Our crib is no more. It does still exist, in pieces in our crawlspace, but it is no longer the intended sleeping place of our babies. Hannah used it for a time, and Jacob used it pretty much not at all, but I still cried when I took it down. I’m a mom, I cry over every little thing, it’s all part of my charm. Plus Jacob was listening to his favourite CD (it’s a long story) while we did the disassembly, and it was playing this song about how quickly children grow up. Totally, totally unfair.
Last shot of the crib in one piece
Hannah jumping on the crib mattress
We decided to take down Jacob’s crib and replace it with a double bed because our bed was getting too crowded. We did the same thing with Hannah at around the same age. Both kids reached a point where they weren’t sleeping well unless they were in our bed, but they were also reaching a point where they were sort of sprawly and kicky and taking up a lot of space. By moving them to a bed in their own room an adult can join them as needed, and the other one doesn’t even need to wake up. With two kids this is especially critical. So I bought the bed and the bedding and the mattress and we set to work building furniture.
Jon doing some bed-building
Completed bed and bedding, just waiting for a mattress
Jacob likes his new room, especially the lamp we bought. He climbs on the bed and turns it on and off, on and off. Still, the first night in the new digs were sort of rough. I was with him, but he was restless and out of sorts. We got through it together, and things have improved significantly from there. I am hopeful that the new bed will continue to grow on Jacob, and I look forward to the day when he sleeps in it all night long, all by himself. Although I know that may not be for some time yet, and I’m OK with that – it’s why I chose a nice mattress.
The mattress arrived!
Hannah testing the bed out
I realize that at not quite 18 months our kids are on the young end of the spectrum to have a big kid bed, and especially one that could comfortably sleep more than one person. It works for our family, though, and I learned a long time ago that’s the only criteria that really matters, especially when it comes down to getting enough sleep.
The whole family on Jacob’s new bed, excited at the prospect of better rest
Do you have any big kid bed stories to share? Please do!
amberstrocel
amberstrocel
amberstrocel
amberstrocel
amberstrocel
amberstrocel
amberstrocel
amberstrocel
I'm about to do the same with Michaela… sniff!
Twitter: osnsmom
says:
I am so happy that he loves his new bed. Here is my big boy bed story:
http://www.oldschoolnewschoolmom.com/2010/01/big-boy-bed.html
But my issue is that my crib CONVERTED into a bed. I think I may have to follow your lead and actually get a real twin bed. Because my son has decided that he wants to sleep in MY bed now and it is WAY to crowded!! See these posts for more info:
http://www.oldschoolnewschoolmom.com/2010/01/night-terrors.html
http://www.oldschoolnewschoolmom.com/2010/02/communal-bed-is-out-of-control.html
.-= Old School/New School Mom´s last post ..Being a Grown-Up is No Fun! =-.
Oh thank you for this post. For the longest while I didn’t know why my daughter kept waking up in the night wanting to sleep in our bed. She doesn’t even take naps in her crib anymore and MUST sleep in our bed in the afternoon. It sucks because we don’t want her there (she’s a very active sleeper – kicking and punching us).
I guess this means she may need to transition sooner than later to a real big girl bed. When do kids normally make this transition? She’s 21 months old and maybe it’s time? HAHAHA… I’m like you. I just don’t want to take the crib down and tell myself she’s all grown up. I’ll be crying.
BTW, I’ve given you the Kreativ Blogger award. You are the awesomest pawsomest suburban mom there is out there. Love your mat leave expertise!
Twitter: Miss_Scarlett99
says:
I’m hopeful that we can keep Amelia in her crib until she is closer to 2 years old. Victoria got her big girl bed at around 22 months but it was out of necessity since we needed the crib for her sister
However, in hindsight we probably would have switched her over around then anyway since she was climbing out of her crib.
So far Amelia has yet to try to scale the walls for freedom. If she does I still have the option to lower the crib another notch to give us more time. I’m much more leary about doing the transition since Amelia almost always getsput to bed awake and will spend time playing in her crib, chatting with her buddies before settling down. My fear is she will be the kind of kid who constantly gets out of bed. We were so lucky with Victoria, she never did that.
Only time will tell I guess. I’m happy to hear that Jacob is liking the big boy bed
.-= Carrie´s last post ..How do you Roll? =-.
That quilt is beautiful! Did you make it?
.-= Dionna @ Code Name: Mama´s last post ..Baked Spaghetti Pie =-.
It’s exciting to hear about Jacob’s new bed!
I’ve debated on when to send our son to a big boy bed, but he does really well with his crib. He actually prefers to be in there, rather than sleeping in my arms. He’s very bizarre and enjoys his personal space.
We do have a full size bed already in his bedroom. It used to be mine during my single days. So there are times when we cuddle on the bed and lay on the pillows. He loves lounging around on them.
I distinctively remember getting a big girl bed when I was 2 years old. I think I will do the same for our son.
.-= Sara´s last post ..Remembering the Multi-Vitamin =-.
Twitter: fuoriborgo
says:
I don’t think 18 months of age is too young to have a big bed! As you say, it really depends on what works for the family. My oldest switched to a big bed when he was 18 months because we needed the crib for his brother who, at about that age, also wanted to be in a big bed. We couldn’t easily fit 3 big beds in the kids room, so my daughter had to wait to be out of the crib until she was almost three, but I didn’t mind so much:)
.-= Francesca´s last post ..UnderSpace in a small house =-.
Twitter: bitterindigo
says:
My kids adored the crib. I’ve always thought the family bed was a lovely idea, but I never understood how anybody got any sleep — but I’m kind of a lousy sleeper no matter what. Matt and Angus went and bought his big boy bed when he was two and a half and when they got home and he got out of the truck I could hear him yelling “Mommy! Mommy! Come see!” before he even got to the door. Eve was in the crib until after she turned three, but she loved her bed when she got it too. I wish we had gotten them both double beds for when I crawl in with them. Now they love to sleep with me when Matt’s away, and most times we do actually sleep.
Congratulations, big-boy Jacob.
.-= Allison McCaskill´s last post ..************Babel =-.
My little one has been in a “big girl” bed since she was a newborn! She either slept in my bed or on a queen-sized mattress on the floor in my room. She now has a queen-sized mattress on the floor of her own room (and sleeps there alone or with her daddy after I nurse her back to sleep). It works for us!
.-= Angela White´s last post ..World Breastfeeding Week 2010 Theme =-.
Hi Amber,
Congratulations Jacob!
With my oldest we transferred her to a single bed at 18 months also! She was just too big for the crib and would wake herself up everytime she rolled over. With Tegan, she took over the double bed in our guest room around the age of two. She never took to the conversion from crib to toddler bed and so she slept in the guest room. I have since put both girls into the same room, Tegan in the double and Maddy in the single. I think transferring them to a double is a great idea as we also still have nights where we sleep with the girls.
Twitter: pomomama
says:
we ‘slept’ thru a variety of mattress/floor cushions/toddler bed assemblies all in one room before moving to a new house where the Wee Guy got his own room and thus a big boy bed at around 2 and a half. as soon as we assembled his new bed, that was it – we didn’t see him for the rest of that night (oh i wept buckets). we kept a nest for him in the main bedroom, and still have a little fold-out bed for ‘visits’. he has sleepovers with me when J is away (not much sleep for me though as he constantly rotates throughout the night).
the whole transition thing seemed relatively painless – he’s saved his worst (oh gee i hope it’s his worst) for starting school
PS: i’m considering getting my own big girl bed for me myself I ……
.-= pomomama aka ebbandflo´s last post ..doctor’s knickers =-.
I really like your big bed idea.
I forced my boys to sleep in a crib until the MINUTE they figured out how to get over the railing. Then it got torn down for the fancy, cute, yellow, coupe-car toddler bed, then we got them a loft bed when they were big enough.
*** For the record, I know dispise loft beds. They are imposing chunks of furniture and make it REALLY hard to cuddle the kids or change the sheets (daily for the oldest’s nocturnal enuresis)***
Using the crib was important to me and my husband, especially with breastfeeding. We did the family bed for the first month with both babies (because they were both a little bit preemie)but the on-demand feeding and the little noises they made in their sleep made my over-active milk supply completely out of control! The only way to not be constantly leaking was to have them in a different room for sleeping (what precious little there was). That’s just what worked for us. It was a bit more work in the short term, but worked out great for our family.
.-= *pol´s last post ..OUTA HERE! =-.
Until they’re legally married, my girls’ will only have single beds. There’s no way Daddy is going to give them enough room in bed to have overnight company (at least comfortably)
I like the bedding you picked out. We just transitioned my son to his big boy bed about six weeks ago. He was in a toddler bed (his old crib with the front removed) until then and he was fine with it. We actually kept him in the full crib until he was two and actively escaping. He finally asked to have a big boy bed so we transformed his toddler bed into a full double. He actually is still having some trouble with it. It’s really high and when he loses his bedding over the side in the night he’s too scared to get off the bed to get them so he yells for me to do it. If I’d known this when I bought our 3-in-1 crib I would have stuck with just a crib and bought a bed similar to what you have – it looks a lot lower to the floor. Unfortunately I bought two of these things so Em will have the same problem with a really high bed.
.-= Marilyn´s last post ..No One Told Me How to Handle This =-.
Both of my kids switched to big kid beds at 18 months as well. The crib wasn’t being used and they were always in our bed. A double bed in the child’s room just makes things so much easier all around. My big boy didn’t actually spend an entire night alone in his bed until he was 6 and now at 7 he still calls for me to join him in the middle of the night. I hope Jacob adjusts quicker than my big boy did.
i agree wholeheartedly about doing what works best for your family. when i posted the beginning of our transition to the big boy bed story….i got a couple of nasty emails!
we started here:
http://cypresssun.blogspot.com/2009/08/dandelion-time.html
but had to do it all over again a few months later.
we hardly used the crib, but z was able to crawl out of it really early – around a year! we called it his little gymnasium.
your set up looks awesome – so comfortable for everyone!
Twitter: ladymrules
says:
Q-ster slept in his crib until he was almost three. In the mornings, we’d run to the crib as soon as he awoke so that he wouldn’t have time to figure out that he could climb out. Then one day, we were slow and he appeared in our room, very pleased with himself. We needed the crib for his little brother by that point anyway.
I totally agree with your point about buying a good mattress. I think I slept three hours in his room yesterday by accident, falling asleep when I put him to bed.
.-= Lady M´s last post ..OMG, Kindergarten =-.
I’m with you on the big beds. I need to be able to crawl in to nurse or comfort them in the middle of the night while they go through that transition. It’s hard to do that in a single or toddler bed.
Ahhh, bittersweet but part of growing up, hey?
.-= Melodie´s last post ..When Not Breastfeeding Breaks Your Heart A Little =-.
I went with the toddler bed, although I admit sometimes it would be easier if I could lie down with her in it.
But it worked for us because she could easily climb in and out at a young age (just over a year), it fits in the tiniest bedroom in the world, she’s very short so she’ll probably get some use out of it and mostly she goes to sleep on her own.
And we may have to replace it sooner than we planned – she’s a very sprawly, kicky thing and it probably won’t take long for her to need more space.
.-= Zoey @ Good Goog´s last post ..Every Age is My Favourite =-.
hey, i have that comforter set on MY bed! hello ikea
i just read this post today but the timing was hysterical because we moved the pea out of her bed on monday! talk about doing what works for your family — we right now have two queen mattress on the floor of one bedroom. one is technically for bean and one for the pea but the truth is it allows for so many possible sleep configurations! woo hoo. i have to confess the little girl in me loves the potential for a huge slumber party
.-= robin´s last post ..food matters =-.
Oh yeah….I totally cried when we took ours down too! It was heartbreaking you know? It’s a mom thing for sure! But there are so many more exciting experiences to come, don’t you worry
.-= Kim@Maternity Tights´s last post ..Plus Size Maternity Clothes =-.
I am very excited to move the boy to a big bed. He is going to get his sister’s toddler bed and she is going to get a new bed, which we still have to buy.
Moving out of a crib really is saying goodbye to the baby.
.-= Capital Mom´s last post ..Fruit salad =-.