Toddler bed transition

A couple weeks ago, M woke up crying-from a nightmare I suppose. Alan went in to get her and she had her leg thrown over the side of the crib, trying to climb out.  She had already been sleeping in our bed for about a month anyway since she would wake up crying around midnight every night.  We went to IKEA a few weeks ago, before the climbing incident, while on our anniversary getaway and spend probably an hour around the toddler bed area. We were thinking "Either buy Madison a toddler bed and pass her crib to Riley, or buy Riley a crib and then end up buying a toddler bed in a month or so." We didn't love any of the IKEA ones(we needed dark wood) but Madison had a ball climbing and going "night night" on them. We walked away empty handed. While Madison's crib does convert to a daybed for toddlers, we didn't like the look of those white toddler safety rails. When she tried climbing out, we kept looking around but had no luck finding the color we needed. We didn't want those plastic character beds and all of the wood  ones were white or light wood. I got online and found it! It was just what we were looking for! Ordered and it was here 2 days later! I got her rug and bedding set from Target.

The first night, she slept from 8pm-11pm and woke up crying and ended up in our bed. The second night, I attempted to put her down for a nap in it with no luck. She screamed for a minute and then stopped and I heard her in there reading and playing. When I went in there, everything from her bed was on her toy box and everything on her table was in the floor. We decided we needed a video monitor! On the hunt we go. The first one we get is The First Years. The monitor was tiny and VERY grainy. We could barely see her! We took it back and got a Summer and it was just as bad. The view range wasn't very good. We didn't want to hang it on the wall and all we could see from that camera was her bed. We need to see most of her room! Back that one went! I had gotten an email from Toys R Us Sunday about the monitor below. You get a $60 gift card with the purchase. It was more than we wanted to spend but it pans left to right and up and down. The parent panel is 3.5" and it has 2 cameras! We will be able to put the 2nd camera in Riley's room! So far we are really liking it! If it only had a voice activated system instead of hearing white noise constantly and if the camera came on with movement instead I'd be 100% happy. I haven't played with it much so it might have that but I haven't found it.

Motorola MBP43-2

 The second night she slept from 9pm-5am. The third day she napped 2 hours and slept from 8:30pm -5am and the fourth day she napped 2 hours and slept from 9pm-7:30 after reading in her bed for an hour! She did wake up when I went in to turn off her "aquarium" so I sat with her a few minutes and then walked out. We let her cry and she cried for 15 minutes and went back to sleep. Tuesday she had to be woke up at 8:10am without waking up in the middle of the night! It's amazing that she is having zero problem laying in her new bed! We are so impressed with how she's handled the transition! Also, watching her on the monitor is so funny.. She just sits on her bed and reads or she will grab her Mickey, Minnie or Bunny and just hug and talk to them. It's so cute!

This night she woke up and moved her head to the bottom of the bed.

Pasta glittery sensory bin

This bin has pasta, craft pom poms, pipe cleaners, confetti and fruit shaped ice cubes. 

She likes this bin because she tries to put the pipe cleaners through the pasta. She also likes throwing the pasta around.

This is by far her favorite sensory bin and she wants to play with it everytime we are in the playroom.

Rice sensory bin

This started out as a bin like the others but quickly became a huge mess so I moved it into her sand table.

I threw in some character figurines and some scoops.

 It's still a mess but she likes to play in it. We just pick up/vacuum the rice on the floor.

Princess sensory bin

This bin has dried beans. I put Disney Princess characters in it. She has since taken the genie from Aladdin out and carries it around. I keep a small scooper in it for scooping and pouring the beans.

While she likes playing with the princesses, she just wants to throw the beans around in this one.

..and eat on the random ice cubes from her glitter bin

Silly!

Vertical tube

This is good for hand/eye coordination and since M(and other babies her age) love putting things into things, this should be a fun game!

Just take a paper towel or toilet paper roll and tape it vertically onto something. I taped hers onto her sand/water table since I have bad luck with tape peeling paint or finish off. I then took her pom poms from her craft bin and let her at it. She had fun!

Madison's favorite toys(16 months)

Melissa and Doug shopping cart

Melissa and Doug is the God of Toddler toys. They make the best stuff. I knew I wanted to get her a shopping cart for Christmas but all the ones I found were plastic and flimsy and she pushed down on them when she pushed it so it would flip over. I had given up. Until one day at the library I was talking with some moms about Alan wanting to get Madison a train table and they asked if I'd been to the local toy store downtown. So we went right after story time to look at the tables and came across this buggy! It's a bit pricey($60) but it's a made out of metal. It also serves as toy storage downstairs. :)

Books

Since a baby, Madison has loved books. Since day 1 we have read her books at nap and bedtime and we owe it to that. Now she loves to grab books and jibber jabber her way while flipping the pages. I love that she loves books!

Leap Frog house

This was an impulse buy for Christmas. I think it was randomly laying somewhere and we thought she would like it since it had a ton of buttons, doors and sounds. She loves this thing! She carries it around. It has a lot of sayings and songs and buttons on each side. It keeps her entertained in the car too!

Toys R Us microwave

She loves putting her play food in here. You press the buttons and it sets a timer. The start button turns the turntable, light and timer on. It beeps when it stops. The timer is sped up.

Fisher Price Doctor kit

This comes with a play stethoscope, thermometer, bandaid and needle in a cute carrying case. She loves giving "shots" and going "owww" hehe

Mess free finger painting

I kept seeing this on Pinterest, and I finally remembered to buy the materials to make it! 

You will need:

-someone to watch your child while you put it together. Lesson learned.

-gallon zipper bag

-tape

-scissors

-paint

Open the bag and put the paint inside. I didn't do much paint because I wasn't sure. Next time I will add a good bit more. Close the bag and get out as much air as you can. Tape the zipper part of the bag. Then tape the bag to a table or the window. I thought the window would be pretty against the sunshine.

She seemed to enjoy this for roughly 5 minutes and then walked away but she did keep coming back to it while playing with other things. I left it up a few days and she keeps going back to it.

Linking up with:

 

Bead sensory box

Madison loves her new sensory boxes. I made a total of 4 and will be posting them over the next few weeks. This is good for texture play, hand/eye coordination and it's good for busy, alone play.

For this box I used oatmeal. I bought googly eyes, a few strands of beads and I included the Silly Bandz that I got from the Goodwill Bags O Fun I bought a couple weeks ago. I also put in a small strainer for her to scoop and pour.

This is the reason I want edible material.

I keep this box in the kitchen and it allows me to prepare supper while keeping an eye on her. She loves playing in the floor.

It also allows for easy clean up. I will have to replace the oatmeal often I'm sure, since she empties half of it every time she plays.

 

I bought all of these items(except the Silly Bandz) at Dollar Tree. Goodwill is a great place to get small items to put in them. Ours sells Bags O Fun which usually include a bunch of small plastic toys. 

As with any small toys, make sure to keep a close eye on them!

Linking up with:

What's in Madison's bag?

Madison has 3 diaper bags. A small Thirty-One bag, a medium Thirty-One bag and a large Graco bag. Here's what I pack in each bag to help me survive! I typically carry this small bag since I'm usually just in need of a few essentials. If she is staying with someone for a while, I will take the medium since I pack food and milk and some toys. The large is used for vacation or day long trips.

A few diapers, diaper rash cream and a refill pack of wipes. After a few diaper blow outs, the small plastic refill bin won't cut it. Sometimes if I'm running somewhere quick, I will take the small pack.

A change of clothes. I get a pair of pants to match her current shirt and the extra shirt and the extra shirt matches her current pants. That way if she messes up one or the other, I don't have to change her entire outfit.

A wet/dry bag. This is for soiled bibs, burp cloths, clothes or diapers. Ours came from Target for less than $10.

A bib and burp cloth.

A snack pack or container with Puffs or Cheerios and a sippy cup filled with water.

Disposable changing pads for public restrooms or other people's house.

A coat, hat and gloves if its cold. A sunhat if we will be outside.

I keep hand sanitizer in my purse and in the car.

If you fold everything and put them upright instead of laying down and your bag will be a lot more compact and you will be able to see everything!

For Madison's food(for babysitters), I have a thermal Thirty-One bag and I use an ice pack in it.

It fits a sippy of milk, a sippy with water and would fit a few bins with food/snacks.

What essentials do you carry?

I do not sell nor sponser Thirty-One. I just love their bags :)

Busy play

Madison is all about putting items in things. Emptying toys out and then putting them back. She's all about hand/eye coordination and is very good at it! I made a Dollar Tree trip yesterday to buy some sensory activities(more on those later) and part of what I bought was an ice cube tray(2pk) and a bag of craft pom poms. She loved taking the poms out, putting them all in and then dumping them all out again. She was only occupied for about 10 minutes but it helped me get supper ready! This is a good color and counting game. It also helps identify shape(she calls them balls) and they can be done with anything pretty small.

I also picked up a sugar shaker, a box of toothpicks and a bag of craft pipe cleaners. This takes some serious hand/eye coordination and she loves this more than the trays. This is a good cause and effect game. She knows if she shakes the shaker, toothpicks will fall out :) Of course with any small or sharp object, pay close attention so they do get stuck or try to swallow the items!

I will be blogging some more sensory activities soon! Please share your ideas with me! I love trying new things with her!

Linking to Serenity Now

Advent activities Days 11-16

To view Days 1-5, go here

Days 6-10 here

Day 11- Local Christmas parade

Day 12-Mommy/daughter lunch date

Day 13-Pick out new toy
She loves her new microwave!

Day 14-Christmas lights
These were at a Science center in the next town over. We met Alan's dad and Stepmom for supper and then headed out. Madison loved it. She "Ooh'd and Aah'd" and giggled. It was so sweet.

Day 15 - Do something nice for someone.
In light of the tragic events in Connecticut on Friday, we decided to pay for the next 2 kids to ice skate at the local ice rink in town. Though we weren't there to see the kids, it felt really good to show someone there are good people in the world still.

Day 16-Read "Night Before Christmas"
Our original activity was to go to the botanical garden we got married at but it was raining all day so we had to switch up another activity for when we will be in NC again and can go see the lights that night instead.