Sleep Training

(my new favorite picture; this is her dragon outfit)

Where do I even begin on this? I know getting her on a schedule is important. I also believe, however, that scheduling her feedings is NOT the way to go. She should eat when her tiny little belly is hungry. Who am I to tell a three month old baby "No, you're not hungry yet." So she's setting her own feeding schedule.

She has a rough sleeping schedule that I'm trying to reinforce. A mid morning nap, a long midday nap, and a mid afternoon nap, then a bath around 7:30 and in bed by 8pm. Some days it works better than others. If she doesn't get her naps, she's so tired by night time that she can't sleep, and we're in for trouble.

Everyone says to put her to bed when she's drowsy but not sleeping. Those are so close together that it's hard to do. And if I err too much on the side of "awake" then she starts crying, if I'm lucky, and screaming if I'm not. At which point she's woken herself up and the whole process starts all over again, only it takes longer this time.

Then at nighttime comes the big question - in her bassinet or in the bed with us? If she's in the bassinet I can sleep in any position I want to, and I don't have to have a part of my mind focused on her while I sleep. If she's with me in the bed, I instantly know if she's too hot or too cold. She sleeps much more camly and more deeply, and she rarely has her nightmares. If she does, I can calm her down almost instantly.

Because of all that, she generally sleeps with me. It feels right. It's harder right now, because of her reflux, so I put her on a wedge shaped pillow and use my arms like a corral to keep her on it. It's not all that comfortable, but at least I get some sleep. When she's in her bassinet, she kicks and thrashes and makes noises that keep me up for hours.

So when will she spend all night in her bassinet, much less her crib? I have no idea. She's a strong willed, independent one, so I suspect she's going to make up her mind about it one day and that will be that. But really, I'm just trying to figure it all out myself.