I'm a big kid now!

My three year old is finally a "big girl". We have been talking about getting a big girl bed for months, but, really, I have been putting off the inevitable. In her crib, she stays. She does not climb out, and each morning when she wakes up, she talks, sings, and plays until she is truly awake before asking to get up. Alas, a slight problem has occurred. Josie is almost too long for the crib. Had this not happened, I may have had the only five-year-old in kindergarten that was still in a crib. Seriously. I would have kept her there forever. It was a sad day when I finally came to the realization that she was ready to get a real bed.

All parts of the bed had been purchased and waiting in a closet for this day. So, on Saturday we went to the store and purchased Josie's mattress. We tossed around the idea of a side rail, but decided to take the "let's wait and see if she falls out" approach. We came home and spent the afternoon tearing down the crib and setting up the bed. Finally, Saturday night arrived, and Josie was ecstatic to go to bed. She continuously lamented, "I am so excited for my big girl bed!"

Night one: no problems. Morning one: hops right out of bed, ready to start the day - but not a problem since she slept in! Nap one: URGH!! Singing, playing, out of bed....yuck :( Night two: almost no problems - aside from falling out once around 2:30am. And, she was so discombobulated that I just scooped her up, put her back in, and she was sound asleep. Morning two: hops right out of bed, straight to the potty, then to my room to wake me up with an, "I am just not tired anymore." Nap two: Horror! Getting out of bed, reading books, playing with all of the "stuff" on her dresser, and knocking down the curtains! Finally, after the curtains, I very firmly reminded her that she would NOT get up until she napped, and an hour after it all started, she fell asleep....where she reminds at the moment!

So, all in all, a decent adjustment thus far, if I can just figure out how to convince her that a nap in necessary (for both of us!).

Here is the "big girl" on her first night in her bed: