Spring, I'm not a fan of controlled crying either and have never done it in strict terms with either of my kids. But have they cried? Yes, of course! That's the only way they know how to communicate when they are little and upset. As long as you are there to comfort him and he knows you are there, you aren't cc'ing. Leaving him to cry for one minute before you can get to him is not going to do him any harm hun.

Also, I wouldn't drop a day sleep. Then you'll end up with an overtired bub who is even harder to settle. They say that sleep breeds sleep. I find with DS that he is hardest to settle at 'bed time' ie after a bath when I put him down for the night.

Man, this thread has made me feel soooo much better - I'm not the only one going through this! Sorry girls, not taking enjoyment in your pain LOL, but it helps to know you're not alone. I'll never understand why human beings aren't born KNOWING how to sleep...it defies all reasoning....

***ETA: Spring, I've got one of those light show thingos. It was brought for DD and we never used it (trust me, she needed no distractions to keep her awake!) You are more than welcome to have it. It has two settings from memory, one is 5 mins, one is 10 and it plays music. It's brand new, never been used. PM me your address and I'll send it to you hun.