b e n j a m i n f a l k e n b e r g

Well, he fell out of his toddler bed at least once overnight…

I’m pretty sure he fell out the first time and actually got right back into bed, which was pretty cool. I heard a pretty loud THUD in the room and I was debating…do I go in, or just let him be? I figured–the still-new-at-this-guy that I am–that I’d go in and make sure he was at least OK… I didn’t want to go in this morning and find him laying there with a snapped neck or anything. Ridiculous thinking, perhaps, but hey, new parent, can’t be too careful!

I opened the door the first time and I couldn’t see him; it’s not just a redecorated room, but an entirely different room altogether…and we keep it pitch black/dark. He’s been sleeping in total darkness since he was born, basically–the exception being naps, etc, where he sleeps in bright daylight.

I grabbed a little flashlight and went back; he was laying across the bottom of the toddler bed like he crawled back in and flopped right onto his stomach and passed out.

The second time, about an hour or so later (around 1-1.30am), was another same-volume THUD, but this time he apparently woke up enough to not recognize where he was and started screaming and sobbing. I was in there in about 10 seconds; he was sitting on the floor next to the bed (I had to feel around a bit because his room is so dark). I picked him up, and before his head hit my shoulder he was out and dead to the world again. I patted him down and stuck him back in bed, and he was fine until he woke up this morning around 8:30.

We close his door, but the door frame is a little wonky and the door doesn’t quite latch… He can reach the knob, but he’s still too short to turn it. Just in case he manages to pull the door open, we have a gate up in the hallway to block the stairs. And of course our door to our bedroom is open for him if he gets out, so he can at least get to us easily.

For his first night, I think it went quite well! :)

And yeah, we know it’s gonna get more…interesting. But we’ll take what we can get as we go… ;)

Benjamin is in his new room tonight, in his new toddler bed!

We got the room more or less ready (minus a few decorative details) a few days ago. He’s been in there to play several times over the last few days, too. He seems to love the room. He’s got his own little table and chairs, his toddler bed, a toybox, a beanbag chair, a bookshelf with some of his books, stars on the walls, etc. It’s a space theme, and the bedding/toybox and table/chairs all match with rockets and stuff on ‘em. We have a corner hanging rocket storage dealie from Ikea, and a little toddler-sized rocking chair we got from Goodwill for…3 bucks?

All his favorite stuffed animals are lounging about in all of his chairs and he just goes batty in there. It probably sounds cooler than it actually looks, since we have bare white walls in there still, but hey, as long as he likes it… Pictures/posters and blue and silver stars are planned for the walls, any day now.

Anyway, I spent about an hour and half today putting him back down over and over again getting him to realize he was in there for a nap today. His first time sleeping in there at all. He finally fell asleep, but he was half hanging off the bed with his blanket all piled up over his head–his standard thing for some reason. Mom went to put him to bed tonight and he pointed at his new room! He went down very easily, and he’s not been awake or fallen out of bed yet. I’ve got the baby monitor next to me here at my desk, though, just in case.

Anyway, pretty cool! He’s transitioned so well with everything so far, and we’re soooo proud of him. Yay! :)