Sleep tight

Apparently 2 year sleep regression is a real thing and I was unaware of it until now. Time has provided enough distance between Bub's 2 year phases that I've forgotten some of the things he did. Was he as destructive as her? Endless energetic? Dramatic? I'm sure the answer was yes or mostly yes. I feel like she is next level toddler.  He's a pretty chill dude all around and she is so... determined. Anyway. Sleeping.

Recently she stopped wanting to go to bed and just started screaming bloody murder when she was put down. I thought it was her 2 year molars but then nothing happened back there so now I'm not sure if they are coming or not right now. But Google tells me that there is something called 2 year sleep regression. Basically around this age is when they start exerting even more independence (that's possible?) and want to control their circumstances even more. It was suggested to letting her control as much of her nightly routine. We already let her pick her books and I'll let her "brush" her teeth after I do it first. She wanted to go to bed with a book and turn on her flashlight friend to "read" by. Fine, that's fine. Then she didn't want to do that and screamed when her flashlight was turned on. And then screamed when it was off. And then screamed when her butterfly was on and then off and she has way too many nighttime toys but she loves them all. She was stalling. I'm not a fan of the cry it out method but I use it. I hate hearing her crying but there are only so many times I can go in there before it becomes her crying to get me into the room. And she's almost 2 so it's not biological necessity bringing it on. It's her own manipulations.

We've been discussing transitioning to a toddler bed for a few months now and in the end we decided to wait til she was at least 2. But with her recent sleeping issues it was decided to convert her bed to a toddler bed. It was pretty easily done since it only required removing one side of the crib and lowering her mattress all the way down. Since we didn't get the toddler railing I put a pool noodle under her sheet and mattress pad to prevent her falling out (a Pinterest idea that has worked really well so far). Lo and behold, she's been pretty happy about it. She climbs happily in bed which is pretty adorable and lays down and covers up. There is still some protestations when I leave the room but nowhere near the seemingly endless wailing that were occurring. So far she's been happy and that makes me happy. This is not a girl who is going to wait to grow up. She's going to do it her own way.

Big girl bed now