Big Boy Beb!!

First off, I need to start by saying that yes, I know there is a typo in my title. I'll tell you why in a minute, but first, I need to say to all the non-parent readers out there (yes, both of you) that this is one of the things that you'll get when you have kids. Before I had kids, I admit that I was completely annoyed by parents that perpetuated their childrens' baby talk by using the same word themselves. I considered them enablers and vowed that I'd never do that myself. I judged my own sister-in-law and BFF for calling her son's sippy cup a "ba-ba" (sorry, Sarah, but I do get it now!). The truth is, I just didn't get it. I didn't understand just how cute and endearing it is when your child says the word adorably wrong. I hate saying "You won't understand until you've been there," but this is truly a case of that. I am a total hypocrite, and can write pages of words that we purposely say wrong because our children do and we think it's cute: peppernini (pepperoni), dinky (binky) and beb (bed), just to name a couple. So I am now one of those annoying people.

Ok, back to my story. Donovan has had some trouble sleeping lately. Well, not sleeping so much, but actually going to sleep - once he's out, he's out for the night. But lately, he cries when it is bed time, and yells that he wants to sleep in "Sissy's Beb" or "Daddy's Beb." For weeks now, he has been begging to sleep in Avery or my bed. He has come to hate his own bed. So, we decided to make the plunge into a big boy bed. Yesterday, we spent all day going all over town buying a mattress and bedding, taking down the crib and putting up the new bed. We thought it was perfect timing because Avery was the EXACT same age when we put her in her first big girl bed. In fact, we got her bed on Memorial Day three years ago. I took this as a sign that he was ready, that it was fate that my kids start this new era in their lives on the exact same weekend at the exact same age. We let Donovan pick out his own bedding - Lightning McQueen. We cheered and squealed and got very excited for Donovan, telling him what a big boy he was, how he was going to be just like Avery and how cool his bed was. He couldn't have been more excited. He couldn't wait for bedtime! We were out and about before bed, and on the way home, we talked up the bed again, and he just couldn't wait. Throughout his bath, we discussed sleeping in his big boy bed. He got into his pajamas, said his prayers in which he thanked Heavenly Father for his big boy bed. This was all going perfectly! I kissed him goodnight and told him to get into bed, and he promptly started crying because he wanted to sleep in sissy's beb......

Anywho, here he is in his big boy beb:

He did finally go to sleep.

And, just for the sake of good memories, here is Avery when she advanced to her big girl bed, three years ago. I thought they looked alike, but as I look at these photos of them at the exact same age, I realize that they don't really look all that much alike.

PS, Donovan is now napping in his new beb, and went down with no problems. Keep your fingers crossed for us tonight!