Big Girl Bed Battles

After getting home from our "hospital vacation", Emmie decided that she no longer would be sleeping in her crib. This came as a surprise to us as she had only once or twice even attempted to get out of it in the past. The night we came home from the Primary Childrens, I was really worried about Parker sleeping through the night without screaming fits of pain. Well he wasn't the one throwing fits that night, or the nights to come. Emmie on the other hand spent three hours that night and many hours that week screaming her head off and violenty throwing herself out of the crib she normally willingly slept in. I thought we were going to have another serious head injury on our hands those first nights the way she repeatedly threw herself over the side. After a few nights we brought up the mattress from the toddler bed, and by the next week the crib was moved out of her room and the Firecracker had her new big girl bed in place. Not what I would have preferred at just barely two.

When it comes to diapers and cribs I for sure think the older they are the easier the transition, and let's be serious here -what mom of tiny kids needs even more work created for herself? I for one have enough work on my hands, thank you. But like I said this wasn't my choice. It was my 2-year-old's. Gives you a little insight as to how things operate around here. :)

Along with her new "big girl" bed, comes a plethora of new freedoms for a very determined toddler whom I don't think is "mature" enough for the autonomy that is suddenly at her disposal.

For instance, after several weeks of her loving the idea that she could just pop into our bed with us each night at any time she felt inclined and her freaking out when taking her back to her room just to come running out each time we closed the door, we finally had to resort to the door handle locks. Not my favorite idea, but if anyone was going to get any sleep after our already traumatic month, it was a necessity, so on they went.

Door handle locks. 1 point for us.

Then there is the fact that she absolutely now has to sleep with her lamp on. If we turn it off, she freaks, gets out and turns it back on. It is a battle that I have chosen to let her win.

Sleeping with the light on. 1 point for Emmie.

Then there is her accessibility to her things at all times and the ability to make it look like a war zone within a matter of minutes. Yes, she attempts this in other rooms throughout the day but previous to this I never had to spend endless amounts of time picking up her room. Not anymore. Note picture below.

I do my best to run a pretty tidy ship around here but WOW. I am pretty sick of cleaning up this little girl's tornadoes after each and every night of sleep and nap time. Half the time she doesn't even nap anymore, she just tears apart her room by pulling her clothes off her hangers, emptying dresser drawers, etc. etc. It's awesome. Not. Oh how I miss the days of her being caged up in that crib with clean surroundings.

This is how I found her the other day after her "nap". Pretty proud of herself and the disaster she created in her room. And also proud of herself for finding the "coot hat" as one of the contents she pulled out of her closet. She does look pretty cute. I will give her that. :)

MESSY ROOM. 1 point for Emmie

Emmie also has a fetish and demand to have each and every one of her "babies" she can gather by day's end sleep in her bed with her. She won't let me leave until each and every one is stuffed around her. Including extra pillows, and even purses are a must if they happen to have made it into her room that day. Sweet. I try to hide half of them throughout the day in some of the toy bins in the basement so they are not "available" in her room that night. But don't you worry. This girl is resourceful. And she finds ways to maneuver her babies throughout the house, masses at a time. For someone who can't stand clutter, let's say I am doing my best to hold it together. :)

Like this pile for instance:

This is a typical hoard of babies Miss E transports around our house each day. She finds them where she can and does not discriminate. Pretty babies, orphaned looking babies, stuffed animals I have in the D.I. box, Parker's animals... She has a place in her little heart for all of them and tries to have them all migrated up to her room by nightfall. Don't get me wrong, I am glad she is a good mommy and is attentive to her babies. I just hope this isn't an indication of future aspirations to someday be like the TLC family - The Duggars and have 19 children. Bless the Duggars. But they are crazy. (No offense to them - I do like that show. Maybe I am the crazy one for watching it.)

Refusal to sleep without 19 babies. 1 point for Emmie.

So surprise surprise, Emmie pretty much wins. But as you know, sometimes when the "Terrible 2-year-olds" win some of the minor battles, we win the bigger ones. Like SLEEP. We are actually getting some again. Things are finally settled down around here with the crazy big girl bed situation.

Yes, it is still crazy - lights on, lots of babies, torn apart room, but in exchange for some valued Zzzzz's, I will take it. :)

And I have to admit. Her baby OCD is kinda cute.