So we finally decided that George was trying to tell us something with his weekly, well, almost daily, catapulting out of his crib. And even if he wasn't trying to tell us anything, I REALLY didn't feel like making another trip to the ER anytime soon. Partway through yesterday's nap (after his final leap to freedom that resulted in a scraped nose), I took hex wrench in hand and changed his crib into a toddler bed. He was intrigued at first, but not so much after I turned off the lights and left the room. But, after a lot of crying, he fell asleep for the last 15 minutes or so of nap time.Last night, he went right to bed without a fuss and fell asleep quickly. Victory! Well almost. He woke up sometime after 2 am and I found him crying in a corner of his room. I think he just got disoriented, but it really freaked him out and he was NOT going back into that bed. After listening to him cry for a while, I took a blanket and pillow into his room and prepared for a long night. I rocked him for a long time, then I got him to lie down with me on the floor next to his bed. As long as I had my arm around him and he could bury his face in mine, he was happy.
When does that switch happen? The one that pollutes sweet, baby breath and turns it into nasty, night breath? Emma could raise the dead with her morning breath, but I was nose to pacifier for at least an hour last night, and loved smelling his still babyish smell. It amazes me that at some point, he will become a "real" kid and I won't want to be that close to him in the wee hours of the morning.
Anyway, sometime after 4 am, I put a relaxed but no-where-near-sleepy boy back into his bed. He spent another 1/2 hour or so laughing and playing and I escaped back to my room.
This morning, I found an exhausted little boy, sleeping soundly in his bed. Today, for nap, he seemed excited to go to bed and didn't fuss as I left. I had to go in there once after some overly enthusiastic jumping put him on the floor once again. But, my fingers are crossed that he will sleep and tonight will go easier. Wish me luck!
9 comments:
Good luck. We need to get a toddler bed for Indiana SOON. I don't have a crib here as he normally doesn't stay the entire night but he can catapult out of the playpen at faster than light speed. I'm waiting for him to break his neck doing it. Also I'm hoping he will be so intrigued with a toddler bed that maybe he'll stay off mine. (fingers crossed)
what a sweet photo. Good luck with him and the bed. :)
I hear you on the baby breath--but you know, for me, I knew I didn't have a baby anymore when my little guy's feet started to stink! Woweee! Even he said something the other day...you KNOW that's bad :)
a rite of passage! hopefully this will go smoothly and you will sleep well tonight.
Loved your "Photo Essay" and it brought back fond memories.
Good luck with the bed/sleep issues :) I usually partially cover my face when I'm lying down with Harvey because he often has bad breath and also because he has a tendency to accidently headbutt or throw his arms around and I've learnt from experience just to keep my face covered up for protection!
Shame Meg, been there...But I found that going from the crib (or as we call it in SA cot) to bed was the best thing I could of done! Ethan and Emma both went into their beds from 2 onwards. Ethan is a dream, mind you he did go through a patch about a year ago when we had to bring his mattress into our room as he is impossible to sleep with in our bed! But he has been a good sleeper for a year.Emma now though, some nights, wakes up, knocks on our door before coming in (lovely at 3 in the morning!) and comes directly to my side of the bed, even though it is on the other side of the bedroom door, and stands next to the bed waiting for me to wake up and put her in next to me! Some nights, when I don't hear the knock, and I wake up with such a fright seeing this little figure next to my bed!!
I am making up now for my peace I had with both of them as babies-both slept through the night from 4 months, so now during their toddler years it is pay back time! (sigh)
And I agree about the bad breath, it is sad when that changes!! Must be growth hormones!! Nothing a morning brush of teeth can't fix! I hope George gets used to the new bed!! Good luck!
We went from the crib to a mattress on the floor because the stork came a little earlier than we'd like. He loves the easy access and it's much easier to make the bed!
I'm looking forward to going through the same transition with the baby in about a year.
Enjoy that sweet baby breath while it lasts!
Good luck. It took both my boys a couple weeks to adjust. of course a year later DH has returned to sleeping on their floor because Derek has decided he needs to hold someone's hand to sleep. There is always something :)
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