New Beds All Around

We have finally made the bedtime transition around here to a big boy bed. I know that a lot of Jayce's friends had already moved into big beds by now, but we waited a little longer because there really wasn't a need for it yet. We were told to move him 1.) if he was being nighttime toilet trained (which he's not), 2.) if he was trying to climb out of the crib (which he never did), or 3.) if there was a new baby on the way who needed the crib. This was what pushed us to do it now. We were waiting until a bit closer to the baby's arrival as well so that there wouldn't be a big crib in the "not yet transitioned" nursery / my work room, so now that we're getting the nursery set up it's the perfect time.

I found this great wooden toddler bed at a thrift store last year for $8. It was in great shape, but didn't have the hardware included. I didn't think it would be too big of a problem to track down the right screws and bolts, so I bought it and it has been sitting in the basement waiting for us. When Patsy was in town we tried to set it up to get Jayce's room all ready. Little did we know the ridiculous wild goose chase we were starting.

If you ever are in a situation like this, do not buy the crib or toddler bed that has no hardware, because no one can sell you any. We spent one morning going to a half a dozen different hardware, furniture, and specialty stores looking for the right stuff. I was wrong about needing some screws and bolts, you need special furniture screws with special screw thing-ys to screw into the bottom. No one had any, but they all recommend another place that would definitely have them. We eventually came full circle, with the last place we went recommending the first place we had gone. I even called a few places, but everyone was all, "Yeah...hmmm...I don't know...no, we don't carry those." Me: "Can you order them?!" Them: "No because...(some excuse that I found to be dissatisfying.) In the end we just went to Walmart and bought a new toddler bed. Patsy and I spent 2 hours assembling it and were glad to just be done with the charade and finally have the bed ready to go.

When Chris got back into town, he took apart the crib and reassembled it in the nursery. Jayce was helping at first,

but that didn't last incredibly long. There was a mattress to jump and play on, and in the end that was much more interesting.

After the crib was out, Jayce ran into his room and said, "Look Mom, my crib is gone! It's in my sister's room." This made me sad. Even though I'd been telling Chris/harassing him about needing to make the crib to bed switch for a little bit, once it was done I really just wanted to put everything back. I did not cry, which was sort of an accomplishment given the current state of pregnancy hormones and everything, but I was sad all night. But our little girl is coming soon and will need a crib to sleep in, so I'm glad that we're a little closer to being ready for her now.

As for how the transition has gone, I am thrilled to report that it has been an absolute piece of cake. The first night after I put Jayce to bed, I went downstairs and picked up the video monitor to see him swing his legs over the bed, stand up and take a few tentative steps forward. In my most firm mom voice, I called, "Jayce, get back in your bed," which startled him and scurried right back in. Other than this, he has never gotten out of bed. I think we lucked out, and he is one of those kids who just doesn't realize that he has a newfound freedom. He has never tried to get up to play with toys or leave his room, and still stays in his bed and calls for me when he wakes up in the morning and from his naps. I'm glad, I actually prefer it this way.

The only small hiccup is that 3 nights out of the first week we found him sleeping on the floor beside his bed in the middle of the night. He is one of those kids who constantly turns like the hands of a clock while he's sleeping, so I guess he just wasn't used to there not being bars to keep him in his bed when he was laying the wrong way. Luckily, the bed is only about 6 inches from the floor and we have thick soft carpet, so I don't think he ever woke up when he fell. It was more like he slid off the bed onto the carpet, and just decided to stay there. I still check the monitor a few times a night when I'm up for a potty break, and this past week he's been in his bed every time, so maybe he's getting used to it now.

Overall I can't complain. I was a bit worried, especially with Chris being out of town so much, that I would wear myself out going upstairs to try and coerce Jayce back into bed multiples times each night. But it went so well that it might have given us the confidence boost that we need to start up potty training again. Or we'll just celebrate this victory for now and ignore potty training a little bit longer.