big boy bed

We spent the holiday weekend here in VA so we could all get some rest and spend some time together...away from working together. One of the things I've been wanting to do is to get Cole's big boy bed so we could slowly move him out of his crib before Bean 2 arrives. Cole is a very sweet and mellow boy and I think he's going to be a great big brother, but I still am concerned with making the transition as easy for him as I can.

We had shopped for beds once before and Cole was completely disinterested. On Sunday however, he was one motivated little shopper. It probably helped that IKEA was not very crowded. He climbed in all the display beds, loaded with pillows and blankets. He would lay down, give a little wiggle and announce "not too bad." He was cracking himself up.

We bought a nice plain, but very mod, frame, and a good, but not too hard mattress. We had brought 2 cars and managed to squeeze it all in our durable 4 door Saturn. Tony couldn't see out the back, but it fit!

We put the bed together yesterday and Cole was very excited. I pulled out the cool robot sheets I had purchased with a giftcard from Pottery Barn Kids last winter. Cole helped me make his bed and then climbed right in.

We had bought rails at Babies R Us but they won't work with the bed frame. The beauty of IKEA is that the bed is very low to the ground and there is a little ledge along the sides of the mattress, like a little warning that you are too close to the edge. I hoped that with Cole being a little older than most kids who transition to a toddler bed that maybe he wouldn't need the rails.

I had expected that Cole would still want to sleep in his crib for awhile. He's always liked it and has never even tried to get out, so I thought we would let him get used to the idea for awhile before we expected him to sleep in his bed. To my surprise, he took a nap in his bed yesterday (with Tony at the beginning), and then wanted to sleep in it again last night! He slept the whole night without falling out or getting up or anything. In the morning when he woke up, he came into our room and announced "Hi Mommy Daddy." Tony thinks he looks smaller when he's in his new bed, but to me he got a lot bigger this weekend.

it's true what they say

Sadly, I'll admit that so far Bean 2 is not getting the attention that Cole received, and the poor kid isn't even born yet! Maybe I should say instead that I haven't reacted to this pregnancy with the same level of fanfare, but my life is much fuller than it was 3 years ago...even if my blog is much emptier...

While pregnant with Cole I was very apprehensive because I had a miscarriage not long before. It wasn't until around 16 weeks when I began my prenatal yoga class that I accepted that not only was I pregnant, but I was really going to have a baby. From that point on, I felt safe, like I could start to plan and nest and celebrate without fear of fate mocking me again. This time, it didn't sink in until a day or so after my 20 week ultrasound.

The ultrasound was the Friday before Mother's Day. It was like a new experience to us again because I had it 2 weeks earlier than I did with Cole, so the baby was less squished and easier to see. Cole had been a mess of arms and legs, but Bean 2 was lounging as if in a hammock. We were able to see the heart clearly, and even the baby's stomach, bladder and kidneys. We counted all the fingers and toes and when we viewed a hand we got a thumbs up sign from the baby. Even the technician laughed.

BUT when it came to learning Bean's gender, the baby's legs were crossed. I had to get up and walk around, use the restroom, and then the tech was "bopping" my belly with the wand to try to encourage the Bean to move. We finally had some luck at the very end of the scan and it looks like we're having a girl October 1st.

My friend Annie joined us partway through the ultrasound and it was fun to share it all with her. Annie had been next door for her own OB appointment, and she stopped by to see if we needed help with Cole. Cole was very good during the exam and entertained us with the alphabet song more than once. Annie was impressed to see that Cole knew to look at the monitor above us to watch the baby.

It still took a few days for it all to sink in, but I feel like I'm really pregnant now...and not just a fat lady. After my doctor appointments for Cole, I used to stop at the store and buy one small baby item and put it away for later. I bought my first gift for this baby after the ultrasound, a pink and brown crib sheet.