Sittin' Pretty in Her Todd-ler Be-e-ed...

Back in late July or early August, it looked like we were going to have to make the switch to a toddler (aka. big girl) bed, but Gabriella got hung up in mid-escape one night. She was perched on the crib rail with one leg dangling down into the crib and uncertain where to go next. Apparently this shook her up enough to put the keebosh on her exit strategy...

Until about a month ago. During nap time, G summoned up her courage and took a leap (climb? clamber?)of faith, followed by a not-so-glorious gravitational FLOP! The flop alerted Lisa, who ran upstairs to find dear G in (literally) low spirits.

 


Fortunately, we had a bed sitting downstairs all ready to go and moved it up to her room that very afternoon. Gabriella practically jumped into bed and kicked us out of the room that first night, "'ight OFF!" "Nigh, nigh!..."

Naptimes have been much more challenging. After a couple of weeks of naptimes filled with plaintive please and full-on, heart-rending bawling, she is starting to settle down and has taken several of her naps laying right next to the door, cuddling her blanket and bunny after removing her socks and pushing them under the door. And so each day I sing and rock her for several songs, then tuck her in and leave.

The past few days have brought with them a regression of sorts, and after putting G down for her nap, she pops back out of bed and shouts through the door: "Mommy, where are you? Come cuddle me!" She repeats it over and over again, each time sounding more insistent and occasionally followed by "Daddy?" It is terribly hard to resist. So I usually give her a few minutes and then rock her some more.

How can we possibly deny requests for cuddles?!

-LT, edits/additions by KT