Movin' On Up!

Just before our trip to Chicago, we decided it would be a good idea to migrate Brady to a "big boy bed". He was comfortable in his crib and had only climbed out on a few occasions (fallen out during a fit, is actually more like it), so it wasn't an issue of safety. He'd gotten too big for a pack-n-play and would need other arrangements at the grandparents', and we couldn't let his first taste of nighttime freedom take place while we were away from home.

Migrating to a "big boy bed" wasn't that big of a move, really. All we did was remove the front panel of his crib and replace it with a toddler gate, but to Brady, it was a complete transformation. His reaction to this change was priceless. "Thank you Daddy, thank you so much for my new bed!!"

We made the change on a Friday, so that if he had a hard time staying in his bed, we would have the weekend to adjust... and nap. We told him the rule (single!), which is the same one all parents give their kids on their first night in a big kid bed; "you must stay in your bed until we come get you". Because of Brady's track record with following rules, we figured that this would go over like a lead balloon. We put him in bed, kissed him goodnight, and left the room, counting the minutes until he made his way downstairs. But he never came; he fell right asleep, stayed in his bed all night, and called for us to come get him in the morning. A fluke, we thought. If not tomorrow, it'll only be a matter of time until he's staring at us in bed in the middle of the night.

Well, it's been almost 2 full months since the conversion and I'm happy to report (knock on wood) that he's still following his only big boy bed rule. Except for the occasional creep to pick up his blankie off the floor, he's remained in his bed from the time we put him in til the time we get him out. But calls out for Mommy and Daddy to tend to his various needs (fix his socks, put his blanket over him, "what's that sound?" inquiries, and my personal favorite-- remove his "boogies" off his finger) are on the increase, unfortunately. Supernanny would have a field day with us...