Sleep - Doesn't Always Come Easy

We have had some recent struggles with Kirra's bedtime. I guess no one ever said that parenting was easy and it has definitely been more challenging recently. Jaret was always such a good sleeper and there were very few incidents regarding sleep, or lack thereof with him. In fact, this morning, Jaret slept until 10:30. A little unusual, even for him but perhaps a glimpse into his teenage years. When he woke up this morning, I got him breakfast and he questioned why Kirra and I weren't having breakfast with him. I told him that we ate breakfast two hours ago. Then he proceeded to tell Kirra how he didn't like how much she cried at bedtime last night because she kept him up. "Kirra, when I was your age, I went to sleep for Mommy and Daddy without crying. You need to be a good girl tonight and go to sleep and no crying. You kept me up way to late last night."
When Kirra first began sleeping in her big girl bed, she did well. The first nap she didn't fall asleep right away and it was necessary to put her in the Baby Bjorn Travel Lite and she did fall asleep but wanted to be in her bed. Then there was a night when we still had the Travel Lite set up and she climbed from her bed in the night into it to sleep. I was so confused to find her in there, rather than in her bed in the morning. I had a good chuckle out of that when I asked her what happened she just told me how she climbed in and then attempted to show me. Then there was one night where we woke up in the morning to find Kirra in our bed between Terry and I. I didn't think much of it. I later asked Terry when in the night he had brought her into bed since I didn't even hear her up. He started laughing and responded that he thought I brought her into bed. Kirra simply told us, "I walk, Mommy." Little Monkey!
When Kirra began sleeping in her big girl bed, it was such a treat to cuddle in next to her and read as we couldn't do this with her in the crib. We would then pray together and kiss her goodnight as she cuddled into bed. She would have her blanket, teddy (or "tubby" as she calls him), and often clutching a book to her chest. When she first began sleeping in her big girl bed, she went to sleep fairly well and didn't get out. That eventually began to change but at least she was still easy to put back into bed. But then, she learned to open the door on her own and knew that she could get out. Still not a major problem. Then, once I got home from San Fran, things started getting worse. She decided she didn't like sleeping in her bed unless Mommy or Daddy was laying down with her.
Last night I had such a difficult night with her. She fought with me for two hours before she finally went to sleep. She screamed, she cried, she kicked. I even did lay down next to her but it wasn't good enough. She was too worked up. The neighbours must have wondered what was going on at our house as the windows were open to allow for a breeze and I am sure her cries echoed through the bay. At the end, I was thankful that she was peacefully asleep but so emotionally and physically exhausted.
Tonight I was out getting my hair cut. I was praying that the evening bedtime routine would go better for Terry. Before I left, I talked to Terry about a strategy that I thought he should try. Not unlike the one we had been trying. It was a link that Shea had sent me on Getting Your Toddler to Sleep. It includes sitting on the floor with them until they are asleep and then each night, moving closer to the door until you are finally letting them sleep on their own. I had already been lying with her for a few minutes, then sitting on the bed, and proceeding to move closer to the door with an extra step or two every 5 minutes. Kirra was even fine with me standing just outside the door. But, without fail, once I was just walking away from that post, she would call that she wanted Mommy to lay with her or wanted her blanket on. After so many times of this it gets frustrating to do the above all over again. So, I would cover her, tell her to go to sleep and leave. This leaving usually caused a tantrum and my downfall was rather than going in and starting the process again, I would simply let her throw the fit, come out of her bed, only to return her again. When really, rather than leaving and fighting and putting her back to bed after 20+ times, I should have just started the process of putting her to bed and sitting there, gradually making my way to the door. So, tonight was going to be different for Terry - I chatted with him and had him read the article that I pulled up. Well, it was different alright. Kirra had been so exhausted from the past few nights of putting up such a fight that she was exhausted fell asleep within 5 minutes of Terry tucking her and laying with her. The moral of the story - aside from the fact that I need the wisdom of Solomon in raising my kids as they are each so different and what worked for one will not work for the other is, go out more often and let Terry put Kirra down.