First night results:

It's 7:14 AM and Gwen's still asleep in her crib. She didn't make a peep all night long! She only cried for about 13 minutes after we left her room last night at 8:45. All night, I kept waking up and checking the monitor to make sure it was really working and I'm going to be pretty happy when she finally wakes up because, frankly, my arms ache for her right now! She was such a little trooper last night and I hope we have a good experience tonight too.

UPDATE: We're nearly a month into this new bedtime process now and Gwen is doing great!

She eagerly runs to the stairs when it's time to go up and have Mommy and Daddy read to her (something we do for 20 minutes each night before she goes to sleep.

Daddy gets three or four books and Mommy puts Gwen in her crib. She grabs her froggy and her lovey and puts her head on her pillow while Mommy and Daddy sit on the floor next to the crib. Twenty minutes later, we say night-night and she gives us kisses through the slats of the crib (if she's not already asleep). She whimpers just a little bit but the instant her light is out and her door is closed, she's quiet and, presumably, off to sleep!

She sleeps straight through the night and wakes up about 11 hours later.

I can't tell you how much this has changed our life! Were it not for this, I'm sure there's no way I'd be able to be of sound enough mind to consider adopting another child! My husband and I get to sleep in the same bed, I get to sleep all night long without a toddler crawling up on my face, and Gwen gets such good rest at night that she tends to not need as much of a nap during the day (which is fine). Everyone is so much happier!