Still Learning

Lately I have found myself holding Shelby constantly. When I put her down she begins to cry so I feel bad and scoop her up to console her. Well this past Thursday I had tons of household chores and mounds of laundry however Shelby would have none of it! She was fed, changed, and happy so I put her in her swing and she immediately began to cry. I thought that after a few minutes she would quiet down and nod off to sleep, but instead she just became angrier. By the end of the day I had gotten little accomplished and was quite frustrated. I began to think to myself that it was ridiculous to think that I could hold Shelby all the time; she has to learn to be content sitting alone some.
So I decided to call my friend who has four children. I knew that with that many children she did not have time to coddle her baby. She reassured me that it was okay to sit her down and let her cry. Shelby has to learn to fall asleep by herself. She can’t count on me to always rock her to sleep. So on Friday it was time to try something new. After waking her, and finishing our morning routine I laid her down in her glider left her there. She cried for a few minutes and then fell asleep. I was pleasantly surprised. She was wonderful all day and I spent a lot less time holding her and felt I got a lot more accomplished.