Hi Mandy,
I also have an angel baby.
What do I do if I miss the window and she becomes too tired
Do the ssshh/pat method which is in the BW solves all your problems book. My DD never liked the pat element.
Do I just let her "play" in her crib until she falls asleep?
Could you post her routine for us please. It might be a bit of tweaking with her A times.
However my question is how do I go from rocking her to sleep(she HATES this) to just laying her down to sleep?
She hates being rocked to sleep? Or just laying here down to sleep?
Do you have a windown routine at all.
My DD's windown routine (I always go by the clock or when I see she is tired) is
15mins before bedtime or when she looks tired, I go upstairs lay her down on our bed, put dummy in her mouth and talk or sing to her.
When it is time, I swaddled, (currently weaning her from it), take her into her room, lay her straight down in her cot, while I draw the blind and shut the curtains, turn on her white noise CD, sing a lullaby to her, then walk straight out. She goes to sleep straight away.
HTH