Friday, September 14, 2012

big girl beds: Naptime help

So the big girls beds have been a success at bedtime the past two weeks!  Zoey is sleeping through the night and only waking at 5am some nights!  Harly who was our great sleeper, is having some issues and waking up more.  But, she is starting to get used to it now and doing a little better!

Nap time is a whole other issue and advice from other mommies is more than welcome.

The girls have to have a nap.  If you know my kids, you know they can't function without a nap.  They have always slept 2 1/2- 3 hours.  The big girl beds are ruining this.  They share a room and now roam around it.

I put them up at 12:30 and they play with each other.  By 1:15 I go back up and tell them they have to stay in their beds.  Some days they don't fall asleep and some days they fall asleep around 2-2:30, but then I have to wake them at 3 so they go to bed by 8:30.

Last week they did pretty well after I gave them a firm warning.  This week, not so much.  All week they have not taken a nap.  I have done everything, putting them in at 12:30.  Not working.  Putting them in at 1.  Not working.  I have gone up there and and told them it is time to stay in their beds.  One will sneak out and I have to go up again.  After going up there multiple times, it is time for them to wake up.  

My children are miserable when they don't have a nap!  I also feel really bad leaving them up there for that long!

I am going to try and just give them a firm warning to stay in their beds.  Then every time they get out of their beds, just put them back in and leave the room.  Kind of like the ferber method but instead of timing it, going in every time they get out of their beds.  It is only one and they switch every day.

Time outs work when they don't have their listening ears on, so do I put them in time-out?  When we do have to give them a firm talking to, they get embarrassed and cry.  That is not something I want to do.  I don't want them to be afraid of their room or upset with their big girl beds.

Any advice from moms who have gone through this would be appreciated.  I can't separate them because if one wakes up before the other, we pull her out.  When the second one wakes up they panic and scream looking for their sister; plus we don't want to separate them until the day they tell us they are ready for their own rooms.  

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Big girl beds: My love, hate relationship

Ian and I had talked and said we would wait til the girls were 3 to change them into big girl beds.  They have only tried to climb out of their cribs once and we put an end to that real fast.  Zoey has always been a horrible sleeper.  Up until we changed her to a big girl bed, she hadn't slept through the night.  We tried everything from the ferber method, to sitting in their room and moving away every night til we were out the door.  She either was sick, teething, having night terrors, losing her duck (aka: pacifer), or separation anxiety.  Harly on the other hand is a great sleeper, we have never had an issue with her and she usually sleeps through Zoey's crying screaming.  It has come down to me just sleeping on the floor in their room almost every night, which usually ends in me falling asleep in there because I am so exhausted, or forcing myself to stay awake to sneak out when she falls asleep.  If you read this post, then you would understand why I am so exhausted...I don't know how to turn my mind off, plus add in chasing two toddlers all day.

When the girls turned 2, they wanted to wear underwear and sit on the potty more.  I am not pushing the potty, but I am also not discouraging it.  I would rather potty train the winter than summer and fall.  We decided because of the potty and because Zoey still wasn't sleeping through the night that maybe we should put them in big girl beds.

So that is what we did on Monday of Labor Day weekend!

We put a gate up at their door, removed any dangerous things, and pulled their dresser out until we get the straps to attach it to the wall.

Night one= unsuccessful.  We had talked all day about being big girls, they watched me break down their cribs and change them to toddler beds.  They played in it all day.  Then night time came and they screamed.  They were asking for their cribs back.  The only way they would sleep is if I layed in their room all night.  Zoey slept in her bed and Harly slept on the floor.

Day 2, Nap time=  partial success.  We put them up at 12:45. At 1:30, they were still awake and playing.  We went up there and said it was time to stay in their beds, no more getting out.  By 2, they finally fell asleep.  We let them sleep til 4, but their naps are usually 1-3:30.

Day 2, Bedtime= Successful.  Because their nap was late they didn't go to bed til 8:30.  We continued to do our same routine that we have done since they were born.  They went in the beds, and played til I went up there at 9:15.  I told them just like naptime that they had to stay in their beds now.  They finally fell asleep at 10.  AND...They slept all night long!  Yes, all night!!

Bedtimes have been awesome, finally!!!  But, naptimes not so much!  Thus my love, hate relationship with big girl beds!
this is what happens now that they can get out of their beds!

have to have a shoe!

and so does this one!
**Next post coming up is asking for help regarding naps in big girl beds....stay tuned!

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

It's an Elmo birthday!

Better late than never right?!?  We celebrated the girls 2nd birthday at the end of June.  It was during our crazy transition from new area, temporary housing, no car (not a good two months!).  We wanted some familiarity back in the girls lives, what better way than an Elmo party, family, and friends!  Here are some pictures from that day!


pool party, this was their true bday week

Their sign for the party that the girls helped me make!
decorations


more decorations
desert table!

The birthday girls!

friends!

More friends

ready for their elmo cupcake

Loving it!


Their invitation!