Big Weekend

First, our weekend started out with Sam and Anna napping in real beds at daycare.  I had given our provider my blessing to start if she wanted to, because Sam was starting to climb out of his pack n play during naps frequently, even with his sleep sack on.  Oh well- the sleep sacks bought us over a year more  of crib/pack n play sleep anyway, as it was at about 9 months old that he first started climbing out of the pack and play.  I'd say it's amazing that we got this far to have him still sleeping in them 14 months later.

I guess it went well.  Both took regular length naps in the beds, and Sam still called for her when he woke up instead of climbing out on his own.  I will admit, because I did not know that she was going to do it specifically that day, that I had some issues with it happening when I wasn't prepared for it.  I still have some times where I feel like I miss out on my kids because they go to daycare.  I missed out on the first time they slept in real beds.  I wasn't there to make a big deal about it, and celebrate their success in doing well the first time.  I'm still not planning on transitioning them to real beds at home anytime soon though.  First, because I think nighttime is a different story than naps.  Secondly, because we'd probably be tying in the transition to real beds to separating each into their own rooms and I definitely don't want to do that yet.  And thirdly, because I want some time to put thought and effort into decorating their rooms and I don't envision that happening until I'm not working over 40 hours a week outside of our home.

Pictures from daycare

Moving on... Sam also pooped in the toilet for the first time this weekend.  I'm also not really planning on making the big potty training step any time soon- but I am not going to discourage either Sam or Anna if they request to use the toilet.  My current plan is to just put them on the real thing when ever they ask to, and celebrate any successes.  We'll see if I can hold out until this summer to commit to potty training both of them.  We have quite a stash of diapers right now, due to the end of Amazon's good diaper deal, so I'd like to think that I won't have to buy any more after we use these up, but we will see.

Finally, we made our last attempt to become a pacifier-free household.  I used the word last because we are in it to win it this time- regardless of the effect, the pacifiers will no longer be in Anna's mouth after this weekend.  That's because we went to Build-a-Bear at the mall on Saturday and put Anna's Nuk inside the bear she picked out.  She watched it go inside and didn't mind as the bear got stitched up.  I didn't expect it to bother her though, becuase she has only used it for sleep at home for over a year and having it during the day wasn't usual for her.  Sam got his own build-a-bear, although he didn't have a pacifier put in.  I saw this idea on another twin blog, and thought it was perfect.  It just seemed to be the way that made the most concrete sense to explain it to a toddler- you can't put it in your mouth anymore, because it is inside your bear and we can't take it out.  But it can still give you comfort and be near you, even if it isn't in your mouth.  Logical, right?

Picking out the animals at Build-a-Bear

Stuffing Anna's bear

 Putting the heart in Sam's stuffed dog

 "Washing" their new animals

Trying to wrangle two toddlers with boxes almost as big as they are on the way out

At bedtime when she asked for her Nuk, we reminded her that it was inside the bear and that she could feel it inside and hug the bear instead (after reminding her that she was a big girl, and big girls don't have Nuks).  She demanded several times that we "Open!" the bear to get it out, but we just ignored her requests and put them to bed.  With minimal fussing, she was quiet and we had a pretty normal night, with a normal-for-her-lately waketime the next morning at an early 6 am (but waking and going back to sleep off and on for awhile after that). 

Night two was similar- requests for her Nuk, reminders to hug her bear, and minimal fussing before their room was silent at bedtime.  I don't imagine that it will get any tougher, so I am relieved that this time has been so easy, compared to the other attempts we've had in the last year or so!  Like her swaddle, we just had to realize and accept that when she was ready, she would be ready- and no attempt we made before that point would work well.

With her track record, I'm assuming potty training and transitioning to a real bed will be the same way- if she's ready, it will be a piece of cake, and if she's not, then it will be an epic failure.  I guess only time will tell!