Benjamin

I've been working on weaning Benjamin the last few days.


The plan was/is:  To nurse Benjamin right before bed, lay him down in Brienna room (on a little bed on the floor), and let him cry it out "locked" in her room.  He usually just climbs into my bed (his toddler bed is next to our bed) & then starts nursing in the middle of the night.  If I wanted him to not nurse, I would have to either not be at home, or be up "busy" doing a project.  So I decided the alternative was much "easier" for me (thanks Brienna!!!)


So....Thursday night was Night #1. Nursed right before bed.   He slept until 5:30 am.  Then he cried, and cried, and cried some more.  He tried to get out of her room & she finally had to sit in front of the door.  And then he cried some more.  And after 45 minutes of crying, he fell asleep again & slept for another couple of hours.


Night #2:  Brienna put a safety cover on the door knob so Ben can't open it.   He nursed for less than 10 minutes & fell asleep before 9:30.  And I woke up at 6 am wondering if I just hadn't heard Ben or if he was still asleep.  Listened for him and didn't hear him so went back to bed.  Ben got up about 8!  Yay--he slept through the night!


Night #3:  Ben figured out how to get the door knob cover off, so Brienna duct-taped it together.  Ben takes a very long & late nap (oh, no--are we in for a long night??).  Rusty & I go to Terreton for the adult Stake Conference meeting.  Get home & try to get everyone to bed at 9 (because it's day-light savings & so it's almost like 10).  Finally get Ben to bed around 11 (mid-night).  Ben wakes up after 8:30!  another night without waking up!  


Night #4:  (Tonight)--no nap for Ben (although I was able to get about a 30-40 minute night in) so he went to sleep about 9:30 (but would have been 8:30 last night--don't you just love day-light savings???).  We'll see how he does tonight!!


So I am down to just nursing right before bedtime.  Wednesday night I won't be here, so I hope everything will be fine.  This is a big step towards weaning him completely.  Maybe he'll be weaned before the first weekend in April--General conference weekend.  If he is weaned, I might go to Pamela's for conference & have a "girls weekend".