Naptime Adventures with Barber

When Jeter was 2 I started to get his "big boy" room ready for him. Since Simms and I are planners and we were hoping for a second child relatively soon, we used the summer before the school year began for me to get all of this accomplished. I wasn't even pregnant yet. We painted the room, purchased new bedding and he began to sleep in his "big boy" bed by August. We used a bed rail but he would sometimes climb off at the bottom of the bed. We then reminded him that he needed to wait for Mommy and/or Daddy to let him know when naptime or nighttime was over and done with. Overall, he did very well at naptime and in the morning...he wouldn't get out of bed but would call for me or his Daddy to get him. The system worked rather well.

Barber is now a few months shy of 3. We have yet to re-do his room in "big boy" fashion (the planning is in process and I am hoping to have it done sometime this spring). Because our family is complete with these two precious boys (our miracles) there wasn't the need to get him out of the crib and into a twin bed just yet. Plus, I've read and heard that it is unwise to make that move until you are relatively certain the child will listen to you and stay in bed...thus preventing some unnecessary madness. When Jeter was a toddler I would just have to say his name in a low tone followed by a "no" and he would directly stop whatever he was doing. Barber? Yeah...that did not work. Following my "no", he would look at me with a sparkle in his eye, smile sweetly and then proceed to do EXACTLY what I told him not to. Hence, my complete comfort with allowing him to enjoy the crib a bit longer. Besides, I wanted to actually utilize the special feature of the crib this time around - it "transforms" into a toddler bed. When the one side is removed (the one that you move up and down), voila...toddler bed. The bed rail is the full length of the crib so technically he is still in a crib per se.

So how has it gone so far?

Barber always talks before he goes to sleep. He has never taken a paci/nuk or sucked his fingers or thumb so we have always heard him talk. Therefore, it never concerned me until I started to hear other noises - like his trucks vrooming over the monitor. The crazy thing is I found him asleep in his bed - presumably right where I left him! I caught him red-handed the next time - my clue that he was out of bed was the loud noise that sounded because the monitor was unplugged! I then added to the nite-nite repertoire "stay in bed" and he would say "okay, Mommy". So far it has worked...or at least I thought so. After yesterday, I am not so sure...

I heard his "Mommy...I ready get up". Nothing would have caused me to think he did anything but nap...he was sitting in his bed - bed rail in place - with his blanket...and DIFFERENT PANTS ON!?!? He then told me "Soccer pants off. Not wear dem. I wear deese pants." Somehow he got out of bed and changed his pants and then climbed back into bed!!!