To sleep. Perchance.

Sometime around six weeks ago I was asking my mother how to teach Liam to fall asleep on his own.

Folks, when it comes to pregnancy, labor, baby and child-related subjects - oh, right, that's Motherhood - I consider my mother to be the Premiere Expert.  I don't read books or online forums or ask the Internets for advice, because, how many of those people have birthed ten children and raised twelve?
That's what I thought.
And when it comes to family, I value firsthand experience much more than book knowledge. So when I have a question, I ask my mom.  And then I do what she says.

All of that to say, this is what we've been doing:

We give Liam a bath every night around 9:00.  Slice does the bath, we lotion him up and dress him and wrap him in the Swaddle Me thing so he can't get his arms out and wake himself up.  (Thanks Miriam!)  I feed him and rock him, sing and read scriptures.  Then - I used to rock/walk/bounce him until he fell asleep, and lay him down gently HOPING that he wouldn't wake up.  Sometimes this took an hour by itself.   Five hours later, I'd have to do it again.

Finally a week ago, I had had enough.  I knew he was exhausted because he'd fallen asleep four times and woken up the second I put him down.
So we moved his bed into the storeroom ('tis a Spartan existence we lead!) and laid him in the cradle, and .... left him there.  He cried for probably half an hour before he fell asleep.

That was it!

Now I feed him, rock him, and put him down for naps as well as bedtime.  He cries sometimes, but seriously, never more than five minutes before he falls asleep.  He has also been sleeping longer each night, almost without exception.  He is even happier during his waking hours.

And I have a life again!

This sleeping baby thing is so great.
My mom was right.  (Of course.)