Perplexed

I totally love my job as a mom, but some days I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing! Poor little Kambi has to be our guinea pig because kids don't come with instructions and frankly, it's hard to know how best to care for them!
I'm having a struggle and it is this: schedule or play it by ear? I'm seriously trying to figure out what style of parent I am because I know that one is not better, per se, than the other. I admit, I read A LOT of literature about parenting, I do ok, so sue me. I studied that kind of stuff in college. I am fascinated by human nature and family dynamics. And now I'm learning first hand that what is outlined in books and articles is not always how real life is. I've always known that deep down, but I am surprised sometimes at how completely different the two are.
Let me explain. Before Kambria was born, a friend gave me a book, written by a pediatrician, that outlines how to put your newborn on a schedule and by doing so, ensuing that your child will sleep through the night by 9 weeks old. Sounds great, right?! I read it skeptically, taking in the info with a grain of salt. But once I had that knowledge in my head, I somehow could not let go of it! So I tried earnestly to follow the principles and do the schedule thing. It didn't work. She's never been a good sleeper and most days flat out refused to nap when I wanted her to, or for how long I wanted her to. Thus, the schedule was different every day. Not to mention the fact that we traveled around and lived in a totally new place for 6 weeks. The point is, it was impossible to keep her on a schedule of eating/napping at the same time every day.
After we got settled back in Vegas I hoped and prayed that she would start sleeping through the night. By this time she was over 4 months old. The weeks passed and still, the schedule I wanted was just not working and I was still getting up at least once a night, if not twice. So what did I do? Well, first I went online and wrote a review on that darn book that gave me false hope. That felt good. Then I decided that trying to keep her on a schedule and failing miserably was simply stressing me out too much. I was frustrated and unhappy. So I threw the idea of a set schedule out the window. I started just paying attention to cues from my baby, while still having somewhat of a bedtime each night. Well, I definitely became more relaxed, but guess what. STILL not sleeping through the night.
Just today I was reading another email from a baby website that talked about helping your baby sleep through the night and it too stressed the fact that if you put them down for a nap at the same time every day then they will know what to expect. Consistency is the key, but how can I be consistent when she's so inconsistent?! She never sleeps the same amount, either at night or during the day. What's a new mom to do? Having a schedule didn't work, but not having one isn't working either. I just want to sleep uninterrupted at night, is that too much to ask?

BAH! This was a ranting and raving post. I feel better with that out of my system.