becoming a big girl, step 2

One (but only one) of the reasons potty training failed for Babs our first time around was she had no desire to be a big girl. She (still) thinks being a baby is good stuff.

But, since that fiasco, I got pregnant, and told the kids. So when our book "I'm a big sister!" found its way back into circulation, Babs saw this as a great how-to guide. The girl in the story is a little unsure that she's ready to be a big girl, because baby's get so much attention. But as she interacts with the baby and her parents, she learns that there are three differences between babies and big girls. One is that big girls eat regular food, whereas babies drink from bottles. Another is that big girls sleep in big girl beds, not cribs. Also big girls wear underwear, but babies use diapers.

Babs has really studied this book. She knew that moving out of the crib was an important step to becoming a big sister. And we've been talking about giving the baby her crib. Recently she's become quite insistent that she needed a big girl bed. (The other night I dumped her into her crib crying because she was so sure it was too small, and I just needed her to be asleep.) So today my good husband went out "on an errand" and came back with a bed. She was, she is, so excited. Then we bought magnificently pink sheets. And she's now gone down for both a nap and bed time without a single hiccup. (This may be the only transition in her life that is going more smoothly for her than for Kiddo.)

My favorite part? So far it gives her magnificent bed head. (That and I'm desperately hoping that in a few weeks, she'll be ready to take on the last step of big girl-hood.)