Big Girl Bed!

Tonight is Maia's first night in her toddler bed. Uncle Andrew brought it over this afternoon, after her nap. Ray and Andrew immediately put it together, so I re-arranged the room (the crib won't fit out the door assembled, so it's got to stay for the time being) Maia found it pretty interesting during the day, but was a little more hesitant about it at bedtime. We were trying to make it exciting, so she actually looks pretty pleased as she settles down in it for the first time. She's got her "co wata ice coobs" (cold water with ice cubes) in her hand...

... and her pillow. The pillow thing I actually started out of desperation last week. She was having a rough night between congestion, coughing, over-tired/over-stimulated. Ray was up with her for a while, then I was. Ray often does well sleeping with her in his recliner, but after being put back to bed, she was up again half-an-hour later. She doesn't cuddle as comfortably with me, seeing as how I have this huge belly in the middle of her cuddle area. So I eventually took her in the guest bedroom and laid down with her. She was sooo tired, and so she snuggled in next to me on the pillow and in about 15-20 minutes, she did fall asleep. And it occurred to me... she's not coughing.

So I brought her back to her crib (I don't do well sleeping next to her in the guest bed, I'm worried she'll fall off, plus she's really wiggly and kept kicking me). And I brought in the pillow. She left me easily and snuggled right into that pillow... and didn't cough for the rest of the night.

Wow. Okay... so that little incline is a good thing for her. And I'm not worried about her suffocating, as she moves around a lot, and usually (unfortunately, a newer bad habit) falls asleep with two fingers in her mouth... thereby leaving lots of space around her nose.

Looks happy, doesn't she?

Well, within about 20 seconds of daddy turning off the light and closing the door, she was up, trying to reach the door handle, and screaming. So I began a slow weaning process for bedtime.

1. Go back in and cuddle in the rocking chair until she calmed down. "No big guuh bed!"

2. I laid next to her (no small feat!) in her bed. She was okay being there while I was there with her.

3. I sat up and rubbed her back while she laid on her bed. This she tried to fight... wanted to "wok!" When I said no, then the second choice was for me to lay down with her. I had to lay her down a few more times when she tried to climb up on my lap to "cuddoh." I had to tell her that I could sit next to her, or I could leave. She settled down and let me rub her back. I kept reminding her that her "big girl bed" was like her cot at daycare (although I'm sure more comfortable!) and encouraging her that she could do it!

4. After a little while I moved to the rocking chair, and let her stay in her bed without me. She asked for me to come back and sit with her, and the new answer was that I could sit in the chair, or leave. She preferred that I stay, so she tossed and turned for a while.

5. A short time later, I told her that I needed to go get a drink and would be right back. She needed to stay in bed while I was gone, or I wouldn't be able to come back and sit next to her. I stayed away for maybe 3 minutes, and when I came back into her room, she was just starting to inch herself to the edge of the bed.

6. I settled her again, and sat in the rocking chair a little longer. She also asked to have her "fishies" turned on (part of her sound machine has a transparency projector wheel that can be pointed at a ceiling or wall). After a little while, I told her that I needed to go to the bathroom, and she needed to stay in bed, I'd be back in a little bit. I stayed away a lot longer... and when I went to listen from the monitor, she was quiet.

Ray commented it was like the "patience stretching" skills from The Happiest Toddler on the Block book.

I don't think she's gotten up since, and so she may have actually settled into sleep around 7:45 to 8:00. Less than an hour, not bad. She did wake up around 9:30 or 10 and cried, but settled back down quickly when we used the monitor's intercom to tell her "nuh-night!" like we usually do.

Here's hoping for a good night's sleep for all of us. It's going to be an unusual week since it's symphony week and Ray will be gone for two of those nights as well, so she will be under the care of Grandma Marcia. (Gya-mah!) Fortunately, she has shown herself to be an adaptable kid, so I hope this week won't be too difficult for her!