Throwing in the sleep training towel

So everyone and everything I've read says that it takes 3 nights, sometimes 4, to get your baby to sleep through the night. It's going to take more than that to get Cohen sleeping through. Little jackass.

We got him to bed at 8:00 last night. We've heard that babies' bedtimes should be between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. (thank you for confirming that Marci & Tara). So we're aiming for 7:00 but need to get there gradually. The goal is within 2 weeks MAX. We figure if we move it up 15 minutes every 3 or 4 nights, that should do the trick.

As last night was night 4, I had medium hopes that he could do it. The stinker woke up at 3:20 and cried until 3:40 and then again from 4:25 until 4:45. I was awake the whole time (an hour and a half) and was just so out of my mind with exhaustion and frustration from the previous nights that I threw in the towel and nursed him back to sleep. He didn't wake up until 8:40 a.m.

So, I e-mailed his pediatrician this morning and asked if I'd blown it and had to start over or if there's any point in continuing. She wrote back to keep going, so that's what I'll do. If he can't seem to get it by Saturday, I'll quit and try again in a few weeks. As I start my new job next Monday, I was hoping to have this done by then.

I know that this is such a controversial thing and everyone has their opinions (and thank you to everyone who has e-mailed them to me) and I greatly appreciate all of the wisdom, but I am going to keep going with this. My friend is currently sleep training her 8 month old and she told me this morning that she regrets not doing it when she was 4 months old.

If Cohen can't seem to get it, then I will continue the middle of the night nursing and will look and act like a royal hag at work. Now that's a great way to make a lasting first impression.

And the absolute worst thing about all of this is that Christian says I've lost my sense of humour. I can't even make any joke about this entire experience. Now that is a sad day at Hancock Manor when I can't find humour in a crappy situation.

Thinking he's all that and a bucket of fried chicken in his sweater suit. Thanks Nana.

Another sweater ensemble he's been waiting to fit into. Thank you Kirsten. He's been told he looks like a teddy bear when he wears this. A non-sleeping-through-the-night Teddy Bear. This photo was captured just prior to him throwing up on himself 3 times and then peeing on it.