Bed time for our toddler

'I originally started this blog post with the intention of writing about how great my daughter is about bed time. I intend to write how we taught her to do so well with going to bed, what our routine was etc. But I also decided to use this post to document our adventure of moving her from her crib to a toddler bed which has been a very tiring journey. But now we have finally reached a point where she is asleep most the night in her bed!!! But not without a few.....nights of barely any sleep at all.

Our pre toddler bed nightly routine:

Each night we began the slow down of the day around 630 when we all sat down to eat dinner together, generally it was a very quiet and interactive time, we just enjoyed each others company. After dinner I read Kyra a book or two while Dustin got the bath ready. Than it was daddy time as they played during her bath. After bath we all 3 would go into her room, and dry her off and get her into pajamas she would help us turn off the lamp, and than we would lay her down and 9 times out of 10 she would lay down and go to sleep and sleep the entire night. The warm bath and calm time before bed allowed her to distinguish it was bed time. She was on this routine from about 2 months on and did GREAT with it. Even when we would travel as long as we stuck to the routine she slept so well.

Than she started trying to climb out in the morning and in the process getting her leg stuck between the rails. This was very traumatic for both of us and I knew the only way to change the problem was to move her to the toddler bed. So I went out and bought a really cute little pink bed. For the first 5 days I had it set up in the living room, so she could get used to seeing it around. She would climb up on it and hang out with Shade all the time.

Than stage two was moving it into her room I left it in there basically as decoration for 3 days before ever laying her in it. Than thought one night she was ready for it since she was so tired.

Day 1: So here I was so confident that since she was signing tired before bath time she was gonna go to sleep after maybe 1 or 2 attempts of getting back up. BOY WAS I WRONG. I laid her down and after 2 rounds of screaming and laying her back down she passed out...On the floor behind the door. I let her sleep there for an hour than slowly made my way in thinking I would be able to move her to the bed while she was still asleep, NOPE. She woke up and it all started over. But this time no matter what I did, going back in and silently laying her down, laying with her, sitting silently, and than a couple more rounds of putting her back in bed nothing was working. She was exhausted but still screaming at the top of her lungs 3 hours after we started. So I gave up and put her in her crib. Although she continued to scream for like 10 mins because she was so wound up she did manage to pass out in the crib....so night one was a fail.

Day 2: I decided this day that I was going to make her crib into a toddler bed thinking maybe the familiarity of the bed would help her sleep. During the transition of the bed she was super excited and kept climbing up to play with her toys. At bed time she was really tired after taking a longer bath than usual, we did pajamas and turned off the light together and laid her down, she was initially upset, but I shut the door she cried for about 2 mins than it was silent. Having learned my lesson the night before I just let her sleep where ever she fell asleep. Hoping she would find the bed more comfortable! She slept for about 40 mins on the floor by the door before waking up, probably because she was uncomfortable!! I went in brought her water, hugged her moved her cuddlies back to the bed and layed her down she had a but of a whine about it for a couple seconds but went back to sleep!! She just looked so cute laying in the bed!! She did wake up a couple more times during the night but I just went in and calmly gave her some water and laid her back down and she went back to sleep in her big girl bed!!!

Day 3:  after a fairly successful night, it was the day time, and with no choice of the crib, the real challenge was gonna be how she was going to do at nap time! But it was no different she loved the big girl bed, and the freedom it gives her. This night was the one I knew we were not going to have anymore issues. Although she woke up one time which was fairly normal even in the crib, otherwise she slept the whole night!! And has ever since! 

I am super proud of her for transitioning into the toddler bed!! Even though the first couple days were hard on both us, it went well after shegotused to it! And when she does wake up she goes back to sleep really quickly as we get some nice cuddles, some water, and go right back to sleep!! It has been so nice having her be in the toddler bed. Although I am a little disappointed with having bought another toddler bed she won't use, I will just have to resale it!!