Step One Toward Growing Up and No Longer Being My Little Baby

After the nap time trauma on Sunday I decided to brave it tonight. Today my co-worker brought the mattress for the bed he so graciously gave us last week and we decided tonight was as perfect a night as any to put the "Big Boy Bed" together (plus we have company visiting and an extra set of hands to carry everything upstairs).

I was prepared for a long night ahead (and I guess it still can be), but I had a child sleeping in his "Big Boy Bed" within 10 minutes!

We started with the regular bedtime routine, brushing our teeth, reading a book and turning off the light. And then turning it back on. And then turning it off again, and back on...and off...you get the idea. Hoss was very excited to learn that he can reach the light switch when he stands on his bed. I was not so excited about that.

Here he is trying out his new bed (notice the Smurf sheet, it was Donnie's when he was a kiddo):


And here is he playing with two flags from his pirate ship...doesn't he look sooooo grown up?

After a few minutes of playing I reminded Hoss it was time to go to bed. I then put up the baby gate in the doorway of his room, so he can't leave his room and run wild through the house at 2 a.m., which I am certain he will do if given the opportunity. The gate did him in. He realized I was serious. He sat on his bed for a minute staring off into to space, occassionally stick out his lower lip threatening a scream fest. Then about as quickly as he would stick his lip out he laid his head down and was asleep.

I was shocked that it was so, dare I say it, easy...and I still am shocked (almost more shocked that I was able to step over the baby gate without falling on my face). But I'm not holding my breath. I doubt every night will go so well...tonight was a miracle helped along by the fact that Hoss skipped a nap today and was exhausted.

Tomorrow will be a new day, we will see where that takes us. I'm sure I'll be eating my words!