Bed Time!

Now that we have a second child on the way, we're starting to think of all the things we have to do to get ready.  Since we're going to stay in our apartment for at least another year, we will have to find some extra space inside it.  Our landlady won't let us rip down a wall and expand into the hallway.  We're throwing away things, selling things, and chopping up Kyle's toys to make room.  We had considered buying monthly storage for a time, but then we realized that Kyle's bedroom can, in fact, hold two kids.  The only problem is: there's just one crib.

I'm guessing it's not a wise idea to have two kids sleep in the same crib, especially a three-year-old and a newborn.  There might be laws against that.  I'm sure the two will get along, but I doubt Kyle would appreciate the midnight wails next to his ear.  So, either Kyle must go or the baby finds another sleeping location.  We do have several nice shoeboxes around the apartment, but the baby would outgrow those awfully quickly.  It looks like our only option is to boot Kyle out and give him a bed.

On Saturday we took our son to a bed store.  He thought it was an amusement park, and immediately started bouncing on each of the mattresses.  The little guy kept us busy while the salesman tried to convince us that a two-year-old needs a space-age premium bed that gives you a massage while you sleep and pours a cup of coffee for you each morning.  In the end, the salesman was disappointed in us, as we decided to go with the basic name-brand mattress that was on sale.  To me, it didn't feel any less comfortable than the other mattresses, and I'm not totally convinced that a lower-quality mattress would be bad for a child.  The springs that poke through will build character, as they say.  He'll get to appreciate a good mattress once he moves out.

For now, Kyle absolutely loves his new bed.  It arrived with great fanfare yesterday.  Kyle watched intently as the delivery guys plopped the bed in his room, crushing his stuffed animals.  After they assembled the bed and left, Kyle climbed onto the mattress and started reading his books, much like his mother often does, though Kyle's reading style has a little more bounce to it.  So far the little guy has read on the bed, snacked on the bed, played with toys on the bed, and bounced on the bed.  It remains to be seen whether he'll actually sleep on the bed.  Sheets might help, and we will be putting those on soon. 

It will be strange having Kyle in a bed, as he will now have freedoms he never had before.  When he wakes up, he'll be able to get out of bed and move around.  He won't have to lie in his crib for up to a half-hour, shouting for us as we struggle to get out of bed ourselves.  He'll be able to get up and play with the toys in his room.  Maybe he'll read a book or two.  Maybe he'll make us breakfast.  Or maybe he'll come barging into our room and will start bouncing on our bed, with us still in it!  Hmph.  Maybe it's time for me to get a lock for our bedroom door.