Sunday, August 16, 2009

Crib versus Floor

I should preface this entry with the story of how we (by "we" I mean "John") figured out that Eric could climb out of his crib.

Yesterday while I was at the spa, my kids decided to nap simultaneously (WHY can't they do this when I'm watching them alone??!!). So our friend Laurie napped on the couch and John went upstairs to our bedroom to read. While he was reading he heard a giant THUNK. Then a minute later he heard our baby gate latch at the top of the stairs. He called to Laurie, thinking maybe she had heard Rachel or Eric and was going to check on them, closing the gate behind her. When he heard no answer, John got up and saw that not only was the baby gate latched but Eric's door was open. He walked in to find my son standing next to his crib smiling up at him as if to say, "Hi Dada! Look what I did!"

This is where I interject and say God bless my son for being a "J," hyper-organized and type A like his mom. What would have happened if he hadn't thought to himself 'The baby gate should be closed when I'm upstairs' and had tumbled down the stairs??!!

So today Eric continued to climb out of his crib- first this morning and then at nap time. John and I decided that Eric wasn't quite ready for a toddler bed. How do you tell a kid who can't speak yet and doesn't understand that he can hurt himself that a toddler bed is where he needs to sleep?

So for his nap we kept going back in and putting him back in the crib. And he kept climbing out of his crib, heading for the door (which is now closed with a toddler lock). This went on several times, and finally Rachel (who was sleeping through the whole thing, God bless her) woke up. I go into her room to nurse her and when I come out I find that Eric has climbed out again, but John hasn't put him back in the crib. I freak and ask John (okay, I order him) to go back in there and PUT HIM BACK. So John does. And wakes up Eric in the process who was asleep on the floor near the door. And Eric... climbs back out again. And falls asleep on the floor. Again. (Should I even mention that he woke up from his nap overly tired and very grumpy?)

John and I were stumped. We finally gave up and transitioned his crib into a toddler bed. But now Eric is asleep on the floor for the night, and I'm having to defend my decision to everyone I tell our tale of woe to. Nothing makes you feel more inferior as a mother than thinking you are doing something wrong with your child. I have no idea if I'm doing the right thing- I just know I don't want my son to hurt himself. What a huge pile of suck. I just want him to sleep for God's sake. I have a daughter who won't sleep through the night and now a son who sleeps on the floor.

Does anyone know of any sweepstakes giving away free trips to Hawaii?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think you're doing the right thing. As long as you aren't sprinkling arsenic in the carpet. :) I imagine that if I were Eric and I'd been waking up and standing in my crib, wanting to get out, for months and months, when I finally didn't have bars I'd take the opportunity to sleep on the floor, too!

PG said...

:-) I wouldn't worry about his sleeping on the floor that much. Whenever my parents had guests over when we were young and we'd get kicked out of our bedrooms and have to sleep on the floor, my parents would tell us not to complain about having to sleep on the floor for just a couple of nights, because when they were growing up, THEY had slept on the floor EVERY night, and it hadn't done them any harm. If he actually prefers sleeping on the floor, at least that means he won't be fussy if you ever have to make him do so.

Kelly said...

Sorry.. no free trips to Hawaii. I also agree with Karen and PG. If he is sleeping, let him sleep on the floor. Keep trying to put him to bed IN his bed, but if he is asleep, let him sleep. Eventually he will figure out that the bed is more comfortable!
Love you!

Abbie said...

Man, Eric's really giving you a run for your money. I think the toddler bed sounds like a good idea. So much of motherhood seems to be about worrying about wrong the choices we made are, but it seems to me that you are doing the right thing. The only other option would be a crib tent, but if you feel that Eric is safe in his room (i.e., babyproofed room, safety thing on door handle so he can't get out again), then a toddler bed is the way to go, even if he ends up on the floor. The important part is that he sleeps safely. Doesn't matter where that is!

Hope to see you soon! :)