"Big Boy" Bed Transition

Right before Holt turned 2, we decided to transition him to his "big boy" bed. It is really still his crib just with a conversion kit that blocks about 75% of the front. It is much lower than the crib front (which will eventually be his footboard on a full size bed) and he can climb in and out of it through the opening with ease. I was dreading this transition because he has always been such a good sleeper in the crib. He was taking 2-3 hours naps and rarely waking up at night. I couldn't help but wonder/fear that might all change when he could get in and out of his bed. I also knew that this transition needed to take place before Jett's arrival. I have heard from other mom's how difficult this transition was, how bedtime was a 2 hours struggle at night, how their kids destroyed their rooms, or woke up earlier in fear of this new found freedom. I thought I better get it over with now rather than change him later when, most likely, I will just be getting Jett to sleep through the night. Kyle and I bit the bullet and 20 minutes later his bed was transformed. He calls it his new bed. I'm not sure how long he will consider it new, but for now it is his new bed. Every morning I go in there and proudly announces "In Olt's new bed!" Then he tells me the "sun out, moon night night." I know, I know...he's a genius. :)

Showing off his "new" bed

I must say, the transition could not have gone any better. His first slumber there was at nap time. We have a video monitor so I could easily see if he was in his bed or not. When he wasn't in his bed and I didn't hear him reading to himself anymore, I sent Kyle to see where he was. He said he was on the floor. I just had to see this myself. The first picture below is how I found him. I decided to make him a pallet on the floor going forward just in case. Sometimes he used it, sometimes he didn't. One time I did not make the pallet, so he took the liberty himself and made one where he happily slept. These are some of the interesting ways I have found him since the transition. After about a week or two of finding him in strange places, he has learned to get in bed himself, even at nighttime. We haven't had to move him in about 3 weeks. Whew! The one drawback, when he drops his George on he floor and wakes up in a panic because he can't find him. I've seen George on the floor a few times on the monitor and tiptoed in there to pick him up in the middle of the night so he doesn't freak out and wake us up. I couldn't be happier with my "big boy"!

First Naptime

After fighting bedtime for a few minutes, he gave in