Flower Crib

Twice this week Eloise has requested to sleep in her 'flower crib', otherwise known as the pack n' play we have not used for easily a year and a half. The first time she mentioned it it was just a question, "Mama, where did my flower crib go?" and I explained that it was put away, waiting for the next baby to use it. But as we neared closer to bedtime Eloise kept bringing the crib up and asking to sleep in there, which I found a little odd. Weirdness aside, I decided there really was no harm in it and set the crib up in her room, Eloise climbed in and basically went right to sleep. But just as I was gearing up for the possibility of a full night's sleep (you never know!) we awoke to a distraught Eloise who had peed the bed. An accident at night hasn't happened for at least six months so I'm going to chalk the whole thing up to simply a regressive moment. 

Tonight Eloise requested the flower crib again and since I couldn't really come up with a reason why not - she even did an extra pee before settling in - she is curled up in there with a selection of peeps and cozies. I will admit that we've not been very strict with eliminating 'baby' things - Eloise still has a nightly bottle of milk and prefers to use the potty at home rather than the toilet - but she has also been instrumental in trying to get US understand that she is no longer a baby but a big girl. She wanted out of her crib and we made the easy transition to a twin bed over a year ago, she gets her own cups and plates out for mealtimes, she helps with little chores around the house and is in the process of learning how to dress herself.

I am assuming Eloise's desire to be a baby right now has to do with the coming changes of our growing family. Eloise can see my growing body and listens as we talk about moving things around in her room, car seats and soothers and wipes warmers, whether we should get a double stroller and on and on, so I know she understands that changes are coming, and soon. Sleeping in the confinements of a crib must be her way of staying the baby for a just little longer.