Carter's Many Changes - - - Big Boy Bear & Big Boy Bed

So after Christmas we decided we needed to transition Carter into his "Big Boy Bed".  We bought a bed on Craigslist and Chris repainted it blue and we put on it a brand new football quilt that Mema (great grandma) made for him.  He was very excited about the transition and watched his dad take down his "cribby" and put up his new bed.  For the first 2 weeks it was great.  We had the railing up and he would climb into bed and go right to sleep (just like when he was in his crib) no issues.  Until the day he found out how to climb out.  So we discovered how to climb out the one end and then we had to keep taking him back up to his bed.  That lasted a few nights until we put the other railing on the bed, overlapping the two, so there was no longer any opening for him to climb out.  Problem solved...he no longer climbed out..and all was going great until about a week ago......

WE LOST "NI-NIGHT" (PACIFIER") 

Carter has used a pacifier for only naps and bedtime for about a year and a half.  He could not carry it around the house and had to leave it in his bed before he could get out of bed.  Hence the name "Ni-night".  It helped him calm down for bed and fall fast asleep.  Well on 1/15/10 Friday at the babysitter's house he LOST it, our last one.  The babysitter said he took a good nape without it, so I decided to go with it.  He was told it was gone and that we didn't have it anymore.  That didn't make him feel better, but at least he knew it was GONE!  So first night...He screamed for 2 hours before falling asleep.  He was angry and me, yelling things like "GET BACK IN HERE MOM!!!"  and  "I NEED IT NOW!!!"  I told him that he was a big boy now and that we could go get a Big Boy Bear if he would go to sleep.  He was in a rage that night so I was not sure he would even remember what I had promised him.  I should have known he would remember because first thing the next morning was "Can we go bet my Big Boy Bear today?"  I kept my promise and we headed to Build a Bear for him to pick out the "BIG BOY BEAR" to replace his pacifier.  He told the girl at the store all about the traumatic night without the pacifier and that he was a big boy now.  He picked out his own bear and even named it witha birth certificate for "Big Boy Bear".  I have yet to take his picture with the bear, but here is the bear he picked out.

He loves his bear and he no longer asks about his "ni-night"  I wish I could say that he falls asleep as quick and as peacefully as he used to, but that is not the case.  He still naps and sleep by himself, but it takes a little longer.  Some times over an hour.  He doesn't get out of his bed, but he talks, sings, tells stories and rolls around in his bed until finally he passes out.  We always wonder what we will find when we check on him.  Sometimes he is asleep sitting up in his bed.  We don't care as long as he falls asleep and stays in his bed!  I just hope that 7 weeks is long enough for him to full DETACH himself from the pacifier before baby #2 comes along.  We shall see.

Carter has many more CHANGES to come, but I think he will do fine.  It may take awhile to adjust to not having mom and dad's FULL attention, but he will be a great Big Brother!  I am excited for the 2 of them to meet.