when little girls grow up

I am in shock. She has slept in her big girl bed for 3 nights now! We tried this a while back when she first started trying to climb out of the crib and she just wasn't ready. We were expecting it to be easier this time around, but we were also expected some bumps in the road....

The last straw came the other day when I walked into her room and found her straddling the front of her crib and sliding back and forth like it was a banister. We've found her several other times standing with both feet on the end of the crib (which is MUCH higher since it's a sleigh style) looking like she was ready to take a flying leap off the edge...

Sunday afternoon Ryan took the crib apart and put her little bed in it's place. Ryan took her up to show it to her and to explain that she was now going to be sleeping in her "big girl bed." She immediately wanted to play on it and he wisely explained that her bed is for sleeping and not for playing. I'm glad he did that...I think it's important that she keep things separated for now. When bedtime rolled around, she just calmly climbed right in (no jumping on it like a trampoline which is what happened last time!) Ryan shut her door all the way so even if she wanted to get up and play with her toys, she wouldn't be able to see them. We know she's not afraid of the dark - she's always shutting herself into closets and bathrooms on purpose. We sat downstairs and listened on the monitor...she sang and mumbled for a few minutes and then...SILENCE! She fell asleep faster than when she was in her crib! Needless to say, we were in shock!!

I checked on her a million times of course, but she did great and she loves her "big girl bed!" Although...she refuses to take a nap in it....one thing at a time I suppose.


This is how cute she was the next morning...I promise we give the girl a blanket but it's behind her and underneath her so you can't see it.... She wiggles SO much!!