*Update*

As I've mentioned in previous posts, Carter has not been sleeping good at night for the last couple weeks! He has been waking up several times at night & wanting to get in our bed. He almost seems scared to be left alone in his room, even in the daytime. Even as a baby, he's never been the type to sit contently & play by himself. I've never been able to sit him in his crib and go clean or take a shower because he gets upset. Some babies can do this-I know people who's kids can. But Carter, he's not like that! His personality is very much like his fathers when he was his age. I was a more calm, content baby. I guess its safe to say he's just like his daddy :) & that's not a bad thing! I love him just the way he is!!

One thing we have always had a rough time with is sleep. Like most babies, Carter woke up alot when he was newborn. However, that is to be expected!! Some people's newborns sleep all night from the get go. For most of us parents....that is not the case! With us, Carter started sleeping better around 5-6 months old. He would only wake up once throughout the night. I learned to deal with that and got used to it. Around 7 months old, he started waking up several times at night again. That lasted through Winter of last year and come March, we were exhausted! So, March 20th (I believe) we decided to try the CIO (Cry it Out) Method. I know, I know, we didn't like the sounds of it either, but it worked! The first night we tried it was hard, I'm not going to lie. Carter cried for 30 minutes straight. We would go in every few minutes to reassure him, but it was still tough to deal with. After that, he slept like an angel & all summer & even some of this fall! This all changed about 2 weeks ago. He started back up again, waking up at all hours of the night....crying and afraid to be in his crib. We started letting him sleep with us because unlike the first time we let him cry it out, now he calls our names, tries to climb out (which he's done successfully once!) and jumps up and down histerically! Its a pitiful site, believe me!

Tonight, however, we've changed pace again! After 2 weeks of hardly any sleep, we talked and decided to change the routine and let him cry if he had too! Tonight, instead of reading him his books in the living room...I read them to him in his room. He didn't sit on my lap this time either, he sat in his crib. We gave him a stuffed dog to sleep with & told him that Mo-mo (The dog!) would keep him company all night. I did give him his bottle to drink while I read to him, but he didn't finish it. Usually what I was doing was reading his stories first, then bottle, then bed. BUT, he almost always fell asleep as he was drinking his bottle & then I just carried him to his crib. Tonight, after stories I kissed him goodnight and turned his night light on & walked out! He began to cry & call my name, but we stood firm. We went in every few minutes like the last time and reassured him, but then walked out again. He cried for 25 LONG minutes, but I'm happy to say that he is now sleeping peacefully with his dog :) At first, he fell asleep standing up!! But, then he laid himself down and kept right on sleeping. Now, will this last all night?! I don't know! What I do know is that sleeping in our bed isn't working. He needs to know that his room is not scary and that he can sleep in his crib by himself all night. Nobody gives you a "guide book" on how to raise children. You can only do what you think is best. Hopefully this was the right decision. I pray everyday that I make the best choices for him in life! Only time will tell what will happen with this little boy of ours ; ) he's a tricky one!! I wanted to blog about this because it can't always be cheerful, sometimes life is tough. But that's what us "mom-blogger's" do, we post the good & the not so good, lol! One day I will read this and miss my sleepless baby nights & he will read this and call me a "Cornball" ha-ha!! Goodnight, hope everyone has a good nights sleep!!