Freedom From Crib Walls

Carl has made a huge leap in growing up since getting back from Hawaii; he no longer sleeps in a crib! We removed the outside railing and put on the guard rail, so he is now in a big boy bed. I wasn't sure if he was ready or not, but while we were in Hawaii, it seemed he would have rather slept on the air mattress that I was on, rather than the pack and play that we set up for him. It seems crazy that I've just switched his world around after all the craziness that has been going on, but he loves it. It's amazing how you just seem to know, and how they seem to "tell" you that they are ready for something more. It's fun to reach milestones in their lives! Most mornings he just hangs out on his bed till I open his door. He doesn't really cry anymore in the morning, just talks and laughs until I get in there. A few times now I've found him on the floor curled up but he looks so cozy so I don't bother moving him!

One morning I thought I heard him, but he wasn't crying or anything, so I went in and found him rocking himself in the rocking chair in his room. He just looked at me and smiled as if to say, "I'm awake, but I'm still waking up. I'll come out when I'm ready." Sure enough, I left him and he came out in something like 4 minutes. Too cute!

We've also discovered that this little guy is a climber. He climbs in his bed just fine, but for an added challenge he goes over the guard rail. Plus, his sister sleeps on a twin mattress with a box spring and a bed frame, then there's the guard rail on her bed - he climbs up and over that. If it's accessible, he'll climb it!