Cry-it-out Night Number Two

It has to get worse before it gets better, right? That's what I'm going with.

I wasn't there for a bulk of the evening due to a work event, but when I arrived home at 8PM Norah was still up and crying/screaming.

Seth said he first left her room at 7PM. He went in for the first time 30-45 minutes later. She was just not calming down.

I went in at 8:30 and she was asking for music. Evidently Seth and I had miscommunciated a bit, and while I thought we were going to give in and let her music play all night he was only letting the CD run once. When I went in that is what she was asking for. I turned it on, gave her a hug and kiss, got her to lay down and explained that it was so late that even Mommy was going to bed (and she did recognize that I was in my PJs, which was helpful). Once I left we didn't hear anything.

I got up with her three times throughout the night, though the first time I don't even think she was really awake. All three times it was fairly easy to get her to lay back down and she appeard to go right back to sleep. Amazingly, I was also able to go back to sleep (at least dozed) after the 4:30 waking. My alarm went off at 6AM, and a few minutes later I heard her door open, so she definitely didn't sleep in much longer despite going to sleep later.

I pulled her into bed with me and we talked about the previous evening. My mom pointed out that she is old enough to process what we talk about related to the situation, which I think is a good point. I'm going to try to discuss it with her each morning and evening, focusing on the fact that she is a big girl and it is her decision as to when she lays quietly in bed and closes her eyes, but that mommy and daddy are not going to come in every time she starts crying.

My expectation is that we will have many more rough nights before it gets better. I just hope that one of these days we are pleasantly surprised at some progress being made.

She was super happy and pleasant this morning, as usual. Luckily she sort of redeems herself every morning, which makes it much easier to gear up for another night.