BIG Jo Accomplishment!

Jo has always been VERY easy to put to sleep. Granted, I rocked her to sleep, which some would consider a sin but could I not when it worked SO well for us? She'd be asleep within 2 minutes, literally! Then I'd just hold her for another few minutes and put her in her crib and that was it! But then last week, alllll of a sudden, Jo started throwing HUGE, out of control tantrums before nap time and bed time. She would NOT let me rock her what so ever. Luckily the tantrums would only last a few minutes before she'd lay in our bed and I'd lay next to her and rub her back and she'd go to sleep. But still, MAJOR problem, I can't be having her throwing tantrums like that every day before nap time and bed time. Noooo way! 5 minutes of a tantrum like that feels like 5 hours! So I knew something had to be done.

I've NEVER wanted to do the whole Cry-It-Out thing, ever! But I didn't see any choice, so last night when she started throwing the tantrum I told her she had to go in her crib and go night night by herself. So with tears in my eyes, I went and put her in her crib and left. I thought she was going to cry for like hours before she went to sleep because that's always what you hear of when people talk about starting the whole CIO thing, one night they'll cry for 2 hours, then the next night 1 hour etc. etc. So I was very upset! But then, she only cried for 6 minutes then there was silence! I waited 10 minutes and then went in to check on her and she was asleep! Today for her nap I turned off all the lights except for a few little lamps and brought her in our room, read her 2 stories, and then brought her in her room and put her in her crib and walked out... SHE DIDN'T CRY AT ALL. There was no noise, so in 10 minutes I went in and she was asleep! I couldn't believe it! Same thing happened tonight, she didn't cry at all. Every time I've done this, I've given her 3 binkies in her crib, just in case she's crying and gets mad and throws one out, I don't want her to be without one because that she DEFINITELY still depends on to go to sleep. And every time I've gone in there to check on her, she's been asleep with one binkie in each hand and the 3rd one of course, in her mouth haha she's prepared and ready! You guys don't know Jo like I do, so this may sound silly. But this is a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE deal for her, this is a BIG TIME accomplishment! She depended on us rocking her to sleep a very certain way for so long I thought I'd be rocking her to sleep when she was 5! So I am very proud!