Today was a big day!
I wanted to make sure I remembered the exact day that Connor slept in a "big boy" bed for the very first time. We converted his crib to a full size bed before his nap. We talked about doing it over the weekend, but it never seemed like the right time. Anyway, we bought the conversion kit to his crib when we bought his nursery furniture, so thankfully it was very easy to switch. I transferred the full size mattress from our guest room to his bed. I left the box spring on the other bed, so Connor is off the ground, but is able to get out of the bed without me too much effort.
It was fun that he immediately knew that the bed was for him and that it was special. :) I will say that as I disassembled his crib, it was bittersweet. Besides the diapers, his crib was one of the only "baby" things he still used. Well, not anymore. I will say (with "pools" in my eyes) that seeing the little grooves on his now footboard that he created while teething makes my heart warm. When we got him the furniture, before he was even born, I joked that he could take it to college. Well, now I might want to keep it just for those little grooves. :)
When the bed was complete, it wasn't time for his nap yet....he was too excited to sleep!
So Connor and I ventured to Costco to see if we could find a foam mattress (in a box). They didn't have a full size, but I got a good tip from a lady at Bed Bath & Beyond that Walmart.com had a very big selection and you can even "ship to store" for free. So, it was a good trip, and perhaps most importantly, it wore the munchkin out even more. So much so, that in order to keep him from falling asleep in the car on the way home, I had to pull out all the stops. We had very loud kid music, I was clapping and fluctuating my voice all weird, and made the rear windows go up and down, all while reminding him that we were almost home and "no sleeping!!" It worked.As soon as I got him nestled in and gave him a hug, he was out. First nap in his big boy bed. I was so proud, and I know he was proud of himself too.
Two and a half hours later, (Brian was home and at the kitchen table and I was in the basement) he walked out of his room composed, but proceeded to freak out once he got into the living room. I think he must have been scared because he didn't see anyone right away. But hey, we didn't know he was up! He was consoled immediately and we all celebrated and rested for a few minutes in HIS bed!At around 9:00, the "real" test began. Brian gave him his bath, so I tucked him in and read Winnie the Pooh Colors. His lamb and "baby" (the glow worm) were in the bed with us. He was initially holding the glow worm, but after I finished the book, he said "take it" so I laid it down on the pillow next to him. He never liked a bunch of stuff near his head in the crib, so this doesn't surprise me. Anyway, he wanted butterfly kisses and one last "big hug" and he was good to go. I haven't heard a peep!
We didn't do a lot of potty training on this already eventful day, however, under Brian's supervision, he pooped in the potty!!! This is yet another first and as Connor said, "little poop", but hey, it counts! So, perhaps even the last sign of our "baby" will be gone soon too. I don't think I'll mourn diapers....
On a decorating note:
Connor's big boy room is much like his little boy room.....no paint required. After searching for a long time, I finally ordered his bedding from JCPenney. It is called "Metro Chic" and I ordered the full/queen quilt and a single king sized sham in "neutral". (I'm hoping the single really big pillow sham will work and look cute and I'll just add one accent pillow....don't want the kid to be overwhelmed and I can use the sham as a floor guard!) I really wanted a quilt and although the ones in the Pottery Barn Kids catalog were uber cute, I couldn't justify spending so much $ and since this doesn't have a specific theme, I think it should last a while. Besides, there are so many blues in it, one of them is bound to at least coordinate with his room....although I love the dusty blue-gray color, it has been a beast.In addition, since our two main floor bedrooms (other than the master) are teeny tiny, I couldn't fit a full size bed, dresser/hutch, toy box/side table AND a bookcase. So, a lot of time today was spent unloading the bookcase, and adding the second shelf back to his hutch so it isn't a changing table anymore. (sniff sniff). The room still looks tiny, but I am getting more used to it. I still need to come up with something for one of the walls. I'll probably wait until his bedding comes in to see if his nursery sports theme coordinates and then go from there. I have discovered one additional place for storage. I have several of the colored, fabric collapsible bins from Target and I've cut about an inch off the top and covered it with ribbon and now they should slide right under his bed! I have 4 different colors and now he has an accessible place to keep shoes, animals, big boy underwear and even diapers/wipes. I have one more to finish. I'll have to force myself not to go put them in his room right now, but it isn't worth the risk! I'll try to add pictures later.
