I don't know how I forgot to write about this (actually I do, I have been so busy since I am now back at work and taking care of our boys but that is an entire different post which I will write soon!) but James is now sleeping in his big boy bed! It was the easiest transition ever. When I say "big boy bed", it is his crib converted into a toddler bed. He has been sleeping in it for over a month now and we are so proud of him!!! Once Michael was home and we were all settled in James started throwing fits at bedtime and did not want to go to sleep. One evening we were tired and gave in to James' request of laying in our bed to read books. It all went downhill from there. Before we knew it our "normal" bedtime routine was taking two hours and we were all exhausted! Keep in mind this was all going on while we were adjusting to having a newborn in the house. After a couple of weeks of our exhausting nighttime routine we happen to have spring parent conferences scheduled at James' school. I asked his sweet teacher Ms. Deb how James had been doing during naptime. Her response frustrated me even more-"James is the BEST napper! He lays down on his mat with his blanket and goes right to sleep. He is always one of the first ones down and the last to wake up!" I told her the problems we were having at bedtime and she suggested that maybe James needed a change and maybe he would do well in a big boy bed since he is now a big brother. I thought it was a great idea. Over the next couple of days we talked to James about being a big boy and told him he was going to start sleeping in a big boy bed . We waited until the weekend and James watched Daddy take the front off of his crib and put the toddler rail on. We had bathtime as usual and put his pj's on then when he asked to go to Mommy & Daddy's room for storytime we said No James, you have your big boy bed now and you have to be a big boy and stay in your room! He climbed into his bed, which he loved being able to do all by himself, we read books, and he went to sleep. We also started playing classical music during story time because at school classical music is played quietly during nap time. James now asks for it if one of us forgets to turn it on before we read!
James has now slept in his big boy bed every night since we transitioned him and hasn't asked us once to have storytime in our room. He does come in early in the morning, about an hour before I get up, and climbs in bed with us but I love it because he is such a snuggler! The picture above was taken during naptime. At school the kids nap with their shoes on so at home on the weekends James insists on napping with his shoes on. We have definitely learned to pick our battles with our strong willed, determined, independent little guy! I wouldn't have him any other way. =)
