It Has Begun . . .

The girls are officially moved into one bedroom for the first time. Heaven help us. :-) I expect to not sleep much the next several weeks, but hopefully they'll prove me wrong.

(This is from tonight, as Daddy is reading the girls books on Annie's new bed right before we put them down in a shared bedroom for the first time ever.)

The transition has been in the works all week. First, we moved all of Ellie's clothes and things (including all the 18-24 month spring/summer stuff out of storage and all washed and sorted) into Annie's room. Condensing two full closets into one -- it's a miracle of near loaves and fishes proportions that we made it all fit. We washed and sorted all the baby boy clothes and blankets and other hand-me-downs and got them all put away in Ellie's old nursery. We moved ALL toys downstairs to the playroom (where the carpet has been relaid and the walls are all finished and touched up now), leaving only a handful of 'special' dolls and stuffed animals up on the girls beds. We got the extra crib out of the attic above the garage ('cause no way am I moving Ellie to a bed from a beloved child-confining-crib until she can clear her crib rails in a single bound or something), dusted it and got it all set up, bedding washed and all. We decided at the last minute to take down the toddler bed Annie's been in, and get her into the twin size bed now anyway (since when the baby comes we'll need the other toddler/crib mattress, so might as well make the switch now than just introduce yet another change a few months down the road.) So now one half of the bunk bed set Annie's preschool teacher kindly handed down to us has been cleaned and set up in Annie's room. Complete with new Disney Princess bedding. Yesterday the room was put together, and both girls were so excited. Annie was upset when I wouldn't let Ellie sleep in there last night (since Annie's hacking cough should only keep up so many people in the house), but tonight there was no talking her out of it, and we acquiesced and they are both in their new beds in their new 'sisters room.'

I think Annie's rethinking her decision though. Greg just walked in our room, leaving a screaming Ellie and a freaking-out Annie, ("Ellie, STOP screaming, it's time for bed. Go to SLEEP!") alone in their new room, and asked, "Are we sure this is a good idea?"

No. No, we're not. We just don't have a lot of other options. Unless we sleep the new baby in the extra upstairs bathtub 'til Annie's old enough to move down to the basement by herself. :-)

(Ten minutes later -- Ellie's still crying, although not as frantically. Miraculously though, Annie isn't crying. Which is saying something for our three year old, who spends most evenings crying and whining from her bedroom loudly about how she shouldn't be made to sleep. This may just have some unforeseen benefits.)

(Five more minutes -- Ellie's not quite crying anymore. Just whimpering a little. Annie's sweetly saying, "OK
Ellie, I want to go to sleep now, OK?" (Which is possibly the first time in her entire life she's ever admitted any such thing). I'm finding myself annoyed I can't hear the rest of their sisterly conversation, since my dryer is running, and Greg's watching "Red Green" on TV. I'd love to hear more of this . . . I'm considering setting up some form of listening/recording device . . .)

(One hour past normal bedtime: Annie's sang "Itsy Bitsy Spider" to her sister approximately 740 times. It's sweet, but might be part of the reason she's still awake. Also, Annie started repeating the phrase, "Ellie, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite" over and over again a few minutes ago . . . it seems to piss Ellie off. Possibly 'cause she's now worried her new bed has bugs.)