My Little Girl is Getting so BIG!

I took McKinley in for her 18 month check up on Saturday. It was a little different this time than previous visits…she seemed to recognize where we were. She was happy in the waiting room, playing with toys, but as soon as we were called and taken back to our room she began to get a little nervous. I think she recognized that this was where she came to get shots. She was still good the whole visit, just very clingy, then the nurse came in to give her the shots. I will say that every other time the nurses have been so quick that McKinley didn't even know what was going on until it was over. This nurse was definitely not that good. She was really slow and kind of clumsy with the band aids and stuff. So, for the first time every McKinley just screamed and screamed; it was so sad. There wasn't anything I could do. As soon as the lady finally finished McKinley was pointing at the door and say "bye", "bye" over and over. I felt awful. She was so sad she even fell asleep on the way home. Anyway, other than that she is looking great, she is 32 inches tall which is the 75% and weighs 22 pounds which is the 25%.

Now onto the "Getting so BIG" part of the blog. McKinley loves to climb. She'll climb (or try to climb) absolutely anything. Well, a couple of weeks ago Robbie caught her scaling the inside of her crib. She was in her crib and started to climb out! She got up on top of the rail and just sort balanced there on her belly with half of her body hanging in the crib and the other half ready to fall out at any moment. I like to think that I'm a fairly laid back parent, I let her eat rocks, play in the dirt, chase bugs, scoot around on the floor in department stores and rub food in her hair when she's eating. But, I'm NOT that laid back if I think she could get really hurt. The particular part of the crib that is her favorite to climb would be the worst part she could fall out of, way too many things her poor little head could hit on the way down. So, after the climbing Robbie and I decided it was time to put the toddler rail on her crib. I've been pretty nervous about it, I've heard horror stories of children who never sleep again and throw fits and scream. I wanted to think MK would be different, she goes to bed very easily and doesn't often cry and try to come out once she's there, but you never know with kids.

Well, Saturday after her nap, I did it, I pulled off the front of her crib and put on the toddler rail. She immediately thought it was very cool to climb in and out and that she could through things in.

Saturday night came and we went through the regular routine…and she just went to bed. I heard her once in the night cry a little and was afraid I might see her walking in, but she stayed in bed. Sunday morning came and at her usual wake up time I heard the ruffle of a little kid in a diaper walking down the hall to our room. She was so happy and so was I, she stayed in her bed all night! I figured it was a fluke and that her nap on Sunday would be the real test. Sunday afternoon came, I took her upstairs and we went through the routine again…a couple of books, a short cuddle while we rocked and then in to bed. She looked up at me smiled, said "Nigh, Nigh", rolled over and went to sleep. I was so excited, but I'm tried not to get my hopes up just yet. Bedtime came Sunday night and she did NOT want to go. She only wanted her daddy (sometimes he caves on things I won't). So, Robbie took her to bed. There was a TON of crying, but he read her books, said prayers and put her to bed, this was right up there with the worst night she ever had going to bed, so I figured we were in for the long haul. I heard her get out of bed right after Robbie left and walk somewhere, then there was sobbing for about 5 minutes and then silence, she went to sleep. We checked on her later to make sure she was in bed, and there she was curled up with her blanket in her bed, sleeping.

I'm knocking on wood and crossing my fingers that it stays this easy, I can't believe my baby is in a toddler bed!