The Search for the Self Soother

For fourteen months, we've been working with Lily to get her to self sooth. It's always been one of us rocking or me nursing or her temporarily finding her fingers, but nothing has calmed her. If we tried to help her find her fingers, she'd fight and fuss more. Those had to be on her terms. A pacifier never worked.

Now, after fourteen months, she has found the ability to sooth herself. Her thumb! For the past three nights, she's gotten a little fussy after her evening feed,but calms quickly by rolling on her side and finding her thumb. With thumb in mouth, we have been able to put her in her crib, and she has fallen asleep that way. No rocking, no nursing, no crying herself to sleep. Boy, her former OT (Meghan) would be proud!

As a matter of fact, she's been sleeping with her light off, AND she's been sleeping through the night. This is amazing to me. I hope it's permanent. Since her tube placement, she's really become such an easy baby to care for. After fourteen months of three hour sleeps here and there, I really need this.

If only I could control the urge to wake up and go to the restroom in the middle of the night. . . :)