Ha! People have been giving me unsolicited advice about my parenting since Sydney has been born. I usually just smile and nod, and then go home and do what my pediatrician has suggested if I felt it was best for my baby. For this particular issue I would get annoyed when people made comments like, "She's so happy because you never give her a chance to cry" or "She's manipulating you" and "You need to let her find her voice". If I could go back to the very beginning, I would most definitely do everything the same. My baby is so happy and I feel it's because she's confident in how I anticipate her needs.

All that being said, I also believe that a point comes when you do have to help them learn when it's time to sleep. That time has finally come for Sydney. I've been having issues getting her to sleep in her crib during her second nap. I'm a big fan of routines so before each nap I read to Sydney so she knows what's coming. Her 9am nap hasn't been an issue. Neither is bedtime. For some reason, she refused being in her crib during her 1pm nap. So for the first time ever last week, I let her cry herself to sleep! It was the worst 45 minutes of my life. She then passed out for about ten minutes and woke again crying. An hour had passed, so it was time to get her up and try again the next day. Second time around, the crying was for only 30 minutes. By the third day, my sweet little protester knew it was time to nap and I'd be back in two hours to play with her. There was NO crying! I now know the meaning of "tough love". And it sucks! Thank God for my video monitor!

It's been a wonderful week for me. I can plan out my day and even count on getting a nap in if I have nothing to do. The best part, is that Sydney always knows what's coming next so there are no surprises. She continues to be the perfect baby. I wonder how long it's going to be this easy!