Crying it out...

This cry it out thing is the hardest thing I have had to deal with as a mommy. I hate hearing Mollie cry at night when I put her into bed and she is not asleep. When she was younger, I would rock her to sleep. Then once she was good and sleeping, she would go in her crib or pack n play. Now, I am in the process of having her learn how to put herself to sleep. I put her down when she is almost asleep, but she immediately wakes up and has a hard time putting herself back to sleep. She cries and cries. Last night when we put her down at midnight and 4, she cried for about 45 minutes each time until she finally fell asleep. It is gut wrenching to hear your baby cry and not be able to go get her. I could get her, but it would just defeat the purpose of having her learn to fall asleep on her own. We need to start working in this direction, because I am going back to school in 3 weeks. I can't be up all night rocking her to sleep, when I have to get up at 4:30 in the morning. Everything I have read says that the crying time will get shorter and shorter. It is just so hard right now when no one is getting sleep and she is crying her heart out. Here's to hoping tonight is better...