Big Girl Bed Project - Day/Night #1

This week since we had nothing on the agenda and I need to get Reece comfortable in her new bed (for sleeping not playing), I figured why not try today!? She slept until 8am this morning (probably because of the rain) so I figured we'd skip the morning nap and get her real tired for the afternoon nap. First attempt - 12:30ish...it only took me 15 minutes or so for her to realize I was serious and it was time to lay down. I laid down with her until she fell asleep. I have mixed feelings about this as I don't want her to get use to this but I don't want her to be scared either. I attempted to leave while she was awake and that wasn't working for me, so this worked to get her to sleep. But, she only slept 20 minutes when she saw I had vanished...second attempt - 1:15. This kid was not going down without a fight. She didn't get back out of bed but she wasn't falling asleep either. It took until almost 2:30 for her to fall asleep again. I left the room and she only slept for another 20 minutes. So I figured, why not quit the crib cold turkey - Not only naps...but bedtime. I knew she would be tired enough and I figured I could get it all done at once - instead of fighting naps one week and then bed time the next. Brock thought this sounded like a good idea but of course, it was up to me. I said I would give it 3 or 4 day/nights and if it wasn 't getting easier, then, we would have to settle for plan b...which we don't really have yet. I am up for suggestions that don't revolve around moving a crib, borrowing a crib, or sleeping in a crib.



So....where does this leave me? Bedtime - big girl bed attempt #3 - 7:05 pm. Normally, bedtime is 7:30 or 8:00 but little miss 40 minute napper was grouchy and tired and giving me all the signs of wanting to go to bed, including waving bye-bye at the stairs and blowing kisses. So we did the normal routine and up we went. As we walked down the longest hallway ever, I told Reece again that she was going to sleep in her new big girl bed. She didn't seem to make a fuss...that was until I laid her down, told her I loved her and good night. I walked out of the room and shut the door. Immediatley cries of fear came out and she got right down off the bed and went to the door hollering. I sat in the hall and waited as I heard scratching and bawling behind the door. To me it was worse than any horror movie I have ever seen/heard (I am sure she would agree). She seemed to make several attempts to go back to the bed, but to no avail came back running to the door. She was quiet for a minute or so in which I thought maybe she fell asleep on the floor...NOPE...crying and scratching again...one more attempt to the bed and back to the door again. So I figured by now (10 minutes or so), she was probably not going to manage to make it back in her bed herself so I figured I would help her. I came in and helped her back in bed...all the while her screaming and clinging to me. I laid down with her rubbed her face and belly and told her how much I loved her and would never let anything happen to her. I explained again that this was her new cool bed to sleep in (I am sure she has no idea what I am saying to her but it's worth a shot, right? Hey, I felt better anyways). She never got back up and immediately went to sleep with me there...not even 2 minutes. I think now that she is asleep and it's getting dark, she will be okay for the night. It may be an earlier morning for us but we will hopefully get through!



Here is the proud mommy picture from attempt 1