Parenting is like this crazy roller coaster with many ups and downs and the times of straight, smooth sailing are few and far between. And raising a toddler is the craziest roller coaster I've been on so far. Well my crazy toddler threw us for a loop this week. He is turning 2 and we knew it would be time to move him into his big boy room and bed soon. I had conveniently planned a timeline of that to happen in my head: after his birthday party, our vacation, and so we'd have time to remodel the room for him. Steven however, was not privy to this timeline and apparently had ideas of his own! Side note, he apparently requested (demanded) to sleep in a big boy bed at Grandma Riegerix's house 2 weeks ago...so that may have something to do with it.
So the last 2 nights have been horrible. Our great sleeper who hasn't had a problem for the past year was crying and screaming at bedtime. Steve and I were both like what the heck? We tried to let him figure it out, we tried to soothe him, talk to him, sing to him, etc. etc. Finally Monday night I couldn't take it anymore and brought him into our bed to sleep. Well that didn't go well for anyone! He tossed and turned and kicked me in the face all night. I had intended to let him fall asleep in our bed and move him to his crib but every time I tried to move him he woke up and screamed to lay back down in our bed. Steve moved to the guest room at some point in the night (abandoning ship? or genius? you decide).
So that wasn't happening again on Tuesday night! So Tuesday evening Steven was playing in the big boy bed (which is the guest bed right now and the room is still a disaster). And he was pretending to sleep in there. So I asked him, do you want to sleep in your big boy bed tonight? And he was like "YES! Sleep here!". Steve and I both looked at each other and were like "oh boy..." Then it dawned on me. Maybe he wants to sleep in that bed and that's why he's been crying in the crib for the past 2 nights.
So I began preparations trying to make room around the bed for pillows (just in case), removing harmful things he could get into, etc, etc. We did his bedtime routine but read books, sang songs in his new bed. I talked to him about staying in his bed until Mommy comes to get him in the AM and all that jazz. We kissed his little head goodnight and walked out. Probably 4 seconds later there's a little hand on our bedroom door trying to open it. LOL So I put him back into bed about 4 times. Finally I told Steve to go get the baby gate. (So we could lock him in there good.) He really couldn't get out of the room with that on the door fram. Unforunatley he could still get out of the bed. So he started to whine at the baby gate a short while later. I let him whine for a little bit until he started really crying. Finally I laid down in his bed with him until he feel asleep.
I was nervous leaving him in there and honestly didn't too much sleep myself (unlike my husband who was snoring away all night). I was doing the mommy sleeping with one ear open routine. I woke up about every hour listening for any little whimpers. But I really didn't hear any! Around midnight I think he did cry for me a bit but calmed himself down and went back to sleep. Then around 4:30am I hear the baby gate banging. He's trying to escape! I went and got him and brought him to our bed but I get up at 4:50am so he didn't get to go back to sleep.
So overall I would say first night in the big boy bed was a pretty good success. I'm so proud of him that he slept till 4:30am by himself. It'd be better if he slept till 7am like he usually does, don't get me wrong. But I think/hope/pray we will get there. My OCD is a flaring up a little with his room not being done and ready to go completely yet but I guess he wasn't on my timeline (when is he?).
Almost can't believe that my baby is at this stage but at the same time he seems so much older than 2 most of the time anyway.
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