2 Year Old Not Sleeping - Surprise,AZ

Have you ever watched a scary movie and thought, "No, don't go in that room!"
That's kinda what I was thinking when I read your post-lol
I have so been there, and I can tell you from experience that the things you are doing are making it worse. If daddy rubs her back till she falls asleep, she'll want that EVERY NIGHT- bad enough when you just have the one, but when you have a newborn also?! You'll want to rip your hair out.

I highly recommend Dr. Ferber's book!! If at all possible, get it TODAY. Or get it at the library. You don't have much time so don't order it unless you have to. Read it today so you can get your daughter in a good routine before the baby comes (Congratulations, by the way). That book worked miracles for us. Follow it to the letter, and I promise you, it'll be worth it.

http://www.amazon.com/Solve-Your-Childs-Sleep-Problems/dp...

You can read the 1st couple of pages on Amazon, and see the reviews too.
Wish you the best! :)

BTW- some people think the Ferber Method is CIO- it's not- not in the traditional sense.

I recommend putting her back in the crib, it doesn't sound like she was ready for a big girl bed yet. The baby can sleep with you, in a pack 'n play (i found a brand new one at Target for $65) or a bassinett and doesn't need a crib right away. We decided not to move our son of his HIS crib when my baby was born (he was 21 months) and he's still sleeping in his crib 6 months later. It doesn't seem fair to the older sibling to have to give up all their things for a new baby, and a crib is not just for babies.

i think she is sensing the baby. tell her that the new baby will need the bottle so she has to give it up for the new baby.is she getting enough naps mine started doing that and we had to increse his naps to get him to go to sleep at a decent time and without a fight. good luck hth

I don't know if I would tell her that she needs to give up the bottle for the new baby...sounds like a good way to instill some negative feelings to me.
How often are you taking her to the bathroom in the middle of the night...or changing her diaper...if she is drinking so much water throughout the night?
Would you be willing to switch to a pacifier instead of a bottle? It sounds like she needs something to help her self soothe back to bed? I never used a pacifier with any of my children but maybe it is better than a bottle...at least she isn't filling her bladder with water and needing to go to the bathroom all night long...lol.
How long has this been going on? My daughters have noticed ( I was never sharp enough to make the connection) that their sons will go through a period of fighting sleep, waking in the night etc...when they are getting ready to either go through a growth spurt or are getting ready to make big new learning connection. ( My youngest grandson just recently did it, just before he started walking!!).
I think you need to just keep being consistent...keep a good bedtime routine, and find what works best and then just wait it out. I like the idea of your husband staying there with her until she falls asleep..maybe he can start gradually moving further away from her...not touching her...give her something to soothe herself with...a special stuffed animal...a blanket...let her help you pick out what she would like to sleep with. Maybe she could have half a dozen stuffed animals and get to pick who her bed buddy is going to be each night.
I Would say to really concentrate on this for the next 2 weeks..before the baby comes because it would be nice to be able to just have ONE that you are getting up with in the nights...!!!
Good luck and congratulations

K. I'm so sorry you're having such a hard time. We had a son exactly like this. He just didn't get it. We had 4 kids in 4 years and he's the only one that just would not stay in his bed! so, we set up a pack'n'play in his bedroom (that he shared with 2 brothers) and after a couple of trips out of bed a night (and a couple of swats) we put him in the "baby bed" and told him when he got to be a big boy and stayed in his bed we'd put away the baby bed. We did this every night for what felt like forever! He did eventually get it and stay in his bed. He's now 16 and sleeps real well. Don't worry...this too will pass!

I wonder if your daughter might actually be thirsty all night long. Living in Arizona can be very drying. I often wake up thirsty here, but can sleep all night long in other climates. If she doesn't have a humidifier in her room, I would try that. If she continues waking up thirsty even with a humidifier, you may want to ask the doctor about diabetes, especially if it runs in your family. Drinking a lot of water at night is one sign of type I diabetes.

That being said, it's probably just a phase. She knows that big changes are afoot. A 2-year-old is not quite a baby and not quite a big girl, so I would let her lead the way with bottles and sleeping arrangements for a little while longer. I wouldn't think anything of still nursing my boys to sleep at 2 years old, so when I hear that you give her a bottle at night, I definitely don't think of your daughter as "that kid."