The toddler bed

I found a toddler bed on Craigslist the other day and snatched it up. I've been thinking about starting the transition of getting Joaquin in his own bed for a while now, I just didn't know how or when to start. We currently have his crib attached to our bed in a side car position so we can all co-sleep in peace. It's working, but at the same time I feel like we wake him up with our moving and that he could possibly nurse just a little less often in the night if the boob weren't so readily available. I would like to keep the crib where it is so we still have our space during the transition, plus we're keeping an open door policy. He can come in whenever he needs to. I know some nights that means all night, but I'm fine with this being a long transition, especially since I'm not sure I'm ready for him to be away from me at night.

I set up the bed at night when he was asleep, so the next morning he immediately jumped in while asking "jeebeesh, jeebeesh?" That is Joaquin for "sleepies" by the way. So he knew what it was for and knew it was his! That day we went on a field trip to Ikea to buy bedding and other pretty stuff. During his nap I got it all set up and again when he awoke he was in love.



He played all day yesterday in his new room and bed. I was going to wait a few days to try and get him to sleep in the bed, but figured he was so into it now, why not? The first time we laid down he nursed for a bit but got quickly distracted with the new view, it was cool, I couldn't blame him. We got up and about a half hour later he was asking for "jeebeesh" so we were off to try again. This time he was ready. It took a few minutes but he soon nursed himself to sleep and I got up while he slept soundly for about an hour. An incredibly loud ghetto birdie (aka helicopter) woke him up, but he again nursed right back to sleep. I figured I would go to sleep when he woke up again and would just take him to bed with me. It never happened! I finally went to bed with him still in his, but I just could not sleep. Finally at about 1am I got up and brought him to bed with me. Every tiny sound he made through the monitor jarred me awake from my half sleep and I just missed him so! Once I got him in bed with me I was out. He could have probably easily slept on his own in there for a few more hours, it was me that was having the transition issues! Right now he is happily napping in there and has been for the past two hours.

Obviously this is all going to be much harder on me than him, but how can you not want to cuddle up with this??