It's tough being one

Ever since we got home for our Oregon trip, Aubrey has had a hard time going to sleep on her own. A combination of travel, getting a cold and teething played a role I think. Normally I put her down for a nap, or for the night, say "it's time to sleep" and "good night" and leave, then she just falls asleep! But not anymore! She only falls asleep at being held (at night) and in her car seat during the day. I had tried letting her cry herself to sleep but she just stands in crib and cries until she makes herself sick from all the mucus! But now her cold is gone, we thought we would try it again.
2 nights ago she woke up at 2:30 am, I held her until she went back to sleep and tried putting her back in her crib with no success, so I just let her cry. After 20 mins I went back in, laid her down and left, she continued to cry for an hour straight. At the end of the hour she was still standing, holding onto the crib railing with her face on her hands, drifting in and out of sleep! So Jared laid her down and she cried for a few minutes but FINALLY flopped over and went to sleep. She slept until 8 am. The next day she took 2 naps in her crib, one for 2 hours and one for 1 hour and it only took her a few minutes of crying to get to sleep. Last night she cried for 5 mins and went to sleep, waking up around midnight and again at 5:30 when Jared left for work, but both times was able to put herself back to sleep - thank goodness!
2 weeks of sleeping on the couch with her and her in our bed are finally over, and although we were tired in the middle of the night letting her cry for an hour, it was really funny to see her sleeping as she stood there holding on to her crib - I wish I had a photo!