YEAH!!!

We had a successful night last night! I decided that I didn't care what it took, I was going to use patience w/ my child and help her to feel more comfortable. Unfortunately, I think Avery has the same anxiety that I have when it comes to sleep which is why rocking her always worked for us b/c she was comfortable and relaxed. Wednesday night when I put her to bed and she woke up immediately, she was sweating! Her hair was wet and her skin was moist. I'm telling you she gets VERY upset around night time and I can not tell you how much I hate that for her. But, last night I was a very determined mommy! She fell asleep in my arms around 9p and then when I put her in her bed, she woke up on contact. So, for 1 hr and 45 minutes, I did nothing but just sit there next to her bed and rub her head and back to make her feel comforted. I turned her music on and I think that helped but still didn't make her go to sleep. She kept saying "I go to bed w/ Mommy!!". I know that if I put her in my bed she would be out in 2 seconds flat, but I just don't want to go there. I will save that as a back-up for really special circumstances. Finally, I had the idea of bringing Layla into her room and it actually worked!!! That poor dog is always taking one for the team! But desperate times call for desperate measures and when you don't have someone at home with you to tag-team the situation, I had to use an animal instead of another human. So, I kissed her on her little head, gave her a big hug, told Layla to take care of her, and I walked out of the room shutting the door and turning off the light. I heard Avery talking to Layla, on the monitor, and playing with her Dora flashlight (b/c it makes sounds when you push buttons) and then pure silence. I didn't hear her anymore during the night. You know, I just need to accept that this could be several nights of hell like this but it's not about me anymore, it is about her and making her feel safe. Thank you Shannon for all the advice you gave me yesterday. I thought about you several times as I sat there in the dark. Thank you to all my Mommy friends who give me advice! You have no idea how much it means to me!!