No more crib (Astrid's first big girl bed)

Spring cleaning came early yesterday. We got out trash bags and started sorting through all of Astrid's toys - putting the toys she no longer plays with into the bags (5 bags total), and putting keepers into storage bins. Then U. disassembled Astrid's crib, and took it and the changing table down to the garage.

It's been a long time coming - getting rid of the crib - and switching to a child's bed for Astrid. But yesterday, being the long holiday weekend, it was a good a time as any to get her room cleaned up and organized - and make room for new bedroom furniture.

Plus lately, Astrid has been wanting to sleep in our bed. "I no want to sleep in my crib," she would plead with us, giving us her best 3 year old sad face. And on the weekend she slept over at her Godmother's house she was so excited to be sleeping on the pull out sleeper - aka the big girl bed - that she actually asked to put on her pajamas.

This morning in the initial first wake up fog, Astrid went to her bedroom to put her blanket in her crib, as is the normal morning routine, but then found her crib was missing. When U. reminded her that her crib was in the garage she laughed and said, "Oh yeah. I forget."

So we made a trip to Ikea and picked out a cute bunk bed type bed, with only the one bed on the top, a 3 rung ladder, and a play space underneath. It has side railings to keep her from falling out, and we also purchased a cute canopy (blue with polka dots) that attaches from one side rail to the other and reminds me of covered wagons. She loves it.

It took U. 3 hours to put it all together. When I saw all the pieces I thought to myself "eee gads this looks complicated!" He did so while Astrid and I took a nap together. As soon as Astrid woke up she went into her room and asked her dad, "Whatcha doin? My bed all done?" and then nonchalantly mentioned that she had to go poop. (Which is her way of saying he needs to come wipe her.)

With the crib, after reading to her and singing to her, I would say goodnight, or if she was asleep, I'd quietly leave and close the door behind me. But with a bed, she can refuse to go to sleep, and easily get out herself. I was worried about that tonight when I put her to bed, so I crawled up there with her. I laid under what she calls the tunnel - we read a few books and then I sang to her. The whole process took 1.5 hours and she was still not asleep. She was wide awake and telling me she did not want to go to sleep, that she wanted to sleep with me. The whole point of getting the bed was to put the kibosh on sleeping in our bed which was becoming a habit. So I reminded her she was a big girl now, sleeping in her own special big girl bed, and that she needed to get some sleep to be well rested for tomorrow - and then said goodnight. As I closed the door I could hear her start crying and I stayed in front of the door for awhile to see if she would come out. Nope - she went back to sleep. Relief!

So she's soundly sleeping in her first bed. Another milestone.

It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow morning. Will she crawl out of bed on her own and come into our bedroom? Instead of calling for mama and papa from her crib? Gosh she's not a baby anymore.