The Crying Game

So Little Brother has turned out to be a terrible sleeper. At 5 1/2 months he is still waking up multiple times a night and the only thing that calms him down is a bottle. I know that a 5 month old does not need to eat during the night so today I finally took him to the doctor just to make sure that there were no underlying issues. After assuring me that he was fine, we began to discuss his sleeping patterns. I honestly feel like a new mom all over again because by this age, Big Brother was sleeping through the night with no problem. We discussed Little Brother's schedule and the fact that he was getting 2 to 3 30-45 minute naps a day and sleeping about 4 hours at night. Definitely not enough sleep for him (or me). I knew where the conversation was headed..."Let him cry it out."

I understand the whole "cry it out" concept but it is excruciating for all involved, not to mention the fact that it wakes up Big Brother (and possibly the neighbors). So, in an effort to separate Big Brother from the rest of the house, he is sleeping with Daddy in the master bedroom (which could potentially start another problem) and I am sleeping in Big Brother's room next to Little Brother's room. As I type this, Little Brother has been screaming, and I mean SCREAMING, for the good part of an hour. It's a pitiful and painful cry that seems to ask, "Mommy, why don't you love me?" I can't help but wonder where you draw the line between tough love and and child neglect? For the most part, babies cry when they need something. Right now, Little Brother needs me and I'm purposefully ignoring him. It is extremely hard to watch him cry and roll around his crib on the monitor, knowing that I could go in there and pick him up and comfort him.

The doctor said that with all her patients, she hasn't heard of a sleep training "cry it out" session lasting more than 2 weeks (which sounds like an eternity). So for now we will just stick it out and see how it goes with this whole "cry it out" method; Little Brother crying in his crib and Mommy crying in the next room...