Big Boy Bed Bonanza!

Last Friday, I found N howling like a hyena on the floor beside his crib.  He was crying because he'd gotten himself out and couldn't get back in (to avoid a spanking like he received on the previous escape).  Wednesday, he was found balancing the length of his body on the three-inch rail of his crib, teetering four feet in the air, as if trying to decide whether to jump off a bridge.  That was the last straw. 

He'd been escaping occasionally for six weeks, he'd taught his brother how to escape from a pack and play, and the two of them had made some horrific messes in both Aunt L and my friend E's bedrooms after doing so.  After his trick on Wednesday, I decided that changing the cribs into toddler beds HAD to better than taking both boys to the ER in the middle of the night next week when M tries to copycat his brother balancing on his ONE inch crib rail - by myself.

So Thursday morning, the front sides came off and the bed rails went on.  The boys had a heydey in there for a couple of hours playing!

Daddy tickles N in bro's bed

If you say jump I'll say how high!

Brudder's bed!  Brudder's bed!  Brudder's bed!

I consulted my experts - those twin moms who have gone before me - before embarking on the adventure.  I was prepared for the worst, especially after reading the horror stories posted on the MVMOM's club website.  At naptime, I told them the rules, then parked myself outside their door with a book.  I was ready for some Super-nannying.

Naptime started at 1:00 and they gave me a run for the money.  See M in that last pic?  The only thing he wanted to do was get in his "brudder's bed!"  So I quietly removed him and placed him in his bed, taking a lovie item each time.  About 20 times.  An hour and a half after beginning, he was asleep, followed by his bored twin.  I was in the hallway accompanied by 2 teddy bears, 2 lovie blankets, 2 board books (bad idea) and a Barney, and snuck away around 2:45.

Both boys were sleeping in their own beds on the first day, so I called it a success!

They slept only an hour, short for them, and we exhausted them after dinner with a visit to the city pool - on purpose!  Aunt L took some great shots, so look for them in another post.  They were rubbing their eyes on the way home, to my great delight!

However, my little munchkins can be quite deceptive, so I didn't think they'd go to sleep without a fight.  We did our normal bedtime routine and I parked myself in the hallway again with a book. 

Guess what?  The one time I went in there last night - because I thought I heard little feet - it was really a seahorse toy bouncing across the floor.  They were both in their own beds! They passed out shortly thereafter and slept quietly all night.  M even called me to come get him in the morning.  I'm okay with that.

Seriously, I have the greatest kids in the world.  Maybe I'm bragging, maybe I'm putting the cart before the horse, but maybe I'll just beat this dead horse and say we've had another Festivus Miracle!  Thank you, God. 

Bottoms Up!