Big Girl Beds!!

In July of 2007, Emma and Ella made the move to big girl beds! It's been quite an adventure. First of all, we had to get the beds. Our car is not big enough to fit 2 girls, 2 mattresses, 2 box springs, and 2 beds (even on top), soooo....Mommy had to sit and babysit a set of mattresses will Daddy and the girls dropped off the first set at home, then came back to get the second set. We had to tie everything to the top of the car, which took awhile, so Emma and Ella watched videos in the car (Little Einsteins and Baby Einstein). After all the mattresses made the trip home, we had to go get the beds. We got them at Kmart, and as it turned out, we had to wait and wait and wait for the second bed, which was in storage somewhere in the back of the store. By this time, Emma and Ella were stir crazy, so they ran up and down the aisles of Kmart. It was not a good thing. Finally, we got everything home, but then we had to take down the old cribs (which by this time were completely destroyed), and put the new beds in the room. All together, it took about 7 hours to buy the beds and get them set up in the room. Both girls liked their new beds with their princess sheets and pink quilts. The first night, they slept in their beds the whole night through, but they woke up at 6:00, an hour earlier than usual. This went on for a few weeks. As they woke up, they destroyed their room. Emma and Ella took all the books off the bookshelves, took all the clothes out of the dresser, took all of their animals out of the hanging animal holder, etc. Sooo, Mommy took everything out of the room for a few days, then put back a box of books and some animals to play with when they wake up. Now the girls wake up and play quietly in their room until Mommy or Daddy comes to get them aournd 7:30 or so. Usually, Emma is reading and Ella is playing, but sometimes Emma and Ella are sitting together reading. The hardest part of new beds is going to sleep at night. Emma is very afraid to go to sleep by herself, so after Mommy reads a book to each girl, Mommy lays down with Emma for a little bit. Emma talks and talks and talks, telling Mommy all about her day. Ella talks, too, but mostly Ella listens to Emma talking while she arranges her animals in her bed. Ella has to make sure al of her animals and babies are in the right place before she goes to sleep. Finally, Mommy leaves and Emma usually cries, but then she quiets down and goes to sleep. In the beginning, Emma was waking up around 3 or 4 in the morning and coming downstairs. She would seem a little confused, and Mommy thinks she was sleep walking. Mommy would take her back to bed and wait for her to fall back asleep. Now, Mommy closes the door at night so she doesn't get hurt if she wakes up in the middle of the night. So far, Emma is sleeping through the night and if she wakes up, Mommy comes to see what is wrong and she goes back to sleep. It has been a big change sleeping in big girl beds - for everybody! What a big step! Mommy is a little sad, and the first night the girls looked so very small in their big, big beds, but now it is very nice to see the girls sleeping side by side in their big girl room!