Day 2: Saturday Night

Today we kicked things off earlier than yesterday, mostly because we're all exhausted. Not only did James and I not get much sleep last night, we were ambitious and went on a morning walk, to Costco, to a free Gymboree class, and Wal-Mart during the day. At first, we expected to start the process around 9 or 10 again tonight, but I had a feeling that there was no way Claire would make it that late. Here's how it played out:

• 8:00pm - Bath, book, cuddling. Didn't do bottle because Claire showed no interest in it. We actually just finished eating not too long before, so we knew she didn't want it. However, it leaves the question of whether she's going to need to eat at some point during the night; we'll figure that out when we get there.
• 8:20pm - Lots of eye-rubbing and head burying, so we lay her down. She's smiling some until the moment that we turn off the light and head out of the room. She went directly into the loud, long crying. Yesterday's intervals were 5-10-15 min, so today is 10-15-20. James sets the timer -- 10 minutes.
• 8:27pm (7 min into our 10 min) - It sounded like her crying was subsiding, but then it gathered again full force.
• 8:30pm - We head in there to pat her on her back and tell her how much we love her. She doesn't stop crying this time when we console her; it almost sounds like her cries get louder! :( We head out after a few minutes already planning to go back in again after this next interval. She's sweating again from all the crying, so we turn down the A/C a notch. James sets the timer -- 15 minutes.
• 8:40pm (7 min into our 15 min) - The crying subsides and becomes crying out noises instead. I'm holding my breath hoping that the worst might be over.
• 8:42pm (9 min into our 15 min) - I finally exhale (I swear I was holding my breath the whole time); silence! I crank up the monitor volume -- which I had turned all the way down before because no monitor was needed to hear her -- and relish in the deep breaths I hear coming from the device. She's asleep!
• 8:48pm - The timer goes off marking 15 minutes, but we don't need to go in because she's asleep. We spend a couple of minutes discussing what we'll do if she wakes to feed, but decide that we're too tired to make a really rational decision, so we'll just play it by ear when and if the time comes.
• 10:04pm - Dwo and Crystal are here! Yay! And Claire's still asleep! Double-yay!
• 10:30pm - Okay, I'm headed to bed ... our actual bed this time. As I'm getting ready for bed, I realize that this is the first time in 6 months and 3+ weeks that I have the opportunity to sleep with James in the same room all night, just the two of us.
• 10:43pm - Claire wakes up crying literally as I'm laying down in my own bed and my head touches the pillow. James and I agree that if she's still crying after her 10 minutes are up, I'll offer her the bottle since she didn't take much formula today. I set the timer -- 10 min.
• 10:45pm (2 min into the 10 min) - I can't stand just lying in bed listening to her cry for 10 minutes, so I get up, go to the living room, and update this blog while watching the video monitor and the countdown. Our video monitor also doesn't work in our room (distance between our rooms is too far), so I have to leave the master in order to watch.
• 10:51pm (9 min into the 10 min) - Crying subsides ... then increases ... ebb ... flow ... wax ... wane ... 1 more minute.
• 10:53pm - I go in and mix her bottle. She's still whimpering after I pick her up meaning she must be legitimately hungry. She finishes about 4 ounces and then falls asleep. Uh-oh. Now what? Aren't I supposed to put her in her crib with her "sleepy but not asleep"? But I'm not dumb enough to wake a sleeping baby, either. I contemplate my options.
• 11:02pm - I decide to put her down in her crib and just see what happens. She, of course, wakes up pretty immediately. What was I so worried about? :P I leave her room and set the timer -- 15 minutes.
• 11:07pm (2 min into the 15 min) - I go back into the master bedroom to turn the audio monitor back on so that (meanly) James has to listen to the crying, too. Hey, why should I be the only one suffering through? On my way to the bedroom I recognize that I'm not going to be sleeping in the master tonight. Another night on the couch for me!
• 11:09pm (4 min into the 15 min) - In the master, I realize that the audio monitor IS already on ... yet somehow James is still able to snore soundly over the noise. I recognize that he's exhausted, but seriously?! That has got to be a man-talent of some kind.
• 11:11pm (6 min into the 15 min) - The crying subsides and turns into the "nooooo .... nooooo" noises.
• 11:12pm (7 min into the 15 min) - Silence. Claire's asleep. Whew. Except that I'm pretty sure she's sleeping face-down based on both the video and audio. I debate going in there to turn her head.
• 11:20pm - Timer sounds signaling the 15 min are up, but she's asleep, so I decide to lay down on the couch instead and not worry about turning her head.
• 12:05am - Claire wakes again, and this time she means it! I set the timer -- 10 min again
• 12:11am (7 min into 10 min) - James comes out of the bedroom (my diobolical plan worked) and Dwo and Crystal join in the waiting and watching party.
• 12:14am - With just secounds left, she falls asleep. Even with the timer counting down to zero, her breathing is slowing. Dwo and Crystal cheer.
• 2:10am - James wakes up, out of habit, I think. He turns down the A/C because the termostat schedule had the temp up to 78. We realize that we're going to have an entire additional A/C unit cooling the majority of our house at night just to keep Claire comfortable when we used have just the unit on our side of the house wth the master running. Look forward to those future eletricity bills. :P We go back to sleep.
• 3:35am - Up again; 10 minute timer.
• 3:39am (4 min into 10 min) - She's silent, though not asleep, rolling around the crib.
• 3:40am (5 min into 10 min) - She makes her "noooo ... nooooo" noises.
• 3:41am (6 min into 10 min) - Silence.
• 3:45am - Timer goes off, but everyone's already asleep.
• *** Some stuff may or may not have happened here. If it did, it was minor, and I was too tired to remember or care.***
• 6:30am - Claire's starting to stir. My internal clock has me springing awake, on-call, and ready to make her a bottle and semi-start our day.
• 6:47am - She went back to sleep! Sheesh. Fine, I'll lay back down, too.
• 7:30am - Okay, it's late enough, right? She's been rolling around her crib for awhile, and I'm ready to go see my baby! I head in and start the day!

The final tally:

• Time to sleep: 22 minutes (-6 min from last night)
• Times woken up in night: 4, not counting actual waking time (same as last night)
• Times we had to go in: Once to give her a bottle. Pretty good!

For Day 3? 15-20-30 min intervals! Yikes! Wish us luck!