Pictures to come, but we did it! We made it through Christmas morning 2011 with nary a tear or paper cut. My parents came over and we exchanged gifts, watched Maddy open everything (so so much everything!) and we all got spoiled ourselves. Then mom and I made brunch and we ate hootenanny (so much fun to say) and bacon and fresh lemon curd and fruit. And then we listened to an overtired (and over excited and over sugared and overwhelmed) Maddy sing in her crib (instead of nap). She sang for nearly 2 HOURS after being put to be there. Then napped a bit and then woke in an off mood. This was a sign... Ooh! My first foreshadowing!
The night we went to my aunt and uncles and ate and ate and chased Maddy and ate. And we barely made it out before Maddy's bedtime (to a chorus of "Stay just a few more minutes! We need to ____" *insert things family here*). Maddy was great there, except for the wee meltdown at being forced to leave the fun new place.
December 26th brought us to some friends' place and more eating and visiting and chasing Maddy, this time with new and interesting people to meet. And a family friendly/kids welcome environment. Once more, Maddy did well except for the meltdown (again) as we were leaving. She started and the hostess asked "Whose children are crying?" Neil answered - "Mine." She started to look to see what other kids were crying - was it her daughter? And no. It was just Maddy, wailing at the decibel of a group of toddlers.
Between Christmas and New Years there was some illness, some cleaning/re-organizing and much staying home. And many delayed naps and crib-singing. However, the monumentous event was the delivery of Maddy's very first no-rails TODDLER BED. There was an aborted attempt to assemble it on Thursday December 29th but instead it was assembled on December 31st, while baba and dido took a kiddo out. And that night, with the crib shoved in the corner of her room, Maddy was ushered into her bed. A bed she was able to usher herself out of.
I think the outing/running around at the rec centre exhausted Maddy enough that she was pretty much out. That left baba & dido and Neil & I to sit around and polish off a bottle of non-alcoholic wine, eat too many chips coated in Helluva Good Dip and play cards. At about 10pm I had to check on Maddy. Had to see where she ended up. I have heard stories of kids falling asleep against the door of their room or in the closet or in the corner... I tiptoed in and found that stuffies had taken over her bed, namely a HUGE pink bear (about her size now) plus his friends. And I could not see Maddy. My heart jumped into my throat and I was about to start searching when I looked closer and saw... Maddy? Under the bears? I pulled off big pink bear and there she was, nestled under the toys (and not under her quilt). Teddies removed, blanket placed over her and she was out until 730am the next day! Night 1 of toddler bed was a complete success!
January 1st, nap one of the toddler bed. Naps that have been starting with up to HOURS of singing/playing. And? She did awesome. I asked her if she wanted a nap and she grabbed Odg and was crawling into bed. And hour later she awoke and we scored another victory! That night it was, again, easy to get her in. And Neil and I settled onto our respective couches and nosed around on our computers. And at about 10pm we heard "THUNK" and silence. We looked at each other and RAN to Maddy's room just as the cries started. The three of us sat on the floor, holding each other and trying to calm a crying Maddy. She just kept saying "Fall DOWN. Fall DOWN". Neil asked where it hurt and she pointed to her bed. And then crawled off our laps and into her bed, grabbed Odg and snuggled in. And fell back asleep. She was over it. We were still shell-shocked.
But another good night and we're on January 2nd 2012. After a relaxing morning we asked Maddy if she wanted her nap. She said "NYO!". We still ushered her in bed and Neil went to his computer and I went to our bed to finish my book (the Hunger Games trilogy? Amazing! Could not put it down.) Neil came upstaris and was talking on the phone as I read and listened to Maddy on the baby monitor. I listened to her talk and play. And... walk? And... a click? Click?! The door. I ran downstairs and found a smiling Maddy walking out of her room. Any attempts to restart her nap was answered with a firm "NYO!" So? We skipped her nap.
Skipped her NAP.
I was expecting a wailing melt-down of a child when we did a few errands. Nope. She was great. At dinner? She was happy. After dinner...? Just fine. A bath and bed a bit early and she was immediately asleep. I asked the all-knowing Facebook and my friends responded that some kids are ready to miss some (maybe not all) naps by age 2-ish. Maddy's age. Oy.
This holiday break was filled with fun and family and food. And a Maddy that is no longer my swaddled infant but a little girl in her toddler bed who many not need naps and is pretending as she plays and talking up a storm. My beautiful girl, baby no more.
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