Thursday, May 3, 2012

So, Video Monitors are HILARIOUS!

...and a necessity for toddler bed training! I never used a video monitor up until this point. Just for me and my family, I didn't see the point of one...really ever. When they're newborn all they do is lie there and cry, you go in. As they get older, I can see why it would be neat to have one, to see if they're actually awake or if they're just unsettled, to see if they're standing up in their cribs, etc. But I still didn't see the need to buy one. Well, God must have known that I would need one one day, and it just so happens that last year I won this awesome Tommee Tippee monitor from a blog giveaway, and I can't see getting through toddler bed training without one! And this is why:
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EPIC. NAP. FAIL.

I was SO MAD when I found this. This was "nap" time on day #2. I knew he wasn't going to sleep but he wasn't being that noisy, so I didn't think much was going on. Plus, day #1 he took about 6 books off his shelf and quietly read them for the hour of quiet time. Well I wasn't prepared for the above, that a Toddler Tornado would take over my son during his supposed "nap time". I know I got tons of belly laughs from the people I shared this with. My I can just picture my brother Ben and my best friend's husband Steve with big belly laughs saying "wayta go, buddy!" And I do laugh now, I even laughed an hour later, but mommy lesson learned!

So I set up that video monitor pronto and used it for the first time for the designated nap time the next day. I gotta admit, looking into the screen I kept waiting for one of those scary ghosts to pop up and scare me.
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The really cool thing about this monitor is that you can talk to your child through the baby unit. It worked really well! Laura was over that afternoon and she caught him climbing up on his change table. So I spoke to him through the monitor for the first time and said "Braden! You get down from there please!" He suddenly stopped, looked around and had this "how did she know!?" look on his face. Then he figured out that my voice was coming from the baby unit. Actually....he didn't think it was my voice at all....



He totally, 100% thinks that it's my mom when I talk through the video monitor! It's quite hilarious and we're all getting such a kick out of it! I'm really enjoying the monitor and I can calmly reassure him in the morning that "Mommy's coming soon!" so he knows it's okay. It was time to start sleep training again, this time for the toddler bed.
Loving the @tommeetippee_na video monitor I won! Awesome for keeping an eye on him learn his toddler bed! Also @wheatlanderjay reading bedtime stories #bestillmyheart
Daddy read him stories last night and I came in to sing a song with him. I told him that he had to go to bed by himself tonight and that I loved him. He cried not even the 30 seconds it took me to leave his room and go turn on the monitor. It took him quite awhile to even get out of his bed, he was so distracted/entertained by his new Thomas decals we put on his wall yesterday I could hear him talking to his trains. He ended up getting out of bed twice, running to the door, but all the while remaining calm and happy. I think it took between 1/2 hour and 45 minutes for him to settle and fall asleep. My boy has ALWAYS liked to be very comfortable, so I couldn't imagine him falling asleep in front of the door or or on the floor anywhere....this is how I found him:
Bed 7:30, first night putting himself to sleep. Cried until I got to the kith en to turn on monitor. Happily babbling to himself, talking to his new train stickers on the wall (score!!), gets out of his bed twice, but still happy....quiet at about 8:15ish
How did I get so lucky? I was so nervous and anxious about this transition, but he has made it so easy on not only himself, but on me too. I'm so proud of him! I think with his history of sleep training, he just knew it was bed time and that he'd eventually have to fall asleep. There was no crying, kicking, screaming, he didn't fight it at all. And as my Mom says, I think the novelty of the freedom of the toddler bed will soon wear off and he'll just want to sleep there.

I know nap times will take awhile, as he was pretty inconsistent with them before the bed, as my friend Katie told me, it takes awhile for them to learn the toddler bed nap! But at night, I couldn't ask for better. He sleeps his usual 12ish hours a night, straight through, we did decide to keep his door locked, he knows he needs to stay in his room when the door is shut and there's no fussing, crying or fighting it. He just calls out for me when he's done and that is that! Thanks for all your support and kind words this week!

*Note: This was not an official review for Tommee Tippee, nor am I affiliated with them, I do love their products though!*
Sarah

8 comments:

  1. Glad it's been sogood for y'all. We are transitioning from two naps to one and it has been rough.

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    1. Sarah, that stage was AWFUL for us too. It happened between about 15-16 months and it took him a LONG time to get used to having 1, good, long nap instead of 2 shorter ones. He'd often just have a 2 or 1.5 hour nap earlier in the AM and then be miserable for the rest of the day. I feel your pain!

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  2. Ha ha! This is so funny. We are in the market for a video monitor too. They are so expensive, I'm glad you won yours!

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    1. They are VERY expensive, and truth be told...not sure if I would have invested in one on my own! BUT I would definitely now if this one ever craps out!

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  3. I love this post - the toddler tornado, is EXACTLY what is going to happen when my daughter moves to a toddler way, i know it is!! I will have to get a video monitor.

    I'm so happy for you that it is going well so far (minus the tornado).

    I have to say, everytime I see pictures of your son, he reminds me SO much of my nephew - they look very similar!

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    1. Yes, Lennox seems very similar to Braden - very very active!!!

      The one tornado happened, but other than that he's been good. Nighttime sleeping is awesome, but naps will take awhile I'm sure!

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  4. Glad night time is going so well for you! I think sleep training has such long term benefits, despite the things the nay-sayers say. The novelty of the toddler tornado will wear off & he will nap well again soon! (Though my kids' room does still look like that in the mornings sometimes when I don't get in fast enough! Just an opportunity to work on learning how to clean up their own messes, right?)

    Jealous of your baby monitor. I almost ran out to buy one when we did the transition, but never did. I agree, its the 1st time I wished I had one.

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    1. Amen, sister! I will "fight" for my right to sleep train as long as I live and will do it with all my other kids! The toddler tornado hasn't returned yet, thanks to the monitor, and like you say...nap times are going to take awhile to toddler bed train. I hope he gives up and wants to start napping again soon!

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