Why don't you just fall asleep?!

Dear Chloe,

Tonight, you are really really frustrating me... you fell asleep in the car on the way home, so Daddy and I were excited to have a good couple hours to watch some TV and enjoy some down time, but I guess you had other plans for us.

You went into the crib pretty easy -- deceivingly easy -- so I thought a few pat-pats and maybe 5 minutes, 10 minutes max of standing over you while you settled into the crib would be all you needed. Your stuffy nose is also deceiving because it sounds like you are breathing hard, the way you do when your drifting into deep sleep, but it's just as likely that you're just trying to breathe through all the snot. Anyway, I tried to leave the room at 10 minutes, but as soon as you heard the door close, you cried out for me. So back to sitting next to the crib... another 10 minutes. You then really seemed like you were asleep, so I tiptoed downstairs... we turned on the TV, but not even 5 minutes into the show, I hear you wail for me. UGH.

Daddy could easily see my frustration so he took the next shift. He was upstairs with you, doing pretty much the same routine, trying to leave at 5 minute intervals, only to have you stop him. Then he came down 20 minutes later, and again, 2 minutes into the TV show and you cry for us.

Long story short, we came home an hour and a half ago and have yet to sit down together to watch something. He's still up there while I'm trying to blow off some steam by writing this letter that you may read one day and hopefully give us a sincere apology. UGHHHHHHHH! (we love you.)

[note to anyone who would like to leave a comment about sleep training: please don't. We have tried and have read about it and know all that is involved, and we appreciate that it may have worked for you, but it hasn't worked out so smoothly for our little Chloe. We have good nights (10 minutes and she's out nights) and bad nights like tonight. We are doing what we can...]