Back in the crib - Day 2

Last night, we tried putting DJ to bed in his car bed in hopes that we can start getting him used to it.  We also put a new door knob cover that he can't seem to get off the knob.  This is good, we thought, eventually, he'll go to sleep because he won't be able to leave his room. 

After the initial attempt at getting out of his room, things seemed to quiet down.  Then we heard banging, the banging that sounds like DJ's closet doors opening and closing.  So I go back in there, and tell him that when it's dark in his room, he needs to stay in his car bed.  It's time to go to sleep.  I cover him with his blanket, and leave.

All is quiet and no further attempts at his door are made.  However, I heard his closet doors again, so back I went.  When I went into his room, to my surprise, I found that his overhead light was on, the humidifier - which is on his dresser - is on, and the overhead fan is on.  I couldn't figure out how.  Did he climb the dresser?  The chair in his room was still in the same place, so he didn't move that and use it (yet)... Needless to say, I was confused.

In addition, DJ has put all of his stuff animals, his blankets, and favorite books in the closet.  Looking back on it now, he could have potentially fallen asleep in there (which is fine), except that he was playing with the doors and showing no signs of actually going to sleep. 

But now I was in a pickle.  I told him that "when it's dark in his room, he needs to stay in his car bed and go to sleep".  Yet, he'd turned the overhead light on!  So in his mind, based on what I'd said, it wasn't dark in his room, so he didn't have to stay in bed.  Yes, I get the part where he still got out of bed to turn the light on, but.... whatever.  I moved his favorite stuff animals to his car bed, his blankets and favorite books, cover him, and tell him that he needs to go to sleep.  If he gets out of his car bed again, I told him he'd be going back into his crib.  I turn off the light via the pull chain, leave the room and shut the door.

Not 2 minutes later, I heard noise at the door, not an attempt to open it, but some kind of noise.  I immediately go to investigate, and I have trouble opening the door because something was blocking it!!  And thus I discovered how DJ turned everything on the previous time; DJ had piled his blankets and a few books on the floor in front of the door.  This time, he'd managed to turn on the overhead fan but not the light because I'd previously turned it off via its pull chain.  He was running to the car bed when I got into the room... clear evidence that he understood what I was telling him and not following it. 

I moved the mattress to crib, put in his favorite stuff animals in it, his blankets, a few books, put him in it, and left the room.  Wailing ensued. 

About 2 minutes later, Steve went in there, sat with DJ in the rocker to calm him down, and then put DJ back in the crib.  We didn't hear from him until a little after 7am this morning.  And when I went into his room, he was still in his crib.