More on Sleep

SO...
An update on the continuing sleep saga (not really a saga at all actually, just the stuff that comes with a young baby) - two nights ago Nahanni and I really had it out. She went down at 9:30 pm and was up at 12:00 and I fed her, fine, no problem. Up again at 1:30 am - so I knew she wasn't hungry -- and thus began the battle of wills; something which is hard to win with a little person who hasn't learned about choice-vs-necessity, need-vs-want yet and cannot really communicate. I knew she wanted, she felt she needed and so we argued about it for about two and a half hours. I just decided that she had to start to understand that I cannot soothe her five times a night, it has just become too much for me and I've been like a zombie from lack of decent sleep. It was hard, trying to teach her that, but I was at the end of my rope. The first hour wasn't so bad, but then she started to get mad - and this is not a kid who gives up easily. Eventually I just turned on the light (after trying everything else but picking her up and nursing her) put my hand on her belly and let her look at me until she fell asleep. It was a tough go, but she did it - we did it.
Last night she went down at 7:00 pm, woke up at 2:00 am to feed and then slept until 6:00 am - not too shabby, I thought. It seemed like she'd learned already (not that I want to speak too soon or anything) and although there is much to wait and see on, I feel like she's a pretty smart little cookie and I have great faith in her. She's doing wonderfully on her naps, not even waking up the majority of the time and when she does (as she did three times in this nap already) she has been soothing herself to sleep almost instantly.
I know it is too early to claim victory, but I cannot help but feel that contrary to the true 'cry-it-out' method, we have slowly but surely been arming her with the skill to soothe herself, to trust sleep and still trust us. For today, I'm feeling pretty darned good.