Coffee Date Friday: Sleep Battles

Happy Friday! How has your week gone? If we were sitting down for a much-needed coffee date, I'll warn you right now that lots and lots and lots of coffee is needed today. Also, I have a long rant/plea for help. I mentioned in Ezzy's one year update that I'm not happy with our sleep situation, and am working on changing it. When I started thinking about it more, and reading the No Cry Sleep Solution, I realized I actually have three tasks at hand: weaning, getting Ezzy to sleep only in his crib, and getting him to sleep through the night. As much as I'd magically like for all three of those issues to be solved immediately, I think we're gonna have to tackle one at a time. So first on the list is getting Ezzy to sleep only in his crib. Currently he takes naps in our bed, and he sleeps the first part of the night in his crib, but I bring him to bed with me when he wakes up, and then after he's back asleep I move to the couch until Joe gets up for work. So you can see why that would be inconvenient for pretty much everyone except Ezzy. Yesterday I started with the nap, gave Ezzy a snack then nursed him like usual, then put him in his crib when he was pretty much asleep and he took a nice long nap in there. That was actually a pretty smooth transition. Our initial bedtime was pretty smooth too, he was in his crib asleep by 9:30. However, he woke up a little after midnight, and that's when the real battle began. Let me tell you, when I first woke up, my initial thought was "Let's do this crib thing another night," cause when you're sleep deprived the last thing you want to do is start a new routine that can potentially leave you more sleep deprived. But, in the hopes of getting more sleep in the long run (and giving my neck and back a break from sleeping on the couch!) I pepped myself up to stick to my guns and not bring Ezzy to bed with me. Here's a rough timeline of how that worked out: 12:00 - 12:30 nurse Ezzy, place him back in crib mostly asleep. Ezzy immediately wakes up crying. Decide to let him cry himself to sleep. I last exactly 17 minutes before I go back in his room. Decide I will stay in the room with him until he tires himself out (it's about 12:50 by this point). Ezzy gets giddy with excitement, chattering, bouncing up and down in his bed, giggling, throwing the stuffed animal I put in bed with him at me repeatedly. Periodically I give him "goodnight kisses" and lay him down and tell him it's bedtime. He immediately rolls over and stands back up. I decide to read Winnie the Pooh to him. We finish about half the book. It's been at least an hour since I went back in his room, he's wide awake, and I can barely keep my eyes open. I move over to the rocking chair and start dozing off. Ezzy starts crying. I nurse him again. Again he falls asleep. I put him in his crib. Again he wakes right back up. Again I try leaving the room and letting him cry. This time I last less than ten minutes. Try nursing again. He falls asleep again. Finally manage to successfully transfer him to crib. Total time spent: 3 hours! 3 precious hours of sleep lost. I need seconds on my coffee just thinking about it. So basically he went to sleep around 3:00 am. Woke up again at 6, when Joe offered to bring him to bed, and I was too tired to protest. I guess that counts as a partial success? Doesn't feel like it though. Anyone else with experience or tips in this area?

On a happier note, my college roommate is in town this week and Ezzy and I have a play date scheduled with her and her two boys this afternoon. I haven't even met her youngest son, that's how long it's been, so I'm super excited :) Also, I hear we may be going swimming, and in this 100+ degree weather, that's pretty much the only thing that will lure me out of the air-conditioned house. 

What's new with you this week and what fun stuff do you have planned for the weekend? Any hellish sleep stories to share to let me know I'm not alone and that it gets better? Please?