Afternoon Snack

Ainsley's Half Birthday... 6 Months Old!

Our little Froggy is 6 months old today. 

Here she is with Hedwig. 

Happy Anniversary...

While Ainsley and I were hanging out in Orlando I took some photos of her in front of where we got married... She was just learning how to sit up on her own this week.

 

Bed Time...

For the past month I have had the internal struggle about our little one's bed time.  She has always slept in our room... and the week we moved to the new apartment (back in October) marked the time she started sleeping in our bed. Say what you will but I was getting to sleep for the first time since coming home from the hospital.  I loved it!  Not to mention Lillian (the real baby of the family) took over the bassinet and claimed it for her own.  It's not the best situation... But who am I kidding?  I love cuddling with Ainsley.  I love waking up to her smiling face.  It's like rainbows and sunshine in the morning.  I love holding her while she falls asleep in my arms.  I know this time is very short lived.  I am holding on to it as long as I can. Oh... and I love SLEEP! 

But... (and yes, there is a but) there is also the part of me that does not want her to be sleeping in our bed till she graduates college.  (OK, I know that's a bit extreme)  

So I made it a goal that by her 6 month "birthday" she will be sleeping in her own bed, in her own room.  

Baby steps... right?  I set a goal. Yay! The next step - - sleeping in the crib.

Tonight, I thought I would start trying.  This would give me a week.  (A WEEK?!?! I am insane... this is never gonna work!)  

First thought? Mistake #1: I am doing this solo as Daddy is driving back from Key West.  Where would be my support to tell me it will all be ok when she cries?   

I pulled up my big girl pants and prepared for game day!  I felt like a football player preparing for battle.  I had my plan... Mentally I said to myself "Ok Mom... we got our offense.  Bath, followed by pjs, and when we are 4th and inches we'll pull out the sleep sheep and story time.  Moms go on 3!".  Break!

We took a bath, put on our pjs, turned the lights down low, put on her sleep sheep and seahorse, and I nursed her one more time.  (Mommy is on a roll. I'm in her end zone!)

I put her in the crib and walked away.  (Score!) (?)

That's when you would say Defense sacked the quarterback! 

Because coming from the crib was nothing but... Whimper, whimper, whimper! 

The whimpers still break my heart.  Trying to remember all the advice I had been given on how to put her down... I went back in set on not picking her up. (Mommy game face) I rubbed her back, talked to her, and gave her the pacifier.  Nothing worked.  It's like she could smell the fear of a night time breakdown.  That's when it happened... the whimpers went right into a full out meltdown. (Interception! Ugh!)

I re-group, pick her up, and try nursing.  All I can say is her team is fierce! She's tough like the Raiders!  (Maybe I should have gone in with  a MMA game plan.)  

And then... she started to drift off in my arms.  I waited a few minutes... got up... laid her down (4th and inches again)... she started to whimper again (block, again)... I gave her a pacifier... silence... I step back... and more silence... and .... GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! (ok I know thats soccer but TOUCHDOWN just didn't express the excitement I was feeling!) 

I did it!  I really did it!  (High Five, High Five!) 

She's a big girl! And I am sad... let's see if I let her stay in there all night or if I break down and go in and get her.  :) 

** Update: 12am.  Daddy Arrives Home.  Baby hears. Waaaaaaaaaaa! Now she is sitting on the couch with him having a good old time.  Starting to think Daddy is playing on her team!