Stubborn Sleeper

Let me start with a little background info.
Me: crib sleeper from day one, STTN (7pm-7am )at 6 weeks old and a whooping 15lbs
Gianna: Bassinett sleeper till 2-3 months then Co-sleeper STTN (5 hour blocks) sparatically

Gianna had been a fairly good co-sleeper waking up only a few times to nurse and then drift back to sleep. She also had it in her head that cribs are lined with broken glass (or any other painful substance) and refused to even go near one. She napped in her swing and slept in my bed. Since January-ish she has bad either a cold, new teeth or a growth spurt at least once a month and has thrown off her sleep fully and she was sleeping like a newborn, up every 2-3 hours and WANTING to nurse. I had to call it quits. I don't really like or believe in CIO so I started reading the "No Cry Sleep Solution". My goal was not so much to get her to sleep all night in her crib and stop co-sleeping but more to actually get some sleep. I did/do want her to sleep at least some of the night in her crib though. I NEED to be able to have me time/homework and a toddler sleeping on my bed does not give me that option. It doesnt help that she LOVE to fight sleep. Any excuse to keep even one eye open and she take it.

This was my general goals:
Week one: daily time in her crib to learn that it is not a painful place.
Week two: goal to nap in crib (nurse/rock/music to sleep then place in crib, when cry repeat untill had decent nap)
Week three: goal to sleep 1+ hours in crib, after 12am co-sleep if crib is not working
You get the picture, this wasn't going to be an over night process. I knew it would envolve me losing a few more hours of sleep to gain more sleep in the long run. But surpizingly it has been going great!

Week one turned into two days. After that naps just happened. Once in a while she'll need an extra shh or pat on the back to calm her back to sleep after placing her in the crib. After one week of working on nights (day one took 2 hours to get her out, day two 90 mins...)she will "sleep" in her crib from 7ish till 12ish then nurse and come into my bed. Then wake at 7am. The reason I say "sleep" is the past two nights 7-8ish has been me placing her in the crib at 85% alseep and shhing her till she is out. As I get maybe 4 steps away from the crib she screams. At first I would go back and calm her again. Well last night I after mulitple attemts at this I said forget this lets see what happens if I walk down stairs. I told myself I wasn't CIO just giving her a chance to calm herslef first. Well I get down stairs and silence. Then a few mintures later " WAH...........wah...........................mama?........" She kept this up but there would be 5-30minute breaks. Come to find out the little bugger was standing at her crib rail, resting her head on the bar, sleeping until she had the engery to call for me and the sleeping again. Mind you the calling for me was in no way crying or distress, just plain grumpy that I was not holding her contantly. She kept this up from 7:30 till about 9 when on the monitor there was a faint thunk and I'm pretty sure she flopped onto the matress and gave into sleep. Now if that's not stubborn I dont know what is!

I think the srping weather helps her sleep better as well. She has a very high metabolism and is spirited to say the least. The warmer weather lets her burn off more steam outside. She LOVES the outdoors and I'm sure we will be spending tons of time out there as long as we dont get anymore freak snow squals!