A Miracle

I really shouldn’t post this considering four days is by no means a permanent habit; however, I’m thrilled with even the four days. For the last four nights, Caleb has gone to sleep in his crib with his stuffed dog (thanks Grandma Evie) without crying when I leave the room. For the last five months or so I’ve been laying on the floor beside his crib, my head on a pillow, until he falls asleep. Sometimes I’m fine with this since I just have to lay there and I’m often tired. But it gets frustrating when I try to leave and he wakes up and cries, or more recently, “Lie down on the pillow!” (Yes, he can say that complete phrase including the article and preposition.) We have never done the complete cry it out method, but a few times when it’s taking forever and I have things to do, I’ve let him cry a bit and then go back in after I’ve done something. I’ve been really nervous about what was going to happen when the baby came and thinking of different ways I could help him ease into, none of which seemed to be working. Then the miracle just happened. I had a lot to do one night and it was late. I put him in his crib after our nightly bedtime ritual, but instead of laying down beside his crib, I gave him his dog, told him he had a picture of the temple with Angel Moroni, by his crib (we had bought it and hung it up that day and Caleb loves the Angel Moroni on the temple) and a picture of Jesus on the wall. Then I walked out of the room waiting for the wails and it was silent. I couldn’t believe it. I tiptoed into our room where Andy was reading and told him that Caleb was still awake. I was dumbfounded. I took a shower and he didn’t cry. I went to bed. The next night it was the same. And the next and the next.

I don’t know if this will continue, but I am still grateful no matter what happens. I think it proper to thank both Grandma Evie for the stuffed animals that Caleb really likes, Andy for trying to get Caleb attached to the dog and bed by dressing the dog in pajamas and naming him Mike the dog, and to my mother who has faith to move mountains and I’m sure has been praying knowing my concern with number two coming so soon. (Mike, I hope you’re okay with having the dog named after you. He really likes the name Mike.)