I Feel Like Jumping For Joy

July 21, 2009

Urban Meets Asian3wmblog
Why do I feel like jumping for joy???

Because after 2.5 years of sleeping in our bed.......Sarah has decided to sleep in her new big girl bed and has made it through the night without waking up or crawling in with us!! This is a MAJOR milestone for her....and for us:)

I know that the sleeping thing is a touchy subject and there are so many schools of thought and many people are quick to judge and tell you what is right or wrong, but until you are in a situation with a child who has sleep issues, you shouldn't pass judgement.

We never had any sleeping issues with Nick.....he slept in his crib and in his room since the first day we brought him home from the hospital with no problems whatsoever. When Nick was a toddler, I had a couple of friends that told me they let their kids sleep with them and I could never understand why the let it go on as long as they did. Well......we found out the hard way when Sarah came along.

As a little infant she wanted to be near us and we had her in a tiny basinett right next to our bed. She woke up numerous times each night for feedings and in search of her Nu Nu(Pacifier) We moved when she was only 8 weeks old and once we got to the new house, we tried to get her set up in her own room.

At first she didn't seem to mind, she still woke up a couple of times each night, but for 8 week old infants, this seemed to me normal. As time went on, she seemed to dislike her crib more and more. She would scream every time we tried to put her down. Sarah never even took naps in her crib. She typically slept in her swing or in her little carry seat. Bedtime became such a fight and with both Pat and I both working we dreaded sleepless nights and just started letting her sleep with us. I admit, it was the "easy thing to do" Once we caved, there was no turning back!!

Never did I think she would have been lying between us all this time and I am not sure if we had to do it all over again, we would do anything differently. At the time, we felt she needed to be with us to feel secure so we let it continue and felt that when she was ready we would officially move her out and take our bed back.

Smilingwmblog

Well the time is here!!! She did really well and we were so proud of her.....we made a huge deal over it.

This was a major breakthrough.......now we need to work on the pacifier at bedtime. We don't want to push too many changes on her at once and give her a little time yet, but the goal is to get her over it by the time we get our referral......which could easily be anothery 9 or 10 months......ugh!!!


Hope you all have a great week........and yes, I changed my blog again. I think now that I know how to do it myself, there will be frequent changes around here!

62 comments:

paige said...

yay for sarah!!!
yay for you two too--wink!!

i love your new blog header
& i LOVE her dress! what a doll she always is
xo

Shell in your Pocket said...

What a pretty dress...I love that print!!!!


Ever heard of the pacifier fairy????

sandy toe

Kate said...

Yes...sleep...the big issue around our house for about two years. Lia, it seems, is not that fond of it. The past few weeks she has been sleeping in until at least 7, and sometimes 8!!! That is huge! I keep going in to make sure she is not sick!! :-)

Yay for Sarah...and you are right...you just have to go with your instincts! I feel pretty happy with how we handled it all...I feel like we did the right thing...but oh my...I had to quit talking about it out and about because it DOES seem like an issue on which everyone has a very strong opinion!!! :-)

Looks like you are headed in the right direction!!

k.

Lucy said...

Yay! I know all about that wonderful feeling. Magnolia NEVER slept in her crib....always with us. Wouldn't change it for the world!!! She sleeps in her own bed now but still gets into our bed midway through the night. Slowly we'll ween her off that, you're right one thing at a time and it will all work out!
LOVE Sarah's dress, gorgeous!!!
Take care, Lucy

Keisha said...

Way to go Sarah!!!
Way to go Mom and DAD! As easy as it sounds.. you get used to them being beside you too! lol!

Love the blog!

sandra said...

After going through major sleeping issues with Tahlia, I know what a big deal this is to you and Sarah. Yeah for you both.

I LOVE Sarah's dress. Where did you find it?

Sherri said...

Congrats!!

You did a great job on the blog. Very pretty....

Laura said...

Congrats Sarah!!! Lisa, we are still having problems with Emma. We have given in and now we let her fall asleep in our bed and then whoever goes to bed first, Kevin or I, we move her into her bed. Probably 4 out of the 7 nights a week, she stays there but the other 3, she sneaks back in with us in the middle of the night. The way we look at it is, if this is the only problem that we are having with the adoption, then be it. We could have a very sick child, a child that won't bond, a child that is shy etc.... We have a child that wants to be with us all the time. I don't see a problem with that.

BTW, love the dress!!!!! Adorable!!

Laura

Rachel said...

Yeah for Sarah! Even more, yeah for you! I totally understand needing to follow your instincts. Lily slept with us for 2 months and I still let her come in if she's upset in the middle of the night for some reason.

I'm so happy you have your bed to yourselves for a while!

Regarding the pacifier - my younger son had his at nap and bedtime until he was 3. Then the "ba ba" fairy came to take it to a little baby who needed it. I thought it would be a huge deal, but it totally wasn't!

Have a great week!

Kelley said...

Hooray for Sarah! And what a gorgeous dress! Your pictures, as always, are absolutely breathtaking!

Jboo said...

Woohoo -- yay for Sarah and you and Pat too! We still have bed issues at times! Love your new blog look and that adorable photo and dress! Have a great day!

janet

Jeni said...

I like the new look and love that dress Sarah has on.

I would just enjoy this before taking that pacy that's for sure! Little girls look so little in those big girl beds don't they.

That car place you took Nick looks too cool. I am going to remember that place when we go back to Washington DC, we can have a fun day for the kids.

Kam said...

Yay! She's becoming a big girl! :D
Have a great week!

Briana's Mom said...

Hooray!! Way to go Sarah! Bri will be getting her big girl bed in a few weeks - sniff!

LOVE Sarah's dress! Beautiful!

Marla said...

Yay for Sarah! What a big girl she is getting to be!! The paci thing will come too, like you said, no need to change too much at once though.

LOVING the new bloggy look, it is very classic. Those frames are gorgeous! Good job, girl!

Cindy said...

congrats on conquering the sleep issues. but i am really here to just say that those pics are beautiful! love the exposure, the dress, everything. just gorgeous!

Tisha said...

Lisa,

First of all, love the new header and love that dress!!!!

Hip, hip, hooray for Sarah. I'm sure that must feel so great!

Funny, how you mentioned Kensie and Sarah are doing the same things. Sarah seems so much older to me than Kensie and I just realized why. It's gotta be all of that beautiful hair of Sarah's! Kensie probably won't have that much until she's five or six at this rate. LOL I'm sure Kensie would just love Sarah. :)

Blessings,
Tisha

a Tonggu Momma said...

"but until you are in a situation with a child who has sleep issues, you shouldn't pass judgment." Amen, sister. Amen!

Patricia said...

Hooray for Sarah!!
And AMEN, my friend on your articulate post on sleeping issues!!

That dress looks fabulous on Sarah!

redmaryjanes said...

We are trying to figure out what the best thing is to do for Sophia. I think that a lot children have sleep issues. And a lot of people have advice, but you know your child and you are the one who deals with the problem on a daily basis...so you call the shots.

M3 said...

Hooray!!! That is such a huge thing, wow, you must have been positively giddy when you woke up in the morning and realized it had been a whole night! I'll bet Sarah is pretty dang proud of herself too. Hugs to everyone.

Chasing Dreams Photography said...

Hip hip hooray for Sarah!!! Hooray for Mom and Dad too : ) I totally understand the sleeping in the big thing, the sucking the paci forever and carrying a blanket until adulthood. I say what ever gives everyone peace at home : )

Love the new look....you did great!!! You already know I love this picture.

jenbusymom said...

Way to go Sarah! We are still living this issue with both our girls! Mornings are great when they wake up and say, "I stayed in my bed all night!" Love the new look and the one before!

elliotts said...

Way to go Sarah!! And good news for you and Hubby too!!

Love the new blog motif....very pretty.

Have a good week,
Diane

Aspiemom said...

Way to go, Sarah! And enjoy your bed with your husband, now, Lisa!

Yes, I noticed the new header right away and wondered if you had one of those headers that changes each time you log in, so I refreshed it a few times and it didn't change. I liked both of them a lot.

Robin said...

Oh happy day!!, or should I say night!!!!!

Clara Beth also had sleep, crib issues and I always wound up in the twin bed with her a couple of times during the night. This still happens on occasion but Emanuiel sleeps like a rock!!

That dress looks like "Red Thread Stitches" Love it!!

We are celebrating our one year "Gotcha Day" at our house. That is something that you will be celebrating soon, I just know it!!!

Blessings,
Robin

Marla said...

Good for you all!!! We are still working on Adalyn and she's 4!!ugh!! and I dont think we would change a thing either. Good luck with the pacifier, we still have a thumb sucker, see, you are so ahead of us. ;o)

I love the dress and your new look, Leslie said you where doing your own thing, way to go.

I get to see Missy and family tomorrow night, I'm so excited. Dont be jealous, you got your bed back.

Deb said...

Way to go Sarah girl! Your a big girl now!

I secretly home that Jazmyn does want that security of sleeping with us once in a while...we have 4 years worth of bonding to catch up with......we'll see what happens when she gets here. ;O)

Love the new blog look, your an old pro!

Anonymous said...

Awesome Sarah, way to go girl!

Lisa, I adore the new look~ and the photos are amazing!!!

Big hugs,

Krista

De Lucchi Family Treasures said...

Well done to Sarah and hooray for you too!! What a big girl.
Lots of Love
Jules
xxx

The Byrd's Nest said...

Praise the Lord! What a big girl....she must feel so peaceful, safe and secure that it seemed like the right thing to do.

Lottie has slept with me for four years....ever since the first night we met. Lots of people give me grief over it. Emma (even with all of her grieving) has slept with me for over 2 1/2 years...this helped us bond tremendously. One day they will want to sleep together. I have never cared what people thought...just that my babies felt safe, secure and loved.

I think you are a fabulous Mommy....(just like me!) lol

Courtney said...

Way to go Sarah. I love her dress. Your new header is great. I keep changing my blog, as I learn how to do new things on my own.

Kim said...

Great job Sarah...
LOVE the photos..
Have a great week..

Gail said...

Yay Sarah!!!! And so happy for you all, you got your bed back! There certainly are no rules in my book about how long kids sleep in mom and dad's bed...when they're ready they'll sleep in their own.

You are such a great mom BTW!!!!

hugs to you Lisa... :)

Shari said...

Amelia is still sleeping with me. She was out of my bed for about 3 weeks and the night terrors started again - for NO reason. She's back in my bed and now only having them when she's overtired again. Someday I'll get my bed back:)
I figure a full night of semi good sleep is better than a night of no sleep.

Hope Sarah has it for good - it is a hard habit to break, but also so good for bonding:)

Colleen said...

I'm so happy for all of you!! A huge milestone!! Love that dress too!!

Jodee said...

Whooo hooo! Way to go, Sarah!

I am so thankful my MIL set me straight when Carson was a baby! I am afraid he would still be swinging at night if she hadn't!

Cute pictures too!

Dita said...

I'm right there with ya, babe, on the sleep issues. WonderBoy was just like Nick and slept in his bed no problem.

Sweetie is much more high maintenance that he was and is in our bed EVERY night. I start her off in her crib but she winds up with us each night. I do forget what its like when its just JR and me in our bed, but I wouldn't trade this time with Sweetie for anything....she's only this little once and before long she'll be in her own big girl bed just like Sarah......I'm so happy for her (and you!)

Love the new header...are there no limits to your talents!

Looking forward to next week!

Ashley and Mike said...

I love her dress. Where did you get it?

Ivy Shaffer said...

Way to go Sarah! I sometimes wonder how I'll feel once Kira finally sleeps in her bed. Yeah everyone keeps telling me to get her in her bed now, before it becomes a real issue, but I think the real issue is forcing her to be in a room when she's not ready. Now she's scared to be in my room with the lights off! Gee, does it have something to do with the fact that she had to sleep in a dark, cold crib for almost a year. Makes me want to cry, but like you, I know she'll sleep in her bed when she is ready!

Bet it's nice to finally stretch out huh!

Love these photos of Sarah...you know already that I think their the best I've seen. She's such a dear child, that smile says it all.

Kudos and Kisses to her from me! She's a big girl alright.

Ivy

Ivy Shaffer said...

ALMOST FORGOT! Love the new look Lisa, it's so you! You just crack me the heck up...what will your blog look like next week? If you have any urges to change one, come over and change mine will ya LOL.

Nice job...girly.

Jo said...

Lucky you ~ enjoy the extra room. I love that you are always changing your header ~ change is a good thing.

Jo

Anonymous said...

YAH Sarah! 99% of the time, Dominic is still in bed with us. He always slept in his own bed until our old house got broken into a few years ago while we were on vacation. Since, he has been in bed with us most of the time. I had thought once we had moved into this house, that he would go back to his own bed. But he didn't. But, my feelings are, they are only this age once and if sleeping with mom and dad gives him security, that is fine with me. It doesn't hurt that he still loves to cuddle! Eventually, he will want to be in his own bed.

Love your new blog look and the pictures! Your pictures are beautiful!

Dawn
ps. is it easy to switch pictures out on the blog? I would like to replace the pictures on my blog with updated ones...and I don't know how!

Buzzings of a Queen Bee! said...

Lisa, that is SO great! I totally agree with you...no judgement AT ALL from over here! Each of our kids is so individual, that no one situation is the same. Sarah just wasn't ready until now...

Making me think about how I need to switch Nina over to a big girl bed. We tried before Henry was born and she kept climbing out and onto the furniture. So we put her back in her crib so her pregnant mama wasn't rushing her to the hospital! I've been thinking about trying again but have been scared to lose my recently-found-sleep (Henry just started sleeping through the night not too long ago.).

There's always something, isn't there? Anyway, I am so glad for you! :)
Carrie

3 Peanuts said...

Oh that is GREAT news!!!! I agree that there are lots of opinions and until you have walked in someone's shoes, you should not judge them...you were 100% correct t o do what worked for you and Sarah.

Love the new blog look! It is beautiful!!!

Shelly and Family said...

Way to go Sarah....and way to go with you two as well (I so know it was not easy)!!! I am going to call you tomorrow about this coming weekend. We might have a party we have to go to on Saturday but I will know by tonight...Talk to you later...

BTW - LOVE Sarah's dress!

ZONE F DG TEAM said...

I love the new look. Perhaps a tutorial on how you changed up your blog. What template are you using, etc????

Sharon said...

I'm jealous to be honest : ) Linhsey has never slept a full night in her crib, or toddler bed, or big girl bed. Never. I'm exhausted. We are coming up on 2 years now. She will be 3 on Sept. 1rst. My heart aches for her sleep trauma, but I long for the day I have my bed or at least a straight 8 hours of sleep.

Special K said...

That's great news!

No judgement here. I have no idea how I plan to handle the sleep thing. In a perfect world.. Mia will be in her crib in her room. But we all know life is NOT perfect. LOL!

Jennifer said...

YEA SARAH!!!!! How exciting! And look at you getting all creative! The blog looks great!

Steffie B. said...

Woo-hoo for SArah......I can't imagine.....all my kids have done well in their beds...thank goodness....however, I would do what I need to to comfort them and get sleep myself as well. ;)

Our Complete Family said...

Aw. Look at your new bloggy makeover! I love it Lisa!
The pics you took of Sarah are adorable, too! She is so pretty and such a good little model!
Shh, but Bryce slept in our bed longer than Sarah was in yours!
And, Caroline still has her paci at nap and bedtime. My guess is neither of our girls will when they graduate high school though so I think we'll be safe in the long run girl!
Love and hugs, Les

Lisa said...

Horray for you and horray for Sarah!!! Gorgeous photo's by the way...!

Kayce said...

That is huge! Love the photos!!!

JennyMac said...

That is very exciting. Bravo! And love the pics.

Casey said...

Just another thing we have in common.... Liam slept like a champ from the beginning. No issues. And I swore it was all about our technique. haha!! Then Em came along... and Miss Thing likes to sleep with us. All the time.... She'll go down alone, but slowly wanders to us. She has improved a great deal and has slept the last week by herself but it is an ebb and flow thing with her.

While I love my sleep... I have learned that I like sleeping with her too b/c I know the days are short when she is a "baby".... So I try to remind myself of that fact when she is kicking me in the teeth. :)

Congrats!! And I LOVE the pictures!! She is looking so grown up!!

(And we have a similar dress! Love that fabric!)

jennifer said...

Congrats! I lucked out and got 3 boys that love their beds! Makes me terrified to see what our little girl's sleep habits will be!!

The racecar store looks awesome! My boys would love that. I'll have to see if there's one close to us!

Kiy said...

Lurker unlurking here (found you through Ivy!). We too struggle with sleep issues, have since the day sweet Emi was placed in our arms. She's happiest and most secure sleeping with us. It's nice to see other families making the same choice we did - what's right for the child, not what society thinks is right. Good for you, good for her! Congrats to Miss Sarah making the move to her own bed. Big step!

Cheers,

Kiy

P.S. Okay, I have go to ask. Please tell me you got Sarah's dress through etsy and you remember the seller? I love love love it! :)

Jennifer said...

Yeah Sarah!!!!!

Beautiful pictures as always!!!!

Love your new blog look!

Jen

Wanda said...

Good for Sarah and you!! Great milestone to celebrate.

Absolutely adore this header. (Hmmm, I've got to learn how to do it too - I don't like being tied down. I'll put that on my to do when back from China list - haha.)

Heather said...

Go Sarah, go! Such happy news!

She looks beautiful in her little dress - love that pattern!

She is definitely looking more grown up!

Heather

JMCS said...

Lisa,

That is wonderful news about the big girl bed. Don't you worry one minute about what people say, you have to do what's right for your little girl and I just have to tell you these images are so nice and I LOVE her dress!

Hugs,
Jonni