A big girl “bed”

After one unsuccessful attempt at getting Belly out of a crib in January we hadn’t tried again. I say unsuccessful because after listening to her cry for just a little while John vetoed the idea saying she obviously wasn’t ready and we’d try again after she was 2. My mother is giving us my little sister’s beautiful old bed, but we need to get it soon since they don’t really have room to store an extra bed somewhere. So I’ve been preparing Belly’s room for the removal of her crib and old dresser (she’s getting one from my parents also) and getting it cleaned and organized for a child who will now be able to get out of her bed whenever she wants.

I finally finished yesterday before naptime so to prepare Belly for the new bed I went ahead and took the side off her crib. (it converts to a toddler bed) She did really good with it during nap yesterday. No screaming or crying, and she even took a nap in it (albeit a very short one). With confidence I went ahead and kept the side off at bedtime also… seeing as how John didn’t know it was off, and would be busy at a Cub Scouts meeting with Zach when the time would come to put Belly to bed. She did… OK. She wouldn’t stay in bed, and kept getting down and playing. Right about the time it came for me to put Ryan to bed (about 20 minutes before John and Zach were due home) Belly started the screaming and crying. I put Ryan to bed then went in with Belly to calm her and try to get her back in bed. Yeah… nothing I tried worked. I got her calmed down, but she refused to lay down on the bed. I could get her to sit and cuddle with me on it, but even when she started dozing the minute I would lay her on the bed she started screaming. I was going a little crazy, and to make matters worse, John was due home any minute and if he heard her screaming he would postpone the switch again.

Finally I remember something from when Zach was switching from a crib to a bed. Zach spent that first month sleeping on the floor next to his bed, because he also screamed and cried at the idea of sleeping on it. I pulled out Belly’s sleeping bag, laid it on the floor right next to her bed, put her pig and favorite baby on it, along with her pillow and favorite blanket. And she laid right down on it. I laid next to her and then when John got home (after giving me a “Oh my gosh… really?!” look) laid down with us. We both stayed with her for 15 minutes then John got up and told her it was time for her to go night-night. I stayed with her for another 15 minutes hoping she would go to sleep. I kept pretending I was asleep to try get her to understand it was time for her to sleep. Unfortunately once she decided I was asleep she got up and started playing quietly. I walked over kissed her goodnight and left her room. But… she didn’t scream or cry.

Around 10 we finally stopped hearing her playing and so we peeked in… and she was laying on her sleeping bag, finally, asleep. I started to take a picture, but John told me not to push my luck with the flash.

I did get a picture of her this morning though when I went to get her up.

Here’s to hoping that tonight goes semi-well also.