Big Bed Transition FAIL. Advise Appreciated.

lalabee0425

Today was supposed to be Keira's first night in her big girl bed. Thanks to the stupid furniture company, her rails for her crib conversion accidentally got shipped to VA so we just had the mattress. 

We have been preparing her. She has been SO excited. We picked out the mattress with her there, went to pick it up with her, etc. She has seen and been excited about the new bedding, talking about her new big bed for weeks, etc. 

Since we couldn't convert her bed to a full bed with head/foot board we just removed the front of the crib and left the side crib rails attached to the back (now headboard) and slid the mattress right in. So she had all crib sides on except the front. We thought this would make the transition easier for her since it's still her bed. She was all about it until the lights went out. Tears. Big sad heartbreaking tears.  Laying down with her didn't do jack. She begged for her "different bed back". We asked her if she meant her crib and she hysterically said yes and wouldn't calm down. So my engineer husband put the front on right over the full mattress and the kid went to sleep the second her head hit the pillow. 

So what now? I don't want this to be a traumatic experience for her. I prepared myself for the getting out of bed, reading, playing, etc. but not the crying and flipping out over her wanting her crib. It was heartbreaking. 

So now we have this crib with a full size mattress sticking out the end!  (It looks ridiculous.) We had planned on putting Callie's crib together tomorrow and using K's old crib mattress. Maybe having that full bed in her room will make her want to sleep on it? And when the conversion rails come in do we just go for the full conversion? What if she freaks out and cries? I don't think forcing her in a big bed when she's sad and upset is the right thing but what do we do? Just leave her in her crib until she asks for the big bed? She was so excited about it this reaction came as a total shock.  WWYD?