The project that was not!

I’ve spent the past couple of weeks preparing for Graham’s transition into a big boy bed. 
After coming home from Sacramento, I thought we would need to transition Graham right away, so I ordered his big boy bed immediately, but turning his sleep sack backwards, so he can no longer remove it, has bought us a lot of additional time.  When Graham is in his sleep sack, he doesn’t realize that he can still crawl out of his crib, so he doesn’t even try to escape (phew). 
The bed was already on the way, when we discovered the sleep sack fix, so I continued to get it ready for the day when we would, officially, need to transition Graham. 
After settling on the right bed (a traditional style, twin size, trundle bed), I set out to find bedding.  I wanted two unique sets to switch between and I wanted soft flannel sheets and thin blankets (not duvets or comforters) to use with each.  Graham’s first set was easy, some red flannel sheets with a fleece Spider-Man blanket and pillow and we were set.  Although, as you will read, we hit some snags before the bed was officially ready, I did take a picture when the first set of sheets were fitted onto the bed and a long (slightly crooked, but sweet) video of the first time Graham saw his big boy bed (23 months, 17 days old):

For the second set of sheets, I wanted to have a themed design printed on the sheets.  Well… easier said than done, but after a MASSIVE internet search, I found the perfect set of flannel construction sheets with a matching pillow and quilt.  Here is a picture (but with one of the pillow cases missing – a snag that will be remedied in the next week):

I got rid of the desk and computer in the guest room and bought (and assembled myself) a new piece of furniture to house the desk supplies and printer:

I removed the large picture hanging on the back wall in Graham's room and repositioned the baby monitor so we were able to push his crib back up against the wall and create room for the trundle in the bed to pull out.  When the men arrived to deliver Graham’s bed, I had them move the couch into the guest room and set Graham’s bed up in the open space in his nursery.  That is when we hit our first snag.  The trundle was missing a piece, so we had to wait an extra week for a new trundle to be delivered. 
During that week, I completed "the project that was not." 
I had ordered some bed rails to attach to either side of Graham’s mattress so he wouldn’t accidentally roll off his new bed.  Since his mattress sits on a platform, there is no box spring and apparently the rails attach by being wedged between the box spring and the mattress. 
Putting a box spring on Graham’s bed would make it way too high off the ground so I decided I would build a structure that could sit on the platform slats and raise the mattress enough so we could use the rails.  I did some Internet research and then trudged off to Home Depot with measurements in hand. 
I met Seth the lumber guy and we drew plans and found materials then started cutting:

Everything went really well and I drove home ready to assemble the new frame.  I busted out wood glue, a measuring tape, and an electric drill and I spent two days working on the project as Graham slept:

When I was convinced it was ready, I had Alethea come by on her lunch break to help me install it (Nick was away in Boston). 
The raised frame was a HUGE success.  It was more perfect than I could have imagined, raising the mattress a mere two inches above the frame but with plenty of room to use the rails.  We covered the frame with a fitted sheet and slipped it right into place then secured the mattress on top:

Alethea left and I settled Graham in for his nap. 
I couldn’t help thinking that his room smelled kind of funny (a combination of the particle board in the raised frame and the vinyl from the waterproof pillow and mattress protectors).  As Graham slept, I did a little Internet research and quickly discovered that the particle board and vinyl were emitting toxic fumes into Graham’s room!!!!  It all started to make sense.  Ever since the pillow cases and mattress cover had gone in (two days earlier), Graham had developed a little cough and he was loudly snoring with the particle board in there. 
I rushed into Graham’s room and removed the vinyl (while he slept), left the door wide open, and called Alethea to come back right after work to help me remove the raised frame. 
When Alethea arrived, we woke up Graham, removed the frame, and Graham and I headed back to Home Depot to return the frame that I had worked so hard to build (they wouldn’t give me a refund unless I actually brought back the materials.  Grrrr, but at least they said they were planning on using the frame as a display model, so my handiwork and trip all the way back to the store weren’t a total waste). 
So… after installing and then re-installing a bed, purchasing and then returning protective bedding and bed rails, ordering and then re-ordering sheets, and building then removing a raised frame, Graham’s bed is right back to how it started!  We are going to Plan B (keeping the trundle pulled out at night so when Graham transitions, he can start on the trundle or start on the top bed and simply roll onto the trundle if he has trouble staying on the bed).
Looks to me like Graham is enjoying his new bed already and appears to be blissfully unaware of the mishaps along the way (23 months, 18 days old):

We do bedtime stories in the big boy bed and Graham practices getting onto his big boy bed (and jumping when we let him) but that is about it.  The next big step is letting Graham actually sleep in the big boy bed, but I have to admit that I will put that off for as long as our little boy will safely stay in his crib.