Sydney: Crib to Toddler Bed

We decided to switch Sydney at 23 months to a toddler bed.  Jeremy and Janelle were selling theirs and we decided to take one.  We thought it would be a nice transition to a twin bed later on, and preparing her for a real bed for our Beach trip in June.  Doing so would also free me and my back of having to lift her in and out of the crib!  We talked about it for about a week before we got the bed.  Telling her she was going to have a "big girl" bed, like her big sister Bailey.  She would nod her head "yes" and her eyes would get big and she would take a deep breath in, becoming very excited.  When the time came to bring the bed upstairs, both girls were running around going crazy!  Sydney helped Daddy take apart her crib.  Both Bailey and Sydney were trying so hard to sit still while we rearranged the furniture and the bed would be put together.  They both jumped on it and Sydney started to read a book!

It was about 8:30 by the time the bed was ready to go.  We did our routine; brushed teeth, read books, diaper change, cuddle time and then in bed.  She crawled right up there herself.  As I said Good Night and I Love You and closed the door, she didn't make a sound.  It was about 7 minutes later before she got up.  I happened to be walking up the stairs and saw her door open and she was just standing there with her DeeDee, not sure what she should do.  I tucked her back in.  Then, it was about 3 minutes before she came opened the door.  Tucked her back in.  The time between got less and less until she was practically right behind me.  I put some music on for her.  Still getting up.  Six times, and it was 9:30.  Bailey needed to go to bed, as TJ had fallen asleep on the couch.  As I was getting Bailey ready for bed, Syd got up again.  TJ took her back to bed and told her if she got up again, he would spank her bum.  Well, that did the trick!  After 7 times up and out of bed, she stayed put and slept almost the whole night.  She got up at 2:something and was crying and heading to our room.  She probably just lost her binky.  We found one and she crawled right back into bed and her eyes were shut instantly.

This morning, Bailey and I went into her room to check her out in her new bed.  (That sure got Bailey up and out of bed!)  We walked in and Sydney waved hello.  I asked Sydney if she had a good night sleep in her new Big Girl Bed.  She happily replied, "Yayyy!!!"  **Today for nap I had to use the "spank your bottom" card when she got up the second time.  That worked as well and she slept for 2 hours!

UPDATE:  Night #2:  Around 2 in the morning I was awoken to the sounds of Sydney's cry.  When I got up to check on her and walked down the hall, I could see she was sitting near the head of Bailey's bed, butt almost hanging off, and facing her door.  She was crying, perhaps because Bailey wasn't waking up.  My guess is that she went into Bailey's room because it was lit up with a night light, whereas our room looked pretty dark.  She had to have climbed up on her bed, crawled over Bailey to get to where she was sitting.  We walked back to her bed and she crawled right up and went back to sleep.  Whew!