Big Girl Bed

Confession: Daisy has still been sleeping in a crib and she is almost three years old. We have known for some time now that it was time for her to make the transition to a toddler bed. But it was hard to do, mainly because she seemed to like her crib and be happy in it. It's been a long time since we've had major sleeping issues with Daisy (keeping my fingers crossed as I write that), and we were stuck in a kind of "it ain't broke, so why fix it?" mentality as far as the idea of changing her bed. But we knew the moment had to come. She is just far too big a girl now for us to be lifting her in and out of a crib, and she deserves the independence that comes with the ability to climb into your own bed (and out of it--the somewhat scary part).

So we finally set up the toddler bed in her room--about an hour ago. She was very excited, so that I could instantly see we had done the right thing. Talking a mile a minute, she climbed in and out of the bed about twenty times, saying, "Look Mama! I'm doing it by myself!" Her pride and excitement was confirmation that this was the right decision, she was ready, and if anything, we'd waited too long (yes, I know that seems obvious, but trust me--when your toddler seems happy sleeping in her crib, it is difficult to convince yourself to make a big change that will possibly skyrocket her back to the sleeping problems of yore!).

I had no idea what was going to happen, or if she'd stay in that bed, but she is actually taking a nap in her bed right now!!!!! She went right to sleep in it!!! We let her take a book, but I think she must have gone right to sleep holding it, because she didn't babble at all. So, score one point for the toddler bed, and we'll see how tonight goes.

I can hardly absorb all the changes that have happened in the last six months. Here is a brief catalogue:

1) Daisy loses interest in nursing (finally) and stops of her own accord, somewhere between two and two-and-a-half years old--closer to 2.5, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit, but there you go, and it went a lot more easily because she stopped voluntarily; my efforts to force her to wean had been really painful for us all

2) We start potty-training at around 2.5 and she gets it down very quickly; she almost never has an accident. She still sleeps in a diaper at night.

3) Daisy goes on her first amusement park ride and pony rides, as I just summarized in my last post, at very close to three years old

4) Daisy is finally sleeping in a toddler bed, at almost three years old

5) Daisy will be starting preschool in September, at just over 3 years old

So the big transitions from "kind of a baby" to "little girl" have really happened over the last 6 months or so. There are other things I could mention, such as the fact that she's stayed at a friend's house for a few hours without me (that probably doesn't seem like a big deal, but it was), and she is doing more and more eating independently with her own fork and spoon. She can almost do the potty entirely on her own now, too; if we've dressed her in the right kind of pants, she can pull them down herself and use the potty, and she's made strides toward being able to pull her clothes up afterward. (Some kids her age have already mastered this, but Daisy has always been a little behind in the physical department, so these are steps I'm really proud of.) She is running faster and faster and being a lot more adventurous physically--trying somersaults, for example. She loves dancing and is moving around a lot more than she used to. The other day at the playground, she climbed all the way up a tall, steep slide, a skill I did not know she possessed.

A lot of changes are occurring. It seemed right to note them for this blog.