So I had this idea that I would live-blog Lucas’s move to a big-boy bed. I mean, this is the last time I get to do this, right? After nine years of faithful and nearly constant service (save for a quick break from 2006 through 2008) this crib has logged near-constant use.
I even sat Lucas down in his room on the weekend so I could take a few pictures of him to memorialize the occasion.
He’s been ready for the big-boy bed for a lot longer than I’ve been ready. Beloved even proposed that we leave the crib behind when we moved in October. There was no way, though, that I was freeing Lucas from baby-jail any sooner than I absolutely had to!
It was Tristan who traumatized me for life on the idea of transitioning to big-boy beds. He was 20 months old when we turfed him from the crib to make room for Simon and I was 100 months pregnant, and he absolutely refused to stay in his bed. We put up a baby gate to keep him upstairs, and we’d find him at the top of the stairs at the end of the evening in a little camp he’d created for himself with his blanket, pillow and soother. And I won’t even get into the midnight rambles and the shock of waking up to a toddler staring at me at all hours of the night. *shudder*
And so, here we are. I’ve read Lucas his three nightly books, secured his soother, and carefully tucked him into his big-boy bed. I’m waiting for the shenanigans to begin.
And waiting.
And waiting.
…
*nothing*
So I creep back down the hallway 30 minutes later, and he’s fast asleep, curled into a perfect little ball and looking more like a newborn in that giant bed than the oversized preschooler he is.
The next sound I hear from him is nine hours later, just a few minutes after I open my own eyes and before I’ve broken the seal on my flanneliciously warm bed. “Mo-ommy!” comes his sing-song voice from the next room. “Come and get me!” Just like he has called me after every nap and sleep for months.
Not much in the way of riveting blog fodder, I’ll grant you that — but it sure was a sweet way to wake up!
Goodbye, lovely crib. I still remember agonizing over spending what seemed like an exorbitant amount of money on it (I think it was $300 or so) but had I had even an inkling of the years of faithful service and happy memories it would bring, I would have happily paid triple that. (And now, due to changing Health Canada regulations on drop-sided cribs, it’s consigned to the scrap heap. Sigh.)
So sweet!!! The move to the big boy bed was hard for me too. The Little Man, however, transitioned like a champ that first night, much like Lucas.
Now it’s back to startling awake in the middle of the night with a four-year old staring at us. LOL!
Way to go Lucas!
Kiernan switched with no issues also… despite me thinking it would be awful. Juliette on the other hand…. well now we’re just sleeping with her. SUCKERS! 😉
If you have a Storkcraft crib you can buy attachments to make it a non-drop down crib – maybe someone would use it at a cottage or grandma’s place
Hey Windex, that would be a great idea (I actually thought of getting a repair kit and then donating it) but the maker of the crib is a long-defunct mom-and-pop operation out of Quebec, so I think I’m out of luck.
Oh so cute! And 9 glorious hours of sleep. Man I can only wish. I am lucky to get 2. He will sleep some day? right…?
They grow up so fast when they are not your own!
Lucas is so cute! He must be so proud to be sleeping in a big boy bed now. Hopefully when he realizes that he can get out of it on his own, he doesn’t scare the beejeezus out of you standing beside your bed staring at you in the middle of the night.
We had to turf DD1 to make room for DD2, I think it went ok only because we quickly gave up making her stay in bed! She has to start the night there, but whenever she crawls in with us we just let it happen. It was the only thing we ever did “early”, I was always slow to work on tummy time, solid foods, you name it. The front came off the crib (converted to a toddler bed) somewhere around 16 months, and she was into the big girl bed just as soon as she could (barely) climb into it! I was super anxious to make the transition in enough time that she didn’t see it as baby usurping her bed.
Joke was on me in the end though – baby doesn’t sleep in the crib 😉