Bed Time for my Big Girl

So, potty training, or "Potty Learning" is on hold until...well...until Maia stops screaming every time we mention the potty. It will happen, and honestly, I'm not all that concerned about it. One cool thing about doing the cloth diapers is it won't make a difference to our budget to have one, two or three kids in diapers for a time. I'm going to have to do laundry anyway...what's one more bottom to cover?

But space is an issue in our house and I really want Maia in her toddler bed before the babies get here. But I have be kind of worried about trying another transition with her after the potty debacle. Over the past few days Maia has been showing us she is ready to make the switch out of the crib. For one thing, her climbing skills have dramatically improved, along with her gaining a bit more height. She is practacally bouncing out of her bed when we try to put her down. She is still sleeping well and doesn't have an issue with night waking. Once she's down, she's down and her falling asleep time is improving.

I was going to get her crib down and out this weekend, but ended up painting and beginning the prep for the great floor project. Please don't ask...I'll have to share this when we're done. So the house is in chaos ans I didn't want to add crib mess to the total. But yesterday I decided to at least make a couple of changes to her toddler bed to get us ready. Maia and I went to the baby store and picked out new sheets and a new bumper pad for her "big girl bed". I thought a crib bumper would make the toddler bed a bit more like her crib and more cozy at the same time. She picked out a cheery yellow set and seemed excited to have new stuff for her new bed.

After nap, I made a big deal out of putting together her new bed with her sheet and bumper and new blanket and then asking her if she would like her friends from her baby crib to move to her new big girl bed. We went through the list of bed time lovies:

hippo
puppy
yeastie
green pillow
and of course--Moosey

Each was moved from the crib to the big bed. We were almost done when Maia remembered she also "need yellow blanket" and so the baby-sized yellow thermal blanket made the switch as well.

I didn't take down her crib...I guess I needed the security of knowing it was available if we needed it. But I did move some furniture around and block it somewhat and make it look not welcoming.

Last night we talked all about sleeping in her new bed. She had a good dinner and ten she had lovely bath. We cleaned up her bedroom (I didn't want toys around in case she got up to play) and read a bunch of stories ending with one of out favorites which includes a big girl sleeping in her big girl bed. We talked about that for a bit when Maia decided it was time to go "lay down Moosey". She was ready to jump into her toddler bed, but we did our ritual of Maia turning off her bedroom light and then checking to make sure her night-light was on. I placed her in bed, on top of th covers because she doesn't sleep with a blanket over her yet, and said god night.

I had the monitor on and I went to my room to listen to her and see if she really was going to go to sleep. I heard the normal rustling of a toddler settling in, and some mom-mom-mommy-mom-mommy kind of fussing, but I held my ground and waited to see if she would start pounding on the door. Never before have I wanted a video monitor as much as I did for the 10 or so minutes it took for her to fall asleep.

Wait. 10 minutes? Yes! She was out in so little time I couldn't believe it.

I told John the news when her got home and we both snuck into her room before we turned in for the night just to see. There she was, stretched out and comfy looking fast asleep in her toddler bed. John went and got her out this morning and he said she was just sitting there chilling and when he opened the door she told him she was "all done bed". That was it.

We'll have to see how nap time goes, when it's not all dark in her room and it can take her longer to settle down, and we might have more work once she realizes she can get up and out of bed by herself. But we have some time and this success to build on.

She's getting s big! I know that's what she's suposted to do and in most ways I am so glad...I just can't believe we've had her for two years and how much she's changed in that short time. I'm listening to her sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" right now as she plays with blocks on the floor...happy as a clam to do her own thing.

She's a big little girl...but she will always be my baby.