Big Girl Bed

The strangest thing happened tonight.  While we were sitting on the couch relaxing after dinner, Madeline...a whole hour before her normal bedtime...eagerly rushed to the stairs and asked to "go night-night."

Eric and I looked at one another and shrugged.  It seemed pretty early, so Eric set his phone alarm for twenty minutes and told Madeline when it went off, we could go upstairs.  Parents, arguing about an earlier bedtime?!  I know, right?

When the alarm sounded twenty minutes later, Madeline's eye lit up and her head snapped around to look at us eagerly.  "Hooray! Let's go guys!" she clapped.  We laughed to ourselves and shook our heads as we followed our sleeping beauty up the stairs.  

You see, we finally bit the bullet and converted Madeline's crib into a "big-girl" bed yesterday afternoon, and if I had known she'd be so excited, I would have done it a lot sooner.  She's been more enthusiastic about her new bed than she was for Christmas and her birthday combined.  

I don't know why we waited so long.  We used to say that the moment she tried climbing over the sides of her crib, we'd switch to the toddler bed.  The thing is, Madeline isn't much of a climber, so we never had to address that problem.  Then we'd mull the possibility over from time to time, but worried about the prospect of wrestling Madeline into a bed every night, we just never got around to it.  

The past week, our normally content crib dweller, was begging not to go in her crib at nap and bedtime.  It was time.  

Yesterday, I bought a princess-themed bedding set and brought it home to surprise Madeline.  I'm usually against character-themed sheets and such; I'd much rather get something with stripes or flowers on it.  I don't know why.  Perhaps it's a leftover grudge against my first-grade best friend who had a New Kid's on the Block comforter set.  My sheets were plain blue.  I did have a pretty rad electric blanket though.    

Still, when I saw the bedding on the shelves yesterday, even though they weren't my top choice, I knew Madeline would go crazy for them.  Besides, the toddler set is not a long-term life decision.  Before we know it, we'll be moving her to a twin bed, and then I'll opt for more sensible sheets.  

Madeline eagerly watched Eric take the fourth rail off her crib yesterday afternoon.  She kept trying to help him.  And as soon as we laid down the new sheets and added her first-ever pillow, she could contain herself no longer.  Up she went, pulling the covers tightly about her chin.  

She played upstairs in her room for the rest of the afternoon, returning to her new bed every few minutes while I put away her laundry.  

Last night we wedged ourselves in her bed together for the first time to read a few stories.  It was so nice to lean back against her Rapunzel pillow case, pressing our heads close together, to study the illustrations in her books.  

So far, Madeline has not gotten out of bed.  She seems to be well trained in that regard...at least for now.  Still, I'm sure it won't take long for her to discover that she can get up and explore.  We have the baby gate on the doorway to her room just in case.  Don't want the gal perusing to kitchen for a midnight snack, now do we?    

It's also taking her longer to fall asleep.  Even though she went to bed early, she's up later than usual.  

When I went in to get her this morning, she had kicked all the blankets off and was not using the pillow at all.  This new arrangement will take her some getting used to.  

It seems like just yesterday that I was quietly watching the first season of Downton Abbey on my IPad while Madeline slept in the co sleeper beside me.  When we first moved her into her crib, it seemed way too big for such a little loaf of bread.  When did my baby become such a little girl???

I'm too excited to sleep!