Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Big Boy Bed Bonanza

I do love alliteration.

So yesterday, while cooking dinner, Asher did something that I asked him not to do. Depending on the situation, I discipline him by either spanking him or putting him in his crib for a few minutes. This time, after consulting my veritable treasure trove of motherly wisdom that I have stored in my brain, I chose the crib. Or maybe I chose it because it was the fastest thing to do and I was in the hot middle of something. I can't recall.

Either way, he was in his bed. I walked back to the kitchen to continue making dinner. No sooner had I reached the stove when guess who comes sauntering around the corner. Uh yeah. My 20 month old who was supposed to stay in his crib for at least 4 more months had climbed out! That was not on today's agenda.

I stood there in disbelief. He seemed pretty nonchalant about the whole thing. I said to him, "Did you climb out of your bed?" "Dah!" he said with a grin. I knew the end of an era had come. The era in which I had a cage to put him in for a few minutes, an era in which if he woke up before I was ready to get him out of bed, he just had to lay there and talk to himself, an era in which nap time and bed time was only a matter of plopping him down and walking out of the room. It was a good era. And now it's over. Dang.

He was very blessed to not have hurt himself and we didn't want to risk it happening so we decided is was time to make the switch. Kris and Asher went to Target and got a bed rail and Kris moved the twin bed into Asher's room and the crib into Jude's room. Jude has been in a pack-n-play his whole life so now he gets a real bed. He hadn't complained about the sleeping arrangements, but I'm sure he appreciates his new bed.

The short version of the rest of the night goes like this:

Asher gets in bed, Asher gets out of bed, Mom and Dad say "get back in bed." Repeat 20 times.

We decided to be firm, but not punish him since this was such a new, unplanned transition. He was most upset and many tears were shed. But eventually, he wore out and went to sleep. He wandered into our room about 1:30. I got up with him and laid with him in bed. We both fell asleep.

Then it was Jude's turn. I heard him crying so i got out of Asher's bed and went into Jude's room. He had wiggled up to the corner of the crib and was upset that his head was jammed in the corner. I scooted him down to the opposite end and he went back to sleep. All problems should be so easily rectified.

Asher slept until around 6:45. Kris had already left for work. I was still in bed so I just let Asher climb up with me and we snoozed for another 30 minutes or so.

Fast-forward to nap time. Same thing as bed time, but he was showing no signs of slowing down.

I told him it was nap time and he looked at me with a worried look and said "Big boy night-night?" Oh yes, brother. Big boy night-night. Let the games begin.

I finally (after an hour and a half of insanity) shut the door and he cried himself to sleep. On his floor of course. Oh well, a nap's a nap. Just take one. I don't care where.

I can't believe he's out of the crib. But there was a waiting list to get in it so I guess this is a good thing. I find that if I have too much time to stress out about something, then I make a bigger deal over it than I need to. So it's done. But no more milestones for a while, thanks.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good luck tonight!! Hopefully this Big Boy Bed won't cost you too much sleep!

hilarylarson said...

"a waiting list to get in it..." lol!

Anonymous said...

"a nap's a nap. Just take one. I don't care where."

A mother's frank, earnest love seems strange to those who aren't parents. :)

I really admire the discipline and teamwork y'all are putting into raising your young men.

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