Night Night - MA!

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I have 2 of the best sleepers in the history of kids! I know, I know, someone of you hate me after reading only that first sentence but lets be serious, they will make up for it at some point I'm sure. If you've read any of my previous posts, some of our kids already ARE making up for it actually, but thats not what this is about.

Karleigh and Keegan (my littles) are 2.5 years apart, Keegans crib converts into a double bed and Karleigh was in a toddler bed at he time he was born. Naturally I figured we will just wait until they are both ready (because in my perfect life this will happen exactly as I plan it right?? LOL) and then just switch them, Keegan into the toddler and Karleigh into a double.
A few months ago it became very obvious that while I wasn't sure if Keeg was ready for his new bed, Karleigh definitely was. So we made the switch - SANS bed frame for Karleigh just yet and just put her new mattress and bedding on the floor, moving the toddler bed into Keegans room while his crib was still in there just incase.
Up to this point he has had little interest, hasn't complained at all but when I have tried to put him in the toddler he starts off like its a fun game, "night night, MA! (blowing kisses) etc. but when he realizes that I am serious he looks at me like I'm crazy, grabs his buzz lightyear, his woody AND his hat (very particular about that hat) his larry the cucumber, his handy manny, the other buzz (smaller and stuffed) and stands by his crib as if to say "ok mom, jokes over". At first I was worried, much like a big kid with a soother I thought, I don't want to be THAT mom with the kid still in the crib. However, I then thought to myself - this kid sleeps 13 hours solid every night, maybe more ... if its not broke, what the hell am I doing!? I mean, don't fix it ... right?

Last night started off like every other night, "ok Keeg its bedtime", up the stairs, "heres all your 'guys' and night night". He blows me a kiss "MA!" and I turn off the light. When I left the room though he started crying, which is unlike him, so I went in. He reached up asking for "nuggles" which is also unlike him so I picked him up and sat down on the closest thing, the toddler bed. We rocked for a few minutes and sang quietly just like when he was a baby, perfect moments for a mama. Once he was relaxed again I put him back into his crib, just as I was about to close the door though he reached out again, clearly wanting something specific so I took him out, put him down and he ran straight for his big boy bed, climbed in and pulled the covers up! "Night, night ... MA!" I couldn't believe it, so I sat with him for quite a while, making sure he was really quiet. I sang a few more songs, and before I knew it he was singing to me! The Veggie Tales theme song LOL one of his favourites and not really a bed time song but whatever, and telling me all kinds of stories. I couldn't believe how big he seemed, chatting away to me in his own language and his facial expressions that said he ABSOLUTELY knew what he was talking about even if I couldn't make out every word. At one point, because it was so dark all I could see was his little face lit up by the tiny crack under his blinds, I couldn't see his boyish jammies or the boyish toys that were all around him or even much of his short hair, but as I watched him he looked exactly like Karleigh did. I've never seen them look SO identical and yes, it made me cry ... When did they both get so big?

Now for a dose of reality because I always love to share that I do in fact have that - I probably went into Keegans room 10 or 15  times last night between 7:30 and 9:30 pm because I could hear him scampering around his room, checking out all the stuff that he normally can't reach in the middle of the night and flicking his light on and off. At one point I heard a thud, I went in and saw him on the floor looking quite confused ... as if to tell me "Mom, how come I can fall out of this bed but not my other one" haha he wasn't crying at all just confused. I eventually put him back in his crib and he is still sleeping .... I might have had a selfish moment wondering what time he would be in my room this morning if I left him in the bed all night.

Some might look at that as a step backwards and thats ok, for me, I'm happy that he thinks the toddler bed is cool now. I'm happy that we shared those moments because they were priceless. I'm happy that we are on the right track and as I also say about the "big kids" with soothers or the non-potty trained ones, they won't be like that forever, it just won't happen, eventually they all learn.

So with that, I'm also happy that he was asleep 5 minutes after being in his crib, I got to sleep all night like usual and I might just have a few more days of him sleeping 13 hours before I am back to the toddler at my bedside at 5 or 6 am, grumpy by 10am and all the fun that comes with it. I have done that once, and I'm in no hurry to be there again - I think I'll enjoy this for a while longer.

Night Night - Ma!