Big Kids

After several nights in a row of Sam climbing into Anna's crib (while wearing a sleep sack) and tackling her every 2 minutes at bedtime, and several days in a row of reports of good naps in beds at daycare in separate rooms, we decided that it was time to make the switch to beds at home as well.   Oh well- the sleep sack trick to keep them from climbing out bought us over a year longer of crib use and for that I'm thankful. Sam and Anna have been napping at daycare in beds since they turned 2 and when we made the change in daycares in August, they continued napping in beds there as well.    For about 6 months it has worked just fine to nap in beds at daycare in separate rooms, but sleep in cribs in the same room at home.  But not so much anymore.  I was getting weary from the bedtime antics that seemed to be amping up- not decreasing.

All we did this weekend was basically make the transition from one room with two cribs to two rooms with two beds, and boy was it a lot of work.  First, we had to clear out our old guest room.  Then we went shopping for two beds.  We lucked out and bought mattresses and box springs at a local furniture warehouse sale this weekend.  My FIL is making bed frames for Sam and Anna and we should be able to get them in November so for now, they just have simple metal frames underneath.  While Sam and Anna napped Saturday, Daddy painted Anna's new room a not-babyish shade of pink.  Before nap, we had Sam and Anna pick their favorite pink paint chip from the collection of about 50 shades I brought home from the store.  After putting them down for nap, we picked our own favorites, and actually ended up picking the shade Sam selected first.  The rest of Saturday ended up finding new homes for the old guest room stuff once we realized there was no way we'd have enough time to disassemble two cribs and assemble two beds before bedtime.

Sunday we worked on moving around furniture between the two rooms and the cribs got removed before beds were made.  For now, Anna is keeping the white dressers and Sam will eventually get new darker work furniture.  I'm waiting until we have his bed, so that we can select a furniture color that goes with his wood bed frame.  Anna's bed frame will be painted white.

Naps in the new beds in separate rooms on Sunday went.... less than great.  For the first time sleeping in beds at home, we barely got them to fall asleep.  I consider it a minor miracle that both finally did sleep for a little bit.  I am surprised that after napping for so long at daycare without even thinking about getting out of the bed, the very first time we attempted a nap in a bed at home, Sam's feet hit the floor and he decided that it would be a good idea to open the door; repeatedly.  I thought for sure we'd have a while before reaching that point. 

The first night sleeping in their own rooms in beds went better, but only because I laid with Sam until he fell asleep.  I was a little sentimental that it was the first time ever since before they were a speck of dividing cells that they spent the night sleeping alone, apart from each other.  Once they fell asleep, they both slept through the night without waking until they had to get up for daycare the next morning.  Whew!  I was worried that would have gone horribly wrong and I'd be up for hours in the middle of the night.  Thank goodness that wasn't the case!

We still have a lot to do- bed frames probably painted and put together one we get them, new furniture/dressers for Sam, wall hangings/decorations for both rooms, and remove the rest of the storage stuff in the old guest room closet.  For now though, our big boy and girl are sleeping in their own rooms in big kid beds-  the last bit of baby in them: their cribs, are gone.  And this mama is feeling just a wee bit sad that I'm never going to have a little one in a crib ever again.

Sam's bed

 

Anna's bed

 

Anna's room

 

First time sleeping in her big girl bed

 

First time sleeping in his big boy bed