Day 191: Sleep Training?

Good news: Michal knows how to pull to standing like a pro.

Bad news: Michal pulls to standing while crying hysterically in her crib.

It's been a tough sleep weekend.  While we were at the beach, we encountered a new problem: Michal did not want to go to sleep.  When it came for naptime or bedtime, we would go through our normal routine, only to encounter hysterically crying baby.  She would only calm down if we were holding her or sitting right next to where she was (theoretically) falling asleep.  We weren't entirely sure the cause of this problem - was she adjusting to being in a new location and sleeping in her play yard instead of her crib? Was it a new variation of separation anxiety?  We found a way to make it work and get her to sleep and assumed that all would be fine when we returned home.

Taking a nap with Mommy this afternoon. 

 Stopping at Sonic for lunch - sitting like a big girl next to Daddy.

So sleepy - in the car.

Unfortunately our assumptions were incorrect.  Tonight, once we got home, Michal took a bath, got into her pajamas, had a bottle and a cuddle with Mommy, then went into her crib for a good night's sleep.  Except she didn't fall asleep... for 2 1/2 hours.  Our easy sleeper is no longer so easy, and it seems like one of our guesses for the vacation sleep problems was correct: separation anxiety.  She just did not want to be apart from us.  

After some quick consultations with friends who have worked through this in the past, we experimented with a routine that we hope will work Michal through this and get her back on a good sleep path.  It took a long while tonight, with tears for everyone involved.  And on the bright side, Michal is now an expert at standing.  We just hope it does not interfere with some much needed shut-eye.