It's time to go to the big girl bed!

Over the past week, we accomplished a huge milestone. Lola moved from her crib to a "big girl" bed (a.k.a full bed). Oh how this has changed our lives in a good way. Or, should I say brought some normalcy back into our lives.

As I've mentioned, it had been weeks since we had a good nights sleep. I was literally at my wits end. I didn't have a clue what was going on....she wasn't sick or she wasn't teething so why in the world was Lola all of the sudden refusing her fabulous crib? All the research and Lola's school suggested we put her in a toddler bed. What? A not even 2 yr old in a toddler bed? Will they stay in bed? Won't they fall off? This blew my mind!!! I didn't think you transitioned babies to a big girl bed until they were around 3 yrs old. Crazy! Anyway, I was desperate so I took their advice and we ventured off to buy a big girl bed.

Our search for a bed took us straight to Ikea. We let Lola try out all the beds and choose her favorite. Of course, I took her to the vicinity and kind of pointed to the one she should choose as her favorite. A new bed means it's time to redo Lola's room. It will no longer be a nursery but a "big girl" room. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do with the room yet. I know we'll eventually move Lola to the master bedroom and we'll move to her room. Just figure it will be good to give her a big girl/play room. My first purchase was a BIG splurge! I took it upon myself to buy Lola a fabulous bedspread from Anthropologie. OUCH to the pocket book! Here's the funny thing....Clay and I don't have a proper bed (we only use a bed frame) and I've never spent this much on a bedspread for myself much less my 2 yr old. My goodness! What is wrong with me? However, I have to say, a bedspread can make or break a room and I think this one will definitely help make it. To be determined (TBD)...right??? Plus, it's a neutral color and can be used in any room for the years to come. I think I'm trying to make myself feel better about the purchase ...you think???.

Anyway, the results of the new bed have been absolutely amazing! A miracle I must say! Not only does Lola go to sleep in her room again (of course, she wants us to lay with her until she falls asleep but that's another story) but she also sleeps through the night (with an exception of last night). I love the fact that I'm no longer a walking zombie. The morning after she slept in her big girl bed for the first time, Lola said to me "Mommy, I slept in my big girl bed all night". She was very proud of herself!

Now, to get her to this point it took a lot of sales and marketing on our part (mainly my part as I was the desperate one). I spent a week talking about the "big girl bed" and bragging about how great it will be and how all of her babies will love it too. We even made up a chant/song that we would sing before bedtime that goes a little something like this:

It's time to go to the big girl bed, the big girl bed, the big girl bed

It's time to go to the big girl bed and sleep all through the night!

She sleeps all night and dreams good dreams, dreams good dreams, dreams good dreams

She sleeps all night and dreams good dreams all through the night.

And again...

The whole family chants and cheers this song before bedtime. Now, when Lola starts feeling tired she'll start singing the song and we know it's time to start the chant and head upstairs. A bit obnoxious I know but you gotta do what you gotta do. I'm telling ya...the toddler bed has been a great great great solution to what I felt was a big problem. What a relief! The next step for us is the "Big girl toilet". That starts next week....cold turkey potty training. Should be interesting to say the least. I have a feeling we'll have some interesting blogs documenting this experience!

In other news, over the past two weeks, Lola has not really thrown any awesome toddler fits. Oh, except for the one on Sunday when she wanted another vitamin and rolled on the ground for a hour screaming "Vitamin, Vitamin, Vitamin...". Or, the one earlier that morning when she wanted juice vs. milk and she sat in our bed whining "Juicy NOW, Juicy, Juicy NOW" and would shove her sippy cup in my face. I told her I don't respond to whining and if she would ask me nicely and simply say"Juicy please", I would go get her some. She refused to stop whining and refused to say "please" so she didn't get any juice. She whined for 45 minutes straight. It was lovely considering I was trying to get some last minute morning ZZZs....so much for that! Or, the one she threw right after we took the pictures of her on the big girl bed (see pics below). I have no clue why she all the sudden became out of sorts. She just kept saying "Take picture with baby". I would try and then she would shout "No! No picture with baby!". Ok Lola...what do you want??? Picture or no picture??? Or, the one she's throwing right now in the living room...literally screaming at the top of her lungs saying I don't know what...I just walked away. Bad parent I know but Clay's in there. Ok...maybe we aren't really done with the toddler fits but we did go almost two weeks without one. I appreciate that fit free almost two week period more than ever. Specifically, I miss it at this very moment.....AAAAHHHHH!!!!

Get the point? I don't really understand sometimes. WHAT IS THE ANSWER??? Oh yea...there's not one. It's all just part of being a parent of a toddler. Yea!!! I did just purchase What to Expect - The Toddler Years. Maybe there will be some good advice in there. Enough with the complaining Amy....it may not seem it all the time but the breathtaking toddler moments (which come often) absolutely outweigh these trying moments....I promise.

Other than that, Lo's been great. I think it's b/c we've been keeping her so busy. Or, it could also be that I know how to avoid the things that will make her throw those fits. Who am I kidding??? I have no clue what sparks the fits half the time or any of the time for that matter. I mean come on...who would think vitamins would send her in a tailspin??? Anyway, despite that, we have been keeping her busy. She's obsessed with the playground so pretty much every day after school we jump in the stroller and go to the playground for about an hour. Or, I'll just take her on a jog in the stroller (BTW....LOVE LOVE LOVE the new baby jogger....HIGHLY recommended).

On the weekends we've been going to The Children's Museum. I bought an annual pass which has been a fantastic purchase (also highly recommend to all parents with a toddler). This past Saturday Lola kept me there for over 3 hours. Are you kidding me? Now, I know I shouldn't say "she kept me there" as I'm the parent and I should control her but in this case, she wouldn't leave and I didn't have the energy to make her leave as I knew it could potentially result in one of those fits and I couldn't deal with it at that moment. Instead, I tortured myself in a building full of loud children exhibits with kids screaming all around me. Oh man! It's was rough! Lola whips around that place like you've never seen. I'm not kidding, if I turn my head for one second, she'll be gone! Then I have to go on a mad search through the sea of screaming kids to find her. All along I'm in a panic that some random is going to snatch her up. A little dramatic I know! I always find her of course. Anyway, by the end, it (the museum) was verging on pure torture. I may have to take a week or two off from The Children's Museum.

Funny story though...at the museum, they have "Story Time". Lola and I always participate. This past weekend, after story time was done, the storyteller told the kids they all get stickers. He told them to stay where they were and he would work his way back and give everyone a sticker. Lola and I were close to the middle back area of the room. Well, despite what the fine young gentlemen said Lola wasn't going to wait. She pranced her way through the the rows of kids sitting down politely waiting for their sticker, climbed on stage where the storyteller was and stuck her hand out for her sticker. No she didn't! She's a brave one and not the least bit shy. Although she lacked the patients to wait, she did tell him "Thank You" after he gave her the sticker then pranced right back through the children and over to my lap. It was hilarious. I should have snapped a picture of her posted up on stage by the storyteller but I was a little embarrassed of what the other parents might be thinking and I was very proud all at the same time!

So, I have a whole list of new Lola "sayings/doings" but I'll wait to post on a later blog. In the meantime, I'm sure the list will continue to grow. I'm telling you...this child is a real hoot!