Changes

Dear Madelyn,

Mommy and Daddy are so very sorry we haven't kept up with this blog as much as we wanted - every day you give us a new memory to hold on to - to make us smile or laugh, moments in time we want to hang on to and cherish forever - moments we'd like to believe will be ingrained in our memories until long after we've become old and gray. But some moments, big events such as tonight, need to be documented and shared with everyone who loves you.

Tonight, my girl, is your first night in your toddler bed.

Mommy took pictures of you waking up from your nap this afternoon - the last time you'll be waking up in your crib (well, we hope it's the last time anyways - Daddy doesn't seem too convinced - he's keeping your crib, mostly still assembled, in the dining room in case you don't like your "new bed", as you so articulately call it). I've told Daddy that's ridiculous, that OF COURSE you'll love your new bed, you've been such an easy baby when it comes to changes around here and in your life, you adjust to new things with no worries, I wish I had the ability to do the same. Maybe I can learn that from you.

So this afternoon, you helped Daddy put your new bed together (you were mostly playing with the rods that support the mattress, and you gave kisses to Cinderella). Once it was all done, you took to it like you'd been waiting for it for a while now. "New bed," you said, as you climbed all over it. We even bought you your first real pillow to sleep with. You did have a bout of "no no pee-woah" and threw it off your bed momentarily, but you seem to have come around to the idea of it since then.

I began to wheel your crib out of your room to move your new bed into the crib's old place, and you even helped to push it out the door (until we realized it was too big to fit through the door frame, and Daddy had to take it apart before taking it to the dining room).

For the rest of the day, "new bed" was the latest in Reesey vocab, you seemed anxious to get to it already. After your splish splash, we got you ready for "patchi" time, and even while you were brushing your teeth, you couldn't stop mentioning the newest addition to your room.

We got you into your jammies, and Daddy snapped pics of you looking like a sweet little angel all bundled up in the blankets of your bed as Mommy read you your favourite nighttime book, "Goodnight Moon".

As soon as the book was done, I gave you a little kiss, reminded you that it's patchi time in your new bed, and that Mommy and Daddy love you. You rolled over on your pillow and hugged Woodsy tight, looking like a natural in that bed. I was/am so proud!

Now here I sit, typing this out, with the video monitor just to the left of me so I can keep an eye on you and see how well you're adjusting - for the first 20 minutes, I've watched you get out of your bed with your blanket and wander around your room (to get a handle on this new-found nighttime freedom, no doubt); you crawled back into bed with the blanket pulled up over you, then you whipped it off, sat at the edge (where your toy box is), exclaimed "Puppy!" as you held up your furry friend and stared at him for a bit, and then you continued to roll around a bit more, sitting up, playing with the curtains and exploring the room from this lower perspective.

At this moment, all is still in your room - I can see you curled up on top of your blankets, your little bum sticking up in the air (how you've always slept), and all I can hear over the monitor are the sounds of your lullaby CD and you sucking on your soother.

Daddy placed as many cushions as he could find around the base of your bed in case you roll off the edge and fall the four inches to the ground! I hope you have a wonderful sleep, baby girl, and I can't wait to hear about all the dreams you had in your new bed when I see you in the morning!

I can't believe you're growing up so quickly! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you!