Making the Switch from Crib to Toddler Bed

When is the right time to make the big switch from crib to toddler bed?

I insisted upon doing it now at 15 months old. I didn't have any real reason to switch other than being tired of having her in a crib. She is 25 pounds... not a lot, but maybe for a 15 month old, so she is fairly heavy. I am tired of lifting her in and out of the crib. I also want to be able to kiss her good night once she's laying down beneath the blankets. A crib makes this impossible... so I have only been kissing her finger that she holds out to me to kiss each night. (Cute huh?) So, while my reasons for moving to the toddler bed are minor, they were good enough to start thinking serious about it.

I asked my husband what he thought about the idea. He was extremely helpful...  He says, "What does the book say?" I'm thinking, "Are you kidding me? What book? Parenting is a step by step, follow the instructions book?" Yeah... my husband is hilarious.

I posted my thoughts of our new transition on Facebook... and only received negative feedback. Don't do it because of all the obvious reasons I have already thought about... :/ Mainly that she will be able to climb in and out of her bed as she pleases. Oh and I will regret it. I am thinking that this means I should keep her in a cage for the rest of her life. In which case, I'll stick to my own parenting style!

So after three nights and three nap times of sleeping toddler bed style, we've had our achievements and struggles. She went to bed perfectly the first two nights. She laid right down and fell asleep to her music and stars-on-the-ceiling night light. No fuss. No climbing out. Angel baby. Last night, however, we had a little difficulty. She climbed out of her bed after I laid her down for the first time (of many to come, i'm sure). I laid her down again and shut off all the lights in the house. She runs out of her room again. And one more time. The fourth time, I sat next to her bed for about 10 minutes and she fell right asleep.

My sister warns me that she might be doing good now but just wait until the terrible twos. We will find out what happens when the time comes. For now, I'm happy to be able to tuck her in better. :)

Main Problem with Baby Ear Piercings

As you may know, we debated a long time on whether or not to pierce our daughter's ears. We did end up getting them pierced when she was seven months old. Full story here. I wanted to update everyone on how it has been going since getting her ear's pierced. It's now been about eight months and I'm happy to say that I do not regret getting her ear's pierced! =) At first, I was worried because she has eczema and I didn't know how her ears would react to the metal earrings. I started with fairly expensive ($60) nickel free earrings in order to ensure her ears wouldn't get irritated by them. I cleaned her ears thoroughly two-three times each day for about six weeks. After that I cleaned them only a couple times during the week and eventually let them alone.

The main problem we have had with our baby's ear piercings is that the earrings keep getting lost! When her eczema gets bad, it tends to show up behind her ears and around her neckline. Her eczema makes her itch, which means sometimes she accidentally pulls out her earrings. Thankfully, she has never bled or got an infection from her piercings. During the past summer, she lost her earrings several times, once while camping. It is recommended that you keep the ear piercings in constantly until after one year has passed. So, of course, I was freaked out and needed to buy another pair ASAP even if it meant interrupting our camping trip. I didn't want her ear piercing to close up! I started buying the cheap earrings in packs of ten and had no problem at all with her skin. She doesn't pull at them at all. Thank goodness! I HIGHLY SUGGEST BUYING EXTRA PAIRS OF EARRINGS FOR YOUR BABY RIGHT AWAY!! This will save you time and stress! We have only lost four single earrings during the past eight months but it was always at the wrong time!

So for those of you wondering whether or not to pierce your baby's ears, I still say GO FOR IT! Just make sure you are responsible and clean their ears, and possibly buy backup earrings and keep them in your purse. =)

I never thought losing the earrings would be our biggest problem! Crazy.

A good tip for those ladies looking to get "free" earrings... Buy a pack of tiny studs for your baby with the bottom row being larger "hook" earrings OR the packs with large and small studs (like the pictures below)! I did it twice. Mommy & baby loves to share!!! You just tell your husband it's for the baby... ;)