The Beds

Despite feeling under the weather today, Tom forged ahead to connect Lukas' new toilet (Tom had it completely installed Christmas Eve, when he realized the supply hose used for the previous toilet was not long enough for the new toilet...and it was past Home Depot's closing time on Christmas Eve!) AND assembled the kids' new beds.

Lukas was overjoyed, to say the least.  I don't think Natalie and Konrad completely understood at first that they were getting new beds.  Right after the bunk bed was built, I asked Konrad if he wanted to get in it, but he said firmly, "no!" several times.  Then about an hour later he was ready to play in it.  And when Lukas jumped in the top bunk, Konrad definitely wanted to get in the bottom bed.  They played a lot in their beds this afternoon.  Konrad said, "I sleep night?" thinking that he wasn't going to be allowed to sleep in this bed tonight.  But after I said "yes" and "this is your new bed" several times, I think he got the point.

I told Lukas that the only reason he's getting a bunk bed is that he has a brother...if he didn't have a brother, he wouldn't have a bunk bed.  This must have sunk in, because he spontaneously said, "I love you, Konrad" several times this afternoon and tonight while they were playing.  Konrad replied, "I love you Kukas!"  Very cute!

Tom assembled Natalie's bed next, and I think that although she was slightly envious of the boys' new bed, she also didn't understand that she was getting a new bed too.  But once we showed her the completed bed, with her new duvet and pillow (she especially thanked God for her pillow during prayers), she realized it was true.

Natalie's new bed extends from the shortest length, where it is now, out two more stops to a twin bed.  It's the perfect size for her now, and since she'll grow more slowly than the rest of the family, the bed can definitely grow with her without taking up unneeded space. The nice thing about the shortest version is that the decorative scroll on the side is almost a complete bed rail to keep her from falling out of the bed...by the time she needs to have the bed extended, she'll probably have learned to stay in the bed.  And Konrad does have a bed rail on the bottom bed...we just hadn't added it yet in these pictures.

For both Natalie and Konrad, we're leaving their cribs in their rooms for a while during the transition.  In case they start to wander at night, I want to be able to put them in their cribs again...both to teach them that if they want to sleep in their new beds, they need to stay in their beds, and to avoid getting up multiple times a night for two kids learning to sleep in a bed without confinement.

You might think we're crazy for doing two at once, but we figured it would be good to get it done during the Christmas break, so they are well used to sleeping in their beds by the time the new baby comes in April.  When the baby arrives, Natalie will move in her new bed back to the boys' room (Konrad's crib will be gone by that time) and the baby will use Natalie's old crib in her room.  Then when he's sleeping through the night, he can move into the boys' room and Natalie can move back to her room.  That's our plan, at least! 

Here's Tom snuggling with Natalie after a long day of assembling things. 

While Lukas was playing in his new bed today I said, "Wow, Lukas, what are you going to bug us for now that you have both a bunk bed and a new toilet?"  He said, "Nothing!  I don't want anything else for Christmas, ever."

Just so it's documented!