The Tales of a Toddler - From Crib to Toddler Bed

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 We’ve been talking about converting Ethan’s bed into a toddler bed for a while, but of course we just like to talk a lot and never actually do stuff until like years later… finally this weekend we converted his crib to a big boy bed!

He took his first nap in it on Sunday. We barricaded him in the room with a safety gate so he wouldn’t run out of his bedroom. It took him about 30-45 minutes to finally fall asleep, between getting up and crying at the gate and going back to lay down, he was out for good and napped a good two hours. It seemed too easy and too good to be true. 

 And it was. Bed time was horrible!!

It didn’t help that he had taken a late nap and wasn’t too sleepy by 8pm. So he screamed at the gate off and on for about 2hrs. Finally he fell asleep on the floor!

Throughout the night I had to check on him to make sure he wasn’t on the floor, and I only found him on the floor once, sound asleep at about 3am. He was extra fidgety in bed and I could hear him all night long just kicking in his bed.

As bad as it was, it wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been and the next night would be better.

 

NOT.

It was worse.

 

He cried more but at least he stayed in his bed most of the time.

But it was - ALL. NIGHT. LONG.

Apparently everyone else slept through it because the girls and the hubby said he did so much better and that he hardly cried… umm, ok were they sleeping in the same house as I was. The kid whined and moaned and cried all night long. At one point he started to cry really loud and I was determined to let him cry it out, I was way too comfy under my blankets and worn out but daddy went to the rescue and brought him to the bed with us. That seems to be the only thing Daddy remembers. He eventually put Ethan back in his bed and woke up whimpering not long after that. Mommy went to the rescue this time and I caressed his little face, within minutes he was out again and he was mainly out for the remainder of the night.

Part of me considered to convert his bed back to a crib, YES, shamelessly that thought crossed my  mind.  Sleep deprivation can cause you to do silly stuff, like giving up. But I didn’t .

Now some of you are probably like “what is wrong with this woman? Why does she insist on her baby sleeping in a toddler bed, why doesn’t she convert it back to a crib or let him sleep with her..?”

 

-Well he cant sleep in his crib forever. My other kids were out of their cribs by this age. No need to baby Ethan a little longer just because he has Down syndrome.  I want him to learn and be independent and be able to fall asleep on his own. Like the big boy that he is.

-And no way am I going to let him sleep with us. Yeah sometimes we let him snuggle inbetween us at night until he falls asleep, but I learned my lesson with my first born and breaking her out of that habit has been one of the worst things I have ever experienced. She cried bloody murder all night long, Lord did she cry. At that time we were living with my inlaws and they even broke the door down to get in the room to “rescue” Gabby… - true story. Ever since then I vowed to never get my kids in the habit of sleeping with us. Andrea was so easy to transition from crib to bed.. to her own room. She is a trooper, she can sleep with no lights on and the door closed and sleep till the cows come home. Gabby on the other hand, still needs a night light and just recently started to close her door.

Those have been my experiences… AND I like having the bed for just me and the hubby. I think it’s healthy for a marriage to be able to spend some cuddle time with just you and your spouse in bed. Without a kid kicking you in the face.

(I am not bashing anyone that decides to co-sleep with their children.. it just didn’t work for us, that’s all.)

LAST night, I was for sure it was going to be another awful night.

It actually turned out to be much better. A whole lot less  crying and if he did cry he would do so from his bed instead of at the gate, although he would go and just stand to see if he could see anyone. Around 9pm I found him snoring and heavily asleep on the floor by the gate. 

But it was a better night.

THANKFULLY.

Proof that this kid is still wired even on little sleep, pictures from Tuesday morning at school:

Climbs into someone's cubby

 Runs away from me:

Down the slide

WHAT are you doing Ethan???

 Oh, he was just KICKING his teacher...

HAHAlarious, Ethan thinks it is

Tries to run over one of the teacher’s assistants…

 

And this was all in about 10 minutes, I don’t have much time to spare in the mornings sinceI have to rush out of there and head to work. He runs on some sort of magical toddler crack.

LAST night, just because he is a silly boy!

wearing daddy's work boots

He makes my heart so happy. My little guy! 

-erika