Sleep has never felt so good!

I'm going to begin with this: my best friend has a son who, since birth, has just been put in his crib for naps and night time, and falls asleep. He even prefers it that way. And for almost 2 years, I have complained that my child would NEVER fall asleep on her own in her own bed. I have been so jealous. We tried every method there was, and nothing worked. I finally gave up and actually enjoy her falling asleep on me (if I have no chores or homework), and sleeping with me some at night. But although I enjoy it sometimes, it does get old. Like, it was taking her an hour, sometimes an hour and a half, to fall asleep in my lap or in bed with me. Ridiculous.

So last Friday, Nick was going out of town and asked me to try and put her in her bed that night and see what happened. She has a big girl twin bed, so I assumed it would be like on SuperNanny where I return her to her bed with a 'It's bed time' 50 million times. Which has happened before, and I've given up after an hour (I don't have a lot of patience). I said what the heck, and tried it. On the way home from my friend's house (you know, the one with the perfect sleeper who actually has time to get housework done!) I explained it to her. She kept insisting that she was sleeping in 'Mommy's bed.' And I would correct her. And so on. So, I did put a tiny tv in her room (I know, bad mommy, but we'll break that habit later). I turned on Oswald, gave her a sippy of water, turned on her night light lamp, gave her her polar bear, and sat on the end of the bed. For a minute she tried to get up and get me. I layed her back down. I sat there for about 10 minutes and then said I was going to get a drink of water. She didn't say a word. I was gone for about 10 minutes (and usually she would have had a fit the second I got up off the bed). I walked back past to go to my room and she cried out my name. I walked in and explained to her like I was talking to a 4 year old. "It's night night time Lacey. You have to sleep in your bed, and mommy in hers. Mommy will be right there (pointing across the hall), RIGHT THERE. Don't worry. I can hear you if you need me." I walked out to my room, and she started fussing. She fussed on and off like 5 times, and then I heard nothing. I was on the edge of my bed waiting for her to waltz into my room, which is what usually happens when she is in her room and quiet. Nothing. I walked to the door, and she was quietly watching Oswald. I finished up online, and she was asleep in 15 minutes. Success!! I thought it might be a quirk because she was tired, and we had been out playing hard.

Saturday night went almost the same, except I put her pjs on, turned on Oswald, layed her down with her animals, and she said 'Lacey sleep in Lacey's bed, night night mommy, bye bye.' And I walked out, and she went to sleep. Same on Sunday!!!

And the ultimate test was today at nap time. We'd been out all weekend during nap time so she grabbed catnaps during the day. So today I took her shoes off, walked her into her room, turned on Oswald, told her it was nap time, and layed her down. No fuss, she grabbed her bear, rolled over, and said bye mommy.

Some of you are probably like 'Okay, whatever, my kid has done that since birth.'

But for you ones who know what I'm talking about..... it is the BEST feeling as a parent! It's one of my proudest moments, to have a normal, going to sleep on her own in her own bed kid! Yayyyyy Lacey! My best friend's sone has FINALLY rubbed off on her! Man is she stubborn!