So we've reached a MONUMENTAL development with Avery, she slept through the night, that's right the entire night!!! I know some of you may be thinking, "Big deal." Why yes it is!! Since birth Avery has not slept through the night. After three nights of only waking up once she finally conquered night wakings. Well at least for last night that is!

After lots of advice from doctors, friends, and family to fill her up (with food and milk), cry it out, read lots of books, and so much more it sort of worked itself out. We did use bits and pieces of advice but the most important thing was all the support we got no matter if we took the advice or not. One of the most valuable things to a new mom is advice from others.

We didn't end up crying it out, neither of us could stand it and Avery's the type of baby that would just get more worked up. I used to feed her a few times at night and really thought she was hungry so I didn't want to deprive her of that, but we decided to try something new. I started feeding her a little more solids at dinner and then also a bottle right before bed, when she woke up we would offer her a bottle of water. Of course she wanted nothing to do with that, so we gave her her paci and bunny and she went back to sleep. The next night she woke up and we didn't even have to try the water, just gave her the paci and that was it.

I think another thing that has helped her sleep is us fixing a bad habit that we started when she was little. In an effort to make sure she didn't "fully wake up" and become "more awake" we would rush right up to her room and rock or feed her. Now we let her fuss a little and typically she'll fall right back asleep. Something we now know for when the next baby comes, and NO we're not expecting! (People always read into my next baby comments, so I figured I'd get that out of the way.)

It's been almost 13 months, but she did it and boy are we proud of her. Now I have to get my body used to sleeping all night again. I know it sounds crazy but I'm used to waking up at all odd hours of the night to get up with her and now my body is so disoriented.

Anyway congrats to our little big girl who I can now call, "a sleeper," and thanks so much to everyone for their advice.