Oh, What a Night

Last night Mallory figured out how to get herself out her crib. Oh, goodness, I'm afraid it's all over but the shoutin' ~ literally!

The evening got off to a bumpy start when it took us an hour to get home from my parents' house because of a car accident and a totally ridiculous detour {should have seen this as a sign}. As a result, dinner, bath, and bedtime were a little rushed because I needed to get to a budget meeting. I got home around 9pm to find out Mallory had just woken up screaming {not at all typical, but it happens} and Walter was rocking her back to sleep.

Thirty minutes later she was still awake, so I offered to take over...

An hour and a half more of rocking including a quick switch off with Walter and she was still awake ~ totally content to lay in my arms and be rocked and completely unwilling to be placed back in her crib. But two hours of this??? It was time for her to get back in her crib and go to sleep. My fear was that I could be sitting there rocking her all night, but that maybe if we put her in her crib, she would just cry for five minutes or so and put herself to sleep. While I really do not like to let the girls cry-it-out, at this point, I thought that might actually mean more sleep for us all in the long run.

So I put her back in her crib, and to say she totally freaked out and screamed her head off until she gagged and heaved would be an understatement {but that would not have been the first time that night ~ and it would not be the last}.
After putting her down, I walked out to the kitchen to talk to Walter and find out what he thought we should try next if she didn't fall asleep quickly since it really didn't seem like anything was wrong with her. I think I was out there less than a minute when we realized the screaming we were hearing was no longer coming from the monitor on the counter but was coming down the hallway instead. To say I totally freaked out would also be an understatement because upon realizing she actually got out the crib by herself, I was sure she had either a broken bone {or two, or three} or a concussion.
Now, those of you who know Mallory well also know she is one tough little girl. After a very close inspection of all body parts with not a single bump, bruise, or sore spot in sight, Mallory was all smiles asking to be rocked and even wanting to get down from my arms so she could let Cody out. Seriously!
Back to the nursery for more rocking and a hour later {three hours total} she was finally asleep at midnight...until 5:15am when she was up screaming again and out her crib and down the hallway before Walter and I even realized what was happening.
So, where is this all coming from? Tummy ache? Bad dream? Separation anxiety now that spring break is over? As far as I know, she has never tried to get out the crib until last night and she's really been keeping that little temper of hers in check lately. But to be so upset over something that she had to propel herself out her crib to get to us...?
I don't know if this was a good idea or not because I certainly do not want to encourage her to climb out the crib, but I had her show me how she was getting out because, for my peace of mind, I needed to know if she was clumsily falling out or if she was somehow carefully climbing out. Let me just say the method this girl has for getting herself up, over, and out is purely acrobatic. I think we have a future gymnast on our hands; imagine Shawn Johnson hoisting herself up onto the uneven bars, and gracefully hopping down again...terrifying when it's your almost-two-year-old.

What now?