Transitions

Aaron is beginning to undergo some of the many transitions he will be making by age 3. Besides the obvious one in October, he'll start potty training this year, he'll be switching to a "big boy" bed, and I expect to ween him off his naptime and bedtime pacifiers.

In preparation for switching from a crib to a bed, we have transitioned him from sleeping in a sleep sack to using blankets. He's been using a sleep sack since we stopped swaddling him - I think around 6 months. Since they don't recommend blankets in babies' cribs, we used a sleep sack once he outgrew swaddling. And since the sleep sacks to up to size 2, I never had a need to stop using them.

But now he is starting to outgrow the largest of his sleep sacks and when he's in a bed, he'll be using blankets, so we decided to switch to blankets now. At first we started telling him he was getting too big for his sleep sack. Then for a few days, we put a blanket in his crib with him. He called it his "new blanket", although it is one he's had for 2 years. He seemed to like it.

Then last Monday, I had Kim put him down with just a blanket, no sack. He didn't seem to mind at all. He even went to sleep that night easily without his sack. But last Tuesday, he wouldn't nap at all. After an hour of fighting him, I just got him up. Larissa arrived shortly afterwards and he was pretty much a monster all afternoon - doing anything he knew he shouldn't do and giggling. He was so tired, that when Thom took him along to drive Larissa home, he fell asleep on the short ride back. But after dinner, he perked up and cried when we put him down for bed (although he did go to sleep pretty quickly overall).

That's when I started to realize that the lack of sleep sack was contributing to his sleep problems. Although he didn't mind the novelty of using a blanket on Monday, perhaps he didn't think it was a permanent change. There were several nights of fussing and crying after we put him down. And then unfortunately it coincided with him getting a cold last week, which didn't help. But finally, he has become accustomed to the change and is once again going to sleep without much fuss at night. He still talks about the sack sometimes, but we remind him that he is too big for it and that he now uses blankets like a big boy.

I think we are both dreading the transition to a new bed. He loves his crib. He's never tried to climb out and he often doesn't want to get up after a nap or in the morning. He likes to play in his crib after waking up. I hope this translates to playing in his bed, but I anticipate him getting out of bed on his own and coming to get us. Or not staying in his bed when we put him down at night. But we are trying to prepare him by pointing out his friends' big boy or big girl beds, which he seems to enjoy climbing into on his own.

In other respects, telling him what is coming seems to ease transitions, so hopefully this will help. For example, if we unexpectedly tell him it's time for bed while he's playing, he rebels. But if I warn him by saying "After we do this puzzle, we're going to change your diaper and get in pajamas." then he sometimes even goes along willingly. And despite the rough week when he transitioned from sleep sack to blankets, overall, it wasn't too bad. If he can adjust to sleeping in a new bed within a week, I'll be happy. Surprised, but happy.