The secret?

I didn't want to post for fear it might ruin it, but I believe we have found the secret to Tatum staying in her bed until she falls asleep. We haven't quite made it to the sleeping all night long in her bed until the regular morning (per the rest of the world, or at least the rest of the household, is concerned), but it's progress!

Friday night was the discovery night. I began the nighttime ritual the same as usual, with me catching her getting out of bed, then walking her back to bed, tucking her back in, and telling her 'night night'. One time I even stayed outside of her door and counted on my hand to five. Sure enough, by the time I had gotten to five fingers, she was at the door opening it up. The next time I put her back into bed, she actually told me, 'door open', so I thought I would give it a try.

Grandpa Gerren had come to visit on Friday as well, and he offered to go lay on the floor in her room to assist, but I told him I was going to try something different. I was going to leave the door open slightly and try to catch her being good.

By this point in time it had been longer than a count to five, and she was still laying in bed, so I went into her room (the door had been left slightly open), praised her for staying in bed and going night night, and told her I would be back. I put my stopwatch on, and went back in after 30 seconds and repeated the above statements. 45 seconds. Repeat. 2 minutes. Repeat. 5 minutes. Repeat. When I went back in after 7 minutes, she was asleep.

Whoo hoo!

Saturdays nap went remarkably well, too. Grandpa and I took the kids to the park while Daddy worked on the yard, and we made it back to the house slightly after noon for lunch. It was about 12:45 and Tatum was rubbing her eyes and actually asking for night night...Well, about that time, Daddy was working in the front yard immediately under her window - and he wasn't raking leaves. He was mowing and weed eating. That didn't faze her. We followed the same routine as Friday night, only we started out with the cracked door and she was asleep within 5 minutes, I believe...I went in after 2 minutes to check on her, and she was in that 'almost' phase, the next time in she was completely asleep.

Saturday night followed the same pattern, although it began a half hour earlier because her nap was abruptly cut short by an older brother screaming for mommy inside the house. (Thank you very much). The half hour shift didn't seem to bother her, and it still worked.

Sunday went smoothly as well, and so did tonight. Thank you ladies and gentlemen, I think we have a winner!

Now, if we can only get her to STAY in bed after she wakes up in the middle of the night, rather than go back to sleep by the baby gate or worse, scream until a parental figure 'rescues' her...

Any suggestions for that one? I'm open here!