Big Girl Bed

We have officially and with a hint of sadness taken down the crib. I say "the" crib but it was really one of two for we were at one time a two crib family with the girls so close in age. But it was Nicole's turn to make the transition into a big girl bed last weekend. I hesitated to post about it in case we had to turn around and re-assemble the crib so that she could go back, but really why go back??

It started last Sunday when Gary went to work super early to catch up on things and the girls and I were left alone to eat breakfast and generally do our thing together. Aimee came running out of Nicole's room to tell me that the crib had broken. When asked what had precipitated this breaking, Aimee of course quickly told me that it just broke "by itself." That is toddler speak for "I broke it but I am not going to admit it to you". So after some coaxing and promising that no time outs would be handed down she did admit that she may have stepped on the bottom of the front rail to perhaps try and reach in to get something out of the crib for Nicole when the railing fell apart. We have had our share of issues with this crib because of the older child tendency to stand on things. While I don't think it should have become unglued with her 38 pounds I do have some leniency because I don't know the weight limits on these things.

Nevertheless, the rail was in need of repair and gluing and Nicole could navigate out of the crib anyway so I decided to resurrect the toddler bed and bring it up for her to make the transition. At this point she was napping on the floor in her sleeping bag both at daycare and at home so I didn't think it would be a tough transition. Luckily it was not. We went to Walmart later that day and she picked out a new blanket and pillowcase for her bed and away we went to go home and make it up. Okay, it really only needed a sheet change since it's still a crib mattress, but still, big changes here.

The first night she had a hard time going to sleep because in my infinite wisdom I put the toddler bed with it's head towards the corner for safety but it was a polar opposite of where she had put her head down for the past two years. So we straightened that out and she did eventually fall asleep. But, she woke up at 2AM all confused as to where she was, etc. and I brought her into bed with us. The next night I did hear a whimper but no more that we would have normally heard from slumber in a crib. And then that was it. We still have some random wake ups here and there but so far so good 6 nights in a row of sleeping in her big girl bed.

We were very nervous about this because it was a terrible time getting Aimee to sleep in this same big girl bed. We did the jack in the box thing where we kept walking her back to her bed over and over and over and over for about a month. It was never ending and resulted in a lot of sleepless nights. But, she was younger at about 22 months when she decided to swan dive out of her crib never to sleep in it again. Nicole is so much more mature at 28 months and all.

I have to say I am impressed with her. We baby proofed her room but I still have thoughts of her scaling up the wall with her agility. Last night I put her into bed after a long mother's day and she went down fairly easily and I checked on her an hour later, she was completely passed out under the covers with one little shoed foot sticking up. Yes, the little stinker had gotten out of bed, put on her beach/swim shoes and fallen alseep. Probably dreaming of summertime fun. I didn't put them on her prior to bed, so obviously she doesn't quite go right to sleep when I walk out but at least she didn't come running out of the room either.

I will also admit that there was a brief moment of sadness to realize that I don't have the need for a crib any longer. We've had a crib up and assembled for almost 4 years now. I can't believe how fast it is all going by.