Bedtime fun

Matt and I are listening to Natalee crying in the doorway of her room right now. It's kind of sad, but a 'have to' situation. We switched Natalee's crib over to a toddler bed today. She thought it was a lot of fun, climbing in and out of her bed and arranging her animals in it and reading in it. And, in preparation for spending the weekend at my dad's and stepmom's house, we bought an inflatable bed/sleeping bag combo for her, with Dora and Boots on it. It's laid out on the floor of her room, inflated and ready to go, should she decide she would rather sleep there. Matt and I followed the normal bedtime routine - small meal, bath, getting jammies on and hair combed, read her one of her bedtime books in the rocking chair in her room, and then put her into her bed after kisses and hugs. But, less than a minute after we laid her down and came into our room, a Thump! out of her bed and the door was pushed open by a very smug little girl. We put her back to bed with hugs and kisses twice. And still she smugly pushed open our door. So, we put up the baby gate in her doorway, tucked her in bed, and pulled her door to. I've been listening to her crying in the doorway since.

I know she's tired. She and I woke up after Matt left for work at 5:10 this morning. She decided for both of us that we didn't need to go back to sleep. We had a busy morning with a trip to the bank and Walmart. And then we both took a good nap. But I know she's still tired. She's been fussy and edgy and biting things all evening. So we gave her Tylenol prior to putting her to bed, in case she's teething. Still, I can hear her crying and mumbling to herself in the doorway. I'm dreading finding her asleep on the floor with tears and snot dried on her face and trying to shift her to her bed without waking her up and starting over.

We had to start this transition soon. She's nearly two. We really need to start potty training her soon. She's a tall girl. And she's grown out of the travel crib/playard she usually sleeps in on trips. So, it's either start this here, with all the familiar routines and almost the same bed, or Friday night after a very long trip in a place she's never stayed the night at before. Urgh. My poor little booger baby.

Edit: I'm impressed. She fussed for a while, but she put herself back in bed to sleep. So I didn't smack a sleeping baby when I opened the door to check on her. Hurray!