Big Boy Bed

Evan now has graduated to a big boy bed!  Read on for the story of this new development.  

While in Wisconsin, Evan decided he was no longer going to sleep in the port-a-crib.  When I put him to bed the first night and shut the door behind me, within 10 seconds I was startled to hear knocking on the door - from the inside!  He had immediately hopped over the edge and solidly refused to get back in.  He also refused to sleep by himself, so for half the nights of the trip mommy or daddy would lie on the floor with him until he fell asleep.  It was great snuggling, but oh-so difficult to gauge when he was asleep enough to escape the room!  He seemed to have a 6th sense for when you'd move and creep out of the room, no matter how deeply he was sleeping.  Then we'd have to start all over.  The other half of the nights mommy would simply give in and go to sleep on the floor with Evan for the whole night.  It was so sweet to cuddle, and highly amusing to wake to a little finger poking my ear or cheek and a tiny voice, usually whispering, occasionally yelling, "Mommy?  Way-uh (wake up), mommy!"

Stuffy & Doggie
demonstrate how fun it is
to sleep in a big bed.

We thought this might just be a strange-surrounding phenomenon, and hoped that since Evan has always loved his crib that we'd be golden again when we got home.  He'd recognize where he was, know the familiar sheets and lights and smells, and be happy in his crib once again.  We dressed Evan in jammies at the airport knowing it would be late when we arrived home and hoping we could simply lay him down without him waking up.  Fingers crossed...  We got off the flight and home at midnight, and attempted to put him in his crib... not a peep was heard!  Excellent!  I softly closed the door behind me with a sigh of satisfaction, and as I turned to go down the stairs, heard a loud thunk, immediately followed by the sound of tiny pounding feet and kicking at the door.  He had jumped right out of the crib!  I put him back in  to see what he'd do, and sure enough, he pole-vaulted right back out.  He was at least smart enough to hold on to the railing, fling his feet over, and drop down for a somewhat soft landing on his feet.  I made a nest of pillows and blankets, and we spent the night on the floor (again).  

Progress Updates

The next day, daddy brought up the tools and we converted Evan's crib to a toddler bed!  He was a little leery of it at first - he was OK sitting in it but definitely not sleeping in it.  The first week he continued to sleep on the floor.  The next week he allowed himself to be put to bed in the bed, but halfway though the night he'd pull out all the blankets and pillows to make a floor-nest again.  Finally, about 3 weeks in, he loves to climb in bed, pull up the blanket, and go right to sleep.  He stays in all night!  

It's amazing to see how his body is unconsciously learning to spin and roll and move less and less in his sleep. Back when he was littler, he'd move around and around the mattress. Now he wakes up in pretty much the same position he goes to sleep in, and his body seems to recognize the boundaries of the mattress even without a side railing.  It's fascinating how he learns and adapts.