Big Boy Means Big Changes

March 1st, 2012 was a day that we have been thinking about since Liam was 6 days old and counting down to since his last visit to the Orthopedist, in September.  March 1st, 2012 was the day that we could finally say that Liam was finished with treatment for his club foot, finished treatment that started when he was only 6 days old.

In the three years that he has been wearing his Denis Brown Boots and Bar, we have gone through three pairs of shoes, from the little tiny ones that wouldn't stay on his feet because they were too big to the biggest ones, that we soon going to be too small.

We were all thrilled to be able to put the "sleepy shoes" away forever!

The end of the sleepy shoes for Liam meant that it was time for another change.  Even though he was already 3 years old, Liam was still sleeping in his crib as we didn't want him trying to walk in his boots and bar.  However, the last few months, he's been asking for a big boy bed and it would break my heart every time.

Last night sleeping in his crib!

Last night sleeping in his crib!

The first Friday after we were done with the sleepy shoes, we set to converting the crib to a toddler bed.

Liam was excited, not only to be getting his big boy bed, but also to help Daddy!

What is this piece for?

I wasn't sure how the transition to a bed would go.  I have heard lots of horror stories of kids who wouldn't stay in their beds, wouldn't sleep in their beds, parents who would sit outside the bedroom door for hours to keep the child in the bedroom, I could go on and on.  

But, really, Liam has been amazing!  He stays in bed, even when he is upset and doesn't want to go to sleep, he doesn't get out of bed.  He stays in bed in the morning until I go in to get him up.  Even after his afternoon naps, he doesn't get out of bed until someone comes in to get him!  Not sure what we did to get this lucky!!'

Trying out the newly assembled toddler bed.

First night sleeping in his Big Boy Bed!

Sound asleep like he'd been sleeping in a bed for months!

My sweet little angel! 

Does anyone remember . . .

. . . what it feels like to be well rested?? Because I sure don't! As my exhausted brain tries to think back to a time when I wasn't perpetually tired, I remember struggling to stay awake as I put the babies at work to sleep during my pregnancy, I remember waking up every two hours to feed Liam as a newborn, I remember getting up with him much earlier than I would have like during much of my mat leave, but I don't have any recollection of what it feels like to be well rested.

I can also remember countless nights of partying and bar hopping in college that left me with very limited amounts of sleep before getting up to go to an early class or to do it all over again . . . I was never this tired then . . . it is amazing what 10 years can do to a person!

I know that I should go to bed earlier, but by the time Liam goes to bed and I do even a very few chores, I feel like I need some "me time" before I go to sleep, so I fiddle around on Facebook for a little while, knowing full well that the time would be better spent sleeping. But instead, I sit here at the computer thinking about all the things that I should be doing, all the things that I need to do, all the things that I barely have the energy to think about let alone accomplish. Sometimes, I sit here even longer because I don't have the energy to get up and get ready for bed . . . now seriously, how sad is that?

Now, I will drag myself off to bed and hope that I will wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day that will come . . . however, I am not optimistic. I fear that I will be dragging myself out of bed much the way I am dragging myself to bed. Please, if anyone does remember what it feels like to be well rested, I would like to know. It has been so long since I have felt it, I may not recognize the feeling if it slapped me across the side of the head!