Okay, so I started writing this entry a couple days ago, and with responsibilities, distractions, and plain-ol' pregnancy exhaustion, I couldn't finish it until today. So bear with the "flashback."
Saturday after Cavan's three-hour nap, I discovered that she wet her bed. While she is mostly reliable during naps without a diaper, a three-hour nap is an sometimes an exception. As I was changing the sheets, I decided: why not turn this crib into a toddler bed. We had wanted to do this during spring break, when we had the week off (just in case she needed time to adjust and/or wouldn't stay in bed, translating into a lack of sleep for everyone.) BUT, the first few days of our vacation Cavan was sick, and the last few days, we were vomiting (see "Nothing like puking up your Easter feast"), so it was a no-go. So this weekend was as good a time as any.
The crib itself is not one of those designed to transition to a toddler bed, but it does have a drop side (which apparently are no-nos in the current crib market). And by dropping the side all the way to the floor, it provides a four-inch guard rail. Perfect for the STAGE 1 transition. But the bigger change, believe it or not, than lowering the side was the removal of the crib tent—a mesh encasement to prevent our cat from trying to snuggle with her. Also a hindrance to a bedtime escapes. I thought, for sure, that the removal of the tent, coupled with the low side, would result in Cavan climbing out of bed on a regular basis. So far, so good. I guess that tent trained her well—she has not tried a stealth getaway as of yet.
As exciting as the "big bed" is for Cavan, it is a bit bittersweet for Hubby and I. This milestone, more than any other so far, has reminded us as parents that our baby girl is growing up so fast. She is definitely no longer a baby. And while she still looks so small in her bed, she looks so much more grown up, sleeping without the security of the crib. Every night when I go in to kiss her before I go to bed I thank God for blessing us with our little angel. I try to savor the moment, knowing it is so fleeting, knowing that, just as my memory of Cavan as a newborn is murky and I can't remember each of those goofy facial expressions without referring back to photos, I will not be able to hang on to these vivid images either. Every stage, month and year just keeps getting better, but I know when Cavan is off to kindergarten, then off to high school, then off to college, then on with her own life, I will wish to snuggle my little baby girl again, feeling her chunky cheeks against mine and hearing the belly chuckles as I munch on her neck or tickle her big round tummy.
I guess that's why people have more than one kid. I know I'll get to revisit all of those moments, albeit in different ways, with our soon-to-be babe. But that still doesn't keep me from getting a bit teary-eyed and sentimental at the thought of Cavan growing into a lady.
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