Big Girl Bed Party

Well, Madeline has had a big girl bed in her room for several months now.  She asked for one and was totally on board with the idea when we got it.  She knew her crib was going to be taken down and put away.  But, once we got the big bed,  she only wanted to sleep in her baby bed.  She loves it.  Who can blame her?  She has slept in it for her whole life.  Her room has been very crowded with a crib and a big girl bed.  So, we decided it was time to help push her along into big-girl-hood.  Andrew came up with the idea to have a Big Girl Bed Party.  

We talked about it all weekend with her.  She knew that her party meant that she was going to sleep in her big girl bed.  She picked out cake and icing at the store and helped me make cupcakes.  (Which I believe are the first cupcakes I have ever made.  Sad, but true.)  She did an amazing job of putting the sprinkles on.  Not necessarily the cleanest with all the finger licking.  But, we weren't sharing them with anyone anyways.        

After dinner, we ate our cupcakes.  She had a "b" candle for "big girl".  

She ate all the icing off and got another dollop with sprinkles on the same cupcake.  Hey, it was her party.  While she scrubbed the entire outside and inside of the tub with conditioner took her bath, Andrew took down her crib and moved her bed to where her crib used to be.  He even added balloons.  We took off the cute quilt and sheet so it would be more like what she was used to.    

After her bath, she came into her room and burst into tears, asking for her baby bed.  We were expecting this.  But, we still felt so bad for her.  Andrew offered her a Toaster Strudel and she seemed to calm down.  She walked with me down to the car to get a special pillow that she picked out at the store for her big girl bed.  We talked about the moon and she asked me where we put her baby bed.  But, she wasn't crying anymore.    

So, we came back inside for some Toaster Strudel and book time.  

See how happy Toaster Strudels make her!

By the time she was ready for bed, she was happy to snuggle, sing songs and pray in her bed.  She seemed proud that she was going to sleep in it.  After we said goodnight, I heard her come to the door once and wiggle the door knob.  I went to check on her and she was climbing back into her bed.  She said she heard thunder.  (She didn't.)  I heard her come to the door one more time.  But, I just let it go.  When I checked on her later, she was sound asleep in her big girl bed.  She slept there until 9am this morning.  

I didn't mention the worst part of this story yet.  We also decided that this would be a good time to start limiting pacis to just the bed.  We figured we would just do 2 hard transitions at one time.  So, this morning when she got out of bed, I told her she had to leave her pacis in the bed and I just watched her little heart break in two.  She cried hard for about 20 minutes.  She didn't want breakfast, cartoons, computer games or anything.  Just her paci.  I gave her some juice and she started calming down.  I told her if she needed her paci then she could sit in her bed with it.  So, she did.  She would say, "I just suck on it a couple more minutes."  Eventually, she came out of her room and we got dressed and ready to go to Dunkin Donuts to celebrate her sleeping in her big girl bed.  The day has gone pretty well so far.  She has asked for the paci.  But, has not cried for it.  She was happy to have her pacis at naptime.  But, it has been 2 hours since I have laid her down and she is still playing in her bed.  She has gotten up and turned on her heater, got things from her kitchen for a tea party and taken down all her balloons instead of going to sleep.  I guess she will go to sleep fine tonight.  I'm guessing that it will take a few days for her to get used to the new sleeping arrangements and hopefully it won't take several hours to actually fall asleep.

The funny thing is, I actually think she has grown up a little bit.  Did you notice that there are a few pictures with her looking at the camera?  And today at the park, she was happy to talk to some of the other kids instead of being so shy.  We sure do love our big girl!