Theo's Big Boy Bed

Helping Daddy with the bolts

Once again, the boys of the house prove me wrong.  I really didn't want to move Theo into a bigger bed until he was flipping out of his crib, or until the baby needed the crib.  I figured this would happen towards the end of this year, when we were ready for BK2 to move from the pack n play into the crib.  After asking around I got a few suggestions to switch Theo out of the crib before the baby was born so that he wouldn't feel jealous of the baby "taking" his bed.  Made sense.  With all the different possibilities of Mason's schedule, I started thinking June would be the ideal time to move Theo.  That way there was a higher possibility of Mason being home to help, with what I'd heard from friends would be a horribly hard transition. 

Mason and I started talking more and more about looking into a bed, so I could purchase it if he was gone, and get it set-up for Theo.  Beds are expensive!  After talking to different friends with little ones, we decided to switch Theo into a twin bed instead of a toddler bed.  His crib does convert, but we'll save it for the baby.  We were running some errands in town a few weeks back and Mason asked if I wanted to go by Menards to check out wood for making a bed. I was a little shocked because first Mason, my Mason was suggesting we go to a store, and secondly, because at no point prior to this had he mentioned making a bed.  The man has many talents, and is so artistic, but he's never really built anything before, or shown an interest in building. 

Testing out the bed

I left it up to him and we went to Menards to look at the wood and he calculated some things...I think he stayed up for hours that night sketching and figuring out measurements and then worked on it again the next day (Saturday morning).  That Saturday he announced he was ready to go to the store and get supplies!  Woah!  Talk about fast moving. He was just ready to get going on the project.  I told him, I was fine with him making the bed (although was a bit skeptical as to his craftsmanship) and also told him that I really didn't want to switch Theo until June.

First night in his big bed

Anyways, Mason cut all his pieces of wood on weekend one, sanded weekend two, and then spent a few weeks applying the coating...I was glad when that was over, because it felt like we were getting high everyday- just when the smell would clear out, it would be time for him to apply another coat.  So, this past weekend, everything was ready and Mason was wanting to put this huge bed together.  He refused to put it together in the baby's room, because he'd have to take it apart to move it later on to Theo's room.  He had somehow "forgotten" that I wanted to wait until June to transition Theo.  So after giving me the sad puppy face all day, and me just really needing a visual of how this bed was going to look (in order for me to get bedding/guard rails/etc...) I caved and let him set it up in Theo's room.  Theo was stoked!!!  He thought this new climbing structure was really cool and he was finally getting to "help" with Daddy's project. 

Checking out the shelf

The bed looked really cool once it was set-up and Theo climbed into it and was already saying "night-night" so I was impressed that he knew what it was, since there was no mattress or anything.  He slept in his crib in his room that night, but on Monday Theo and I went shopping and by the end of the day we had acquired bedding, guard rails, pillows, and a mattress.  I was nervous that Monday would be a loooooooong night of in and outs once the bed was all set-up but Theo was SO EXCITED to sleep in his big boy bed, that he didn't even climb out once, not even in the morning.  So, it's day 3 and we've been lucky so far that he hasn't been all over the place.  I think the bed feels a little like his crib since he's basically still enclosed on 4 sides, and he's got more room!  I haven't realyl been encouraging him to climb in and out yet, because I don't really want him to discover that he can do it, but I guess he'll figure it out soon (probably now that I've jinxed myself)! 

Reading a book at nap time

So, once again, the boys prove me wrong, and Theo has met another milestone like a champ!  It's so funny to see his little body in such a big bed, but he's also so proud that he's becoming a big boy.