Elias playing around as Nathan removes the front wall of the crib.
With little Smith #2 coming soon, Nathan and I decided we had better stop procrastinating, and get Elias used to sleeping in someplace that is not his crib. He’ll have enough transitions once the baby comes, so we are hoping we didn’t wait too long to start this transition too. We actually have awhile because the baby will be in our room for at least a couple of months. (Elias moved into his own room at 3 months old). But we’ve always done bed time transitions very gradually, and it has worked well for us.
We purchased a toddler bed for Elias so that the baby can eventually sleep in the crib, but we don’t have it yet…plus we didn’t just want to move Elias to a new bed cold turkey. So today, Nathan took off the front of the crib to make it into a toddler bed. Same bed. Same sheets, same place. Just one wall missing. We anxiously awaited nap time to see how Elias would do. Would he get up a million times? Would he cry and feel insecure? Would he take it in stride?
Elias reading next to the bed…not on the bed.
Let’s just say that Elias was not pleased at first. We were playing in his room trying to get him used to the idea, and he would not even try sitting on it with the front off. He eventually did read Dr. Seuss’s ABC book right next to it, though, so that was a baby step. Then I got Elias excited about taking pictures of his Daddy sitting on the bed. I won’t make you look at those pictures…but it created enough interest that Elias wanted to sit on the bed with his Daddy to pose for a picture. Finally! After that, he did not refuse to climb onto the bed anymore. We ate lunch, and got ready for nap time. Here are some pictures of Elias getting adjusted:
Finally sitting on the bed!
Happy boy!
We did our nap time routine the same as normal, though I rocked him a bit longer than normal…until he was very drowsy. That didn’t seem to matter, though, because as soon as I put him down on the bed he noticed the difference. I got out of there as quick as I could, but I heard him over the monitor saying “I don’t like it.” But it sounded like he was staying on the bed so I just waited him out.
After about 40 minutes I went in because he was singing the ABC’s at the top of his lungs. He was miraculously still on the bed…I don’t think he ever left. I told him to close his eyes and be quiet. It’s nap time. He laid down and said he wanted more snuggles so I sat next to the bed and laid my head next to his for a minute or two. Then I got up and left…and I haven’t heard another peep from him. He’s now been asleep for an hour and a half or so.
This first nap time has been pretty smooth! We’ll see what the next few days entail. It’s a little nerve-wracking knowing that he could just wander around now. But it’s a relatively small milestone compared to some he’ll go through in his life. I’m trying to just sit back and enjoy it.