Hey!!! Sleep training… what!?!?

William in West Virginia, June 2014 ©2014

Wow. It's been a long time. Ugh. This always seems to happen.  A lot of stuff has gone down since I last posted! My husband and I had a baby boy last September, William!!! He is the most wonderful boy and we enjoy him so very much.  He had his first birthday already!!! OK, it has been a REALLY long time!!! Forgive me!!! Right now, I mean, literally a couple hours ago my husband and I started "sleep training" our son.

Sleep training a baby is not for the weak. You must be strong, you must be stubborn, and you must not give in to your wonderful child who means the absolute world to you. DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD THAT IS!? It is insanely difficult to stop myself from scooping him up into my arms, giving him a big hug and a kiss and whisking him back into the bed with me, rocking him to sleep, having him close by and knowing he is happy and safe.

I have read countless articles about sleep training; what works, what doesn't, whether or not it does work… whatever you decide to do or not do, is completely up to you and your spouse! This is a judgement free zone, friends! I did consult our pediatrician before we decided to start the sleep training. William isn't the only one who will have to be trained. I have been sleeping in the bed, cuddling with my sweet boy, for a little under a year.  I am going to have to be trained to sleep without my baby! Part of me is excited to have some extra space in the bed and I hope to be able to sleep longer than a few hours now! On the other hand, I feel like I am abandoning my baby to sleep on his own, but tons of families do this, right!? I suppose I am looking for words of encouragement to get through the next few days.  This first night seemed to go well enough… let's hope the next few nights do as well.

As for posting more often, we'll see how sleep training goes.  I may have time to write/edit/post again!! Will you read!!???! Please leave comments! :) What are your thoughts on sleep training babies??