Getting back on track

I was warned that once you have kids you no longer go on "vacation." You only take trips. :) After packing and preparing for this trip for nearly three weeks, I can only pray that our readjustment back home does not take that long. Brady is off-schedule and that is to be expected. He's having a really hard time getting to sleep, both at night and for naps. He cannot calm down unless I am holding him. We tried to get Brett to put him to bed, but he just screamed his head off until I took him. He'll be what I think is sound asleep in my arms after nursing but as soon as I lower him in to the crib, he wakes up screaming. Screaming. Seriously. Finally we decided to allow him to cry it out. It took about 20 heart wrenching minutes. When I went back in to his room to check on him, this is what I found:

The poor kid had been standing at the side of the crib screaming. (I saw him on the monitor.) Then he must have gotten so tired he literally slumped over and fell asleep. It made us feel like terrible parents. We stretched him back out in to a more comfortable sleeping position and he did not wake up. He must really be exhausted. When he woke this morning and I heard him "talk," I realized he lost his little voice. I guess from screaming so much. It makes me so sad to hear the little frog in his throat and know why it's there. :( For a few brief moments, I have been wondering if "trips" are worth it. But then I look back at the photos, and decide that yes, it's worth it.