Crying it out

For the past few weeks we'd been considering doing the Cry-it-out method with Caleb because he hadn't been sleeping very well and Mommy and Daddy were tired!! Besides, he had gotten used to being rocked to sleep and would NOT sleep if he wasn't held, so you can imagine that I was extremely sore from holding my very heavy 5 month old son. We HAD to teach him to fall asleep by himself!
We decided to do it, but to start until I wasn't working anymore. So since yesterday was my last day at the office we started last night.

We had prepared ourselves for some painful, sleepless, crying nights, but... Caleb has surprised us.
Here's how it has gone:

We bathed him a little past 7pm, changed him, gave him a little massage, gave him his bottle around 7:30, then put him down still awake. My husband and I prayed for him, prayed for us.
The crying began.
For the first hour, we went to him every five minutes, taking turns Orson and myself. The second hour we went every 7 minutes, then by the third hour, he started to get tired, the crying seemed to wind down so we went only a couple times so he'd know he wasn't alone.
He finally fell asleep a few minutes before 11 PM.
He slept until 2:30AM, but instead of his bottle of milk, we gave him Chamomile Herbal Tea (without caffeine) sweetened with a few drops of CARO syrup for babies. (Previously consulted with our pediatrician) This, we're told, helps babies sleep through the night. I'll update on that later, once we see how it goes. After his bottle, again I laid him in his crib still awake and crept out of the room. He cried again for a little less than half an hour and fell asleep.
He woke again at 5:30 for another bottle, but while Orson prepared his bottle, he fell asleep again! Waking at 7AM.

He did SO good, I am SO proud of him, and of us too! It's one thing writing about it, it's a completely different thing DOING it and hearing your baby cry. =(
Anyways, I wanted to be consistent and let him cry out his nap times also, so when the time came, again, I put him in his crib, still awake and walked out.
Nap #1: ZERO crying. Fell asleep really quickly, slept for about 45 minutes and woke up playing.
Nap #2: Cried for a looong while. Decided to wrap him up, and magic! Fell asleep almost immediately after laying him down. Slept for about an hour, woke up playing.
Nap #3: Zero crying, fell asleep quickly, slept for about half an hour, woke up crying. =( Oops.

Tonight: we did his normal bedtime routine, wrapped him up, shut off the lights, gave him his kiss and set him down. I walked out waiting for the crying to begin and now, an hour later we have not heard a peep out of him, and he is now sleeping like an angel.

I can't believe it! I'm utterly shocked. And truthfully, a bit ecstatic!!
The Lord, ONCE AGAIN, has heard our prayers and has answered them faithfully.

Let's see how future nights go. But for now, I'm one happy Momma!!

Tonight I'm thankful for my first day as a stay at home Mom. It is wonderful being home with Caleb, having lunch with my husband, and focusing solely on my family.
For silent bedtimes. Didn't think they existed!!
For the strength the Lord gave us when we asked for it.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.