We're calling it... and it WAS a sleep training miracle!

Last night was as much of a sleep success as one can achieve... 

and thus, we are declaring sleep training complete!

Here is a look at how sleep training went:

Night 1: Started crying two minutes after being in his crib, cried for 47 minutes, woke up once during the night but soothed himself back to sleep, woke up on his own at 6:30 (the first morning after sleep training Ben and I looked at each other like 'You gotta be kidding me!' ... we had thought we were going to be up ALL. NIGHT. LONG. listening to Asher cry, but it didn't happen once).

Night 2: Started crying immediately in his crib, cried for 23 minutes, woke up once during the night and soothed himself back to sleep, woke up on his own at 6:45.

Night 3: Started crying while being moved into his crib, cried for 33 minutes, woke up once during the night and soothed himself back to sleep, woke up at 5:30 and was up for an hour (talking, not crying), before falling back asleep and waking up on his own at 7:00.

Night 4: Started crying immediately in his crib, cried for 21 minutes, woke up twice during the night and soothed himself back to sleep, woke up on his own at 6:30.

Night 5: Started crying during his bedtime story, Ben and I agree we made the mistake of putting him down too early and that we should have spent more time calming him down before leaving the room, he cried for 42 minutes and sniffled (this was the one night that I really wanted to quit, listening to him sniffle was terrible), he woke up twice during the night and got himself back to sleep, but then woke up at 5:15 and was wide awake.

Night 6: (Victory) We spent a little more time with Asher after we put him in his crib, but still left his nursery while he was awake.  He did not cry at all.  We thought it was a fluke.  Surely he would start crying eventually.  But he never did.  He was sound asleep by 7:15, and didn't wake up once during the night (except for me feeding him at 3:00 a.m., which I do every night).  We had to wake him up at 7:00.  Ahhhh. Sleep bliss.  

How We Did It 

No, I don't consider us sleep experts- in fact I still maintain we probably did everything 'wrong' up to this point- but I was desperate for help when we were beginning this endeavor and was so appreciative to those who shared their experiences with me... so in the tiny chance this information could help someone, here it is!

We used the Ferber method (checking on him in increasing increments of time).  So for example on Night 1, he didn't cry for 47 minutes straight without us checking on him; we checked on him after 3 minutes, then after 5 minutes, then after 10 minutes.  We did let him start with his pacifier, but did not put it back in his mouth for him after he lost it (which happens the first time he turns his head in his crib).  

The main thing that led us to sleep train was recognizing he had two sleep associations that needed to be dealt with: 1) he only fell asleep if laying on me and 2) he was used to having us jump up ten times throughout the night to put his pacifier back in. As far as timing goes, I think we picked the perfect time to sleep train him (which for Asher was right after he turned 5 months).  He was showing signs of being a more independent sleeper (sleeping in his crib for naps), but still young enough to not have separation anxiety (which I've read makes sleep training difficult).  We might have started a couple of weeks earlier, but wanted to wait until we didn't have visitors.  I'm really glad that we decided not to do naps at the same time.  I understand the logic behind it, and I'm sure it works great for some babies, but it wouldn't have been for us.  We are taking a more gradual (and laid back) approach to naps.  It will take a little longer than night time sleep training took, but we will get there :)