Reese-in-the-Box

When we moved Reese into her big girl room this summer and into a twin-sized bed, I got lots of questions from other moms: "Doesn't she get out of bed now?"; "Is she sleeping ok?"; "Aren't you worried she'll fall out?" etc. etc. "No, everything is fine, " was my consummate answer. Well, the joke's on me now.

Unlike other parents, we made her move on our terms. We weren't prompted by repeated attempts to escape her crib, and as I wrote soon after the transition, things went fine with sleeping in a big bed. In fact, Kevin and I joked together when she dropped Ellie out of bed and called us in for help. She obviously hadn't figured out she could get out of bed and retrieve her beloved animal herself.

Well...in the last week, she's definitely figured out how to get out of bed, and we're all suffering for it.

It all started about a month ago: a few missed naps, a few trips out of bed (viewed on the video monitor) to turn her CD player back on or get an extra sip of water. She always (eventually) got back in the bed by herself and went to sleep. Now, there's a new skill to contend with, though: opening her door.

Now every sleep period (nap or night-time) is punctuated by trips out of her bed, and sometimes down the hallway. The first few times it happened I figured I hadn't latched the door properly, but recently I've seen otherwise.

The first time I rolled over and saw our two-year old standing next to our bed staring at me, my reaction was something out of a horror movie. My heart was in my throat, and I had to reconcile what I saw. Now, every time I lay down I realize that my ear is on the monitor listening for her sister, and my brain is prepped for a chance encounter with Reese at our bedside. It doesn't make for great sleeping--as if I'm getting many hours as it is.

We've resorted to trying to move bedtime a little earlier--anticipating at least two silent, no-eye-contact, escorts back down the hall to her room. Today at nap time it was three.

Please let this phase pass quickly.