Forgetfulness Has It's Rewards

Earlier this week, my dad volunteered to take Kate to his house for a couple of days and give me a mini-break. Meg has lots of activities during the week -- so she couldn't go down to Newnan this time -- but my dad was hoping to spend a few days with his youngest granddaughter by herself. I jumped on the opportunity . . . those of you with 2 kids know that the chance to have only 1 child in your care IS a nice, welcomed break.

Arrangements were made via telephone. As I held the phone to my ear, I snapped my fingers in the air and said, "DAD -- don't let me forget to give you the Pack-N-Play. It's in the back of my car. DON'T let me forget to give it to you." It is normally always at his house -- but we'd had to borrow it last week, so the bed was now in my car. It would be something SO easy to forget, since the bed is normally a permanent fixture at my dad's house and not something we ever have to worry about bringing for over night trips.

"Okay, I'll try to remember," was my dad's nonchalant response.

"No -- seriously. I'm saying this out loud so you can help me remember," I told my dad. "Kate has not slept in a big-kid bed for more than a nap or two . . . and I doubt you want to be the one testing out her first nights in a real bed. I'm sure she won't stay put in a bed . . . she's nothing like Meg was at this age. I won't forget to give you the Pack-N-Play. I know it's important -- I won't let myself forget," I said in return.

The next morning, I was about 15 minutes late to drop of Kate . . . and tardiness is something I know my dad hates. I apologized for running late, explained my reasoning (Kate made a BIG mess at breakfast), and then handed over Kate. I was anxious to see how she would respond to being left with my dad sans her big sister. This was only the second time we had attempted this type of arrangement.

Happily, Kate waived me goodbye. No problem at all -- she did not seem to mind being left with Grandaddy one single bit. I climbed back in the car, and off Meg and I went to spend an afternoon at the movies.

Of course, I forgot to give my dad the Pack-N-Play.

My home phone rang about 3 hours after I'd left Kate with my dad. Unknowingly, I picked up the receiver. Once I saw it was my dad calling, I was eager to hear how things were going at his house.

"I guess we are going to have to test out this big-kid bed thing after all," my dad said.

I closed my eyes and threw back my head. I gritted my teeth and go so mad at myself. Of COURSE I forgot!!!! That damn Pack-N-Play!! It was IN my car at the drop off -- I just forgot to give it to my dad. I thought for a few minutes about calling a friend in Newnan to see if she could run her travel bed over to my dad's house. I thought of ways my dad could fashion a make-shift crib at his house. I had to do something. Surely Kate would NOT be OK in a big girl bed . . . and I was sooooo looking forward to my mini-baby-break, I did not want this bed situation to ruin it.

What was I going to do?! I thought that I was going to have to go to Newnan (2 hrs, round trip) to either pick up Kate or drop off her bed.

"She'll be fine," my dad urged. "She can sleep in the twin bed in Meg's room. I'll stack up some pillows, and she won't roll out. She'll be just fine." I think my dad knew how much I needed the break. He was trying to convince me that the lack of a crib-like bed for my only 19-mo-old was no big deal.

I wasn't so sure.

It wasn't the rolling out that worried me most about the whole thing . . . it was her ability to fall asleep in a bed and her willingness to stay in the bed if she woke up in the night that concerned me. My dad assured me Kate would be fine. Her bedroom door could be closed -- and she's too short to open it -- dad has a baby monitor in his room, so he'd hear her if she got up and roamed around her room -- Kate is a good sleeper -- there were lots of arguments why she would, in fact, be fine sleeping in a twin bed.

So, I conceded. I figured . . . if my dad is willing to try the whole first-night-in-a-bed thing, who was I to stop him? The worst case scenario was that I would have to go get Kate the next day. At least I'd still get a little break out of the whole thing.

Kate slept in a twin bed on Monday night and Tuesday night of this week. Her first nights in a bed occurred down at Grandaddy's house. And she did totally fine. She did not make a peep, she did not fight going to bed (or naps, for that matter), and she did not get up out of the bed.

Whew.

Now -- I'm certainly not foolish enough to think I could have two kids that transitioned from crib to bed so easily. Meg was easy when it came to the bed change -- she never fought us a bit -- but I'm convinced that Kate will be harder. This was not a fair sample, this sleeping at my dad's thing. It was only two nights, and they weren't even at home where Kate is familiar and comfortable. I'm sure the bedtime battle will have a few more rounds for me when Kate does officially make her move from crib to bed at her own house.

Still, it's kinda nice to know that Kate is at least OK with sleeping in a bed . . . she's tried it out, so I know she is capable. The fact that she now has those first few nights in a bed behind her . . . it feels like my dad took on a very stressful situation for me, and now I don't have to worry about how Kate will respond to the bedroom changes quite as much as I would have. Those first couple of nights in a bed for Meg were BAD for me -- I mean, Meg was totally fine, but I hardly slept because I was so worried about Meg waking up and roaming the house. Now I don't have to go through that situation with Kate. Kate has had 2 nights and several naps in a real bed . . . hopefully she'll be that much more ready for a bed when the time comes.

We will see.

And that is that. Another little milestone come and gone for Katy-did. I guess forgetfulness has it's rewards.