B+C+B+C+B+C: crib --> bed

Saturday, July 10, 2010

crib --> bed

A couple months ago we finally transitioned Brianna from her crib to a toddler bed.

Though obviously we did this a lot later than most people do, I actually hadn't even intended on moving her to a bed that weekend. But we happened to stop at a yardsale that had this super cute toddler bed for just $15. I offered 13, thinking that if he didn't take it then obviously it was a sign from the heavens that Brianna was meant to stay in her crib forever. But darn it all, he glad accepted my cash and we took home Brianna's new bed. Looking back I now realize how cheap I must've seemed... I mean, the bed is in perfect condition, the mattress looks brand new, the stars on it still glow in the dark, and the railing is very sturdy. And the best part - it has Winnie the Pooh sheets, so she instantly fell in love!

I had avoided this move for so long simply because I saw no point. It's not like it's some sort of developmental milestone to be reached. When I asked her pediatrician at her 2 yr appt if it was ok that she still slept in a crib, he smiled and said that many parents make the transition too early for the same reason they start their babies on solid food too early - just to feel like their child is more advanced. But it only increases the chances of having problems, like a toddler that doesn't STAY in their bed all night, or takes a long time (and/or a lot of threats) to coax to sleep. I've dreaded experiencing the bed/sleep-battle horror stories I've heard/read about, so that's why I've just put this off. But I figured that in case she did have problems with her new bed, it would be better to deal with it now than when I have newborns.

Fortunately, it was a relatively smooth transition! We jumped up and down and made a big fool of ourselves, trying to convince her this was the coolest, most exciting event since potty training. It worked for awhile. She actually asked to go sleep in her crib one night, and I let her, acting like it was no big deal. I think she was just testing me to make sure she was in control.Then we went through a stage a few weeks ago where she kept waking up - like 2 or 3 times a night - with various excuses: potty, needing water, wanting to come into our bed, lost blanket... it got very annoying. But we discovered that if we leave the hall light on, she went to bed quicker and stayed in bed. So maybe she was just scared of the dark.
Anyways, I haven't put this much time and thought into baby/child sleep analysis since the first few months of her life. I forgot how intense it can be - watching the clock, keeping routines, analyzing every failure and success... you'd think something as natural and instinctive as SLEEP wouldn't be so complicated!

3 comments:

Unknown said...: Man you are lucky! I just wish my child would sleep in her bed all by herself. Can Brianna come and train my child how to properly eat and sleep? That would be much appreciated!; July 13, 2010 at 10:02 PM
Brandon and Kim said...: Cici had a hard time sleeping in a crib so I knew the bed would be no different, but we are in a good routine now. We only switch because she fell out of the crib. I was going to keep her in the crib as long as possible. Potty training is going to be a week of no work no obligations and all about potty. hopefully it works. I am planning on September if she is ready by then. She poops on potty but often forgets to go on potty to pee. You do amazing with brianna, I know u will be great with the twins; July 13, 2010 at 10:16 PM
Debbie said...: Cute little girl in cute little bed; July 14, 2010 at 6:25 PM

Quotes I want to remember

"The Lord knows our bearing capacity, both as to coping and to comprehending, and He will not give us more to bear than we can manage at the moment, though to us it may seem otherwise. Just as no temptations will come to us from which we cannot escape or which we cannot bear, we will not be given more trials than we can sustain."
- Neal A. Maxwell

"It is a fundamental truth that the responsibilities of motherhood cannot be successfully delegated. No, not to day-care centers, not to schools, not to nurseries, not to babysitters. We become enamored with men's theories such as the idea of preschool training outside the home for young children. Not only does this put added pressure on the budget, but it places young children in an environment away from mother's influence."
-Ezra Taft Benson

“Perhaps there has never been a time when we had greater need to pray and to teach our family members to pray. Prayer is a defense against temptation. It is through earnest and heartfelt prayer that we can receive the needed blessings and the support required to make our way in this sometimes difficult and challenging journey we call mortality.”
-Thomas S. Monson

“Live the gospel as conspicuously as you can. Keep the covenants your children know you have made. And bear your testimony! Don’t just assume your children will somehow get the drift of your beliefs on their own.
-Jeffrey R. Holland

"We hold in our arms the rising generation. They come to this earth with important responsibilities and great spiritual capacities. We cannot be casual in how we prepare them. Our challenge as parents and teachers is not to create a spiritual core in their souls but rather to fan the flame of their spiritual core already aglow with the fire of their premortal faith."
-Neil L. Andersen

"Certainly there are times when getting the family together to read the scriptures does not stack up as a spiritual experience worthy of a journal entry. But we must not be deterred. There are special times when the spirit of a son or daughter is just right and the power of these great scriptures goes down into their heart like fire. As we honor our Heavenly Father in our homes, He will honor our efforts."
-Neil L. Andersen

President Hinckley admonished both men and women to be nurturers. He said, ‘How much more beautiful would be the society in which we live if every father . . . and . . . mother regarded [their] children . . . as gifts from the God of heaven . . . and brought them up with true affection in the wisdom and admonition of the Lord.’ ”
-Susan W. Tanner

"Children are like trees. When they are young, their lives can be shaped and directed, usually with ever so little effort. Said the writer of Proverbs, 'Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it' (22:6). That training finds its roots in the home. There will be little of help from other sources. Do not depend on government to help in this darkening situation. Barbara Bush, wife of former U.S. president George Bush, spoke wisely: 'Your success as a family, our success as society, depends not on what happens at the White House, but on what happens inside your house.' "
-Gordon B. Hinckley

“I give counsel to husbands and wives. Pray for the love which allows you to see the good in your companion. Pray for the love that makes weaknesses and mistakes seem small. Pray for the love to make your companion’s joy your own. Pray for the love to want to lessen the load and soften the sorrows of your companion.”
-Henry B. Eyring

“Reverent behavior is not a natural tendency for most children. It is a quality that is taught by parents and leaders through example and training. But remember, if reverence is rooted in love, so is the teaching of it. Harshness in our training begets resentment, not reverence.”
-Margaret S. Lifferth

"There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else."
- M. Russell Ballard

“As parents, we should remember that our lives may be the book from the family library which the children most treasure. Are our examples worthy of emulation? Do we live in such a way that a son or a daughter may say, ‘I want to follow my dad,’ or ‘I want to be like my mother’?”
-Thomas S. Monson

“Security for our families comes from learning self-control, avoiding the excesses of this world, and being temperate in all things.”
-Kent D. Watson

Saturday, July 10, 2010

crib --> bed

3 comments:

Pageviews last month