tales from the crib.

one of the things i love most about parenting

is the fact that as a mom & dad . . . we get to choose how to raise our baby.

we get to make decisions daily in regards to how we do things.

sometimes these decisions can be tough. other times the right choice is a no brainer.

whether easy or hard. fun or difficult. trendy or original.

there are lots of decisions to be made when it comes to raising a baby. 

to breastfeed or formula feed?

to use cloth diapers or regular diapers?

to make baby food or buy baby food?

to follow baby wise or have a loose schedule?

to let your baby cry it out or immediately rescue?

if i am being completely honest . . .

i have wavered on each of those decisions.

{ok maybe not the cloth diapering. that was never an option in my book}

but the other ones. i have totally dabbled on both sides. 

i wanted badly to breastfeed. but i did not produce milk.

i had to learn to be ok with formula feeding.

and i am totally ok with that now.

i have steamed. roasted. mashed. pureed. & mixed 

all the organic produce you can imagine. 

but go figure. patrick likes baby food from a jar much better. 

so i feed him both. 

i have tried to be diligent in following a very systematic schedule.

but quickly learned that i am not a systematic schedule person.

so our mornings are very routine. & our afternoons are very much not routine.

but it works for me. it works for baby. its a win-win. 

& of course. 

i have been the mother that sets her babe down in the crib.

screaming. wailing. sobbing. totally crying it out to the tenth power.

but i have also been the mother whose heart hurts when her baby cries that way.

and i rescue. i comfort. i let the baby win. 

with all that wishy-washiness of decision making.

there is one decision that lovie & i have made that we have never wavered on.

baby patrick has slept in his crib. 

in his nursery. 

down the hallway. 

all alone.

since literally day three. 

& we are quite pleased with that.

don't get me wrong.
the thought of co-sleeping sounds so sweet.

and those first few weeks i slept with one eye open. staring at the baby monitor.
watching to see that chubby belly go up . . . and down . . . and up again.

& there have been many nights that i have whispered
let's have patrick sleep with us tonight.

but we haven't. and we won't. 
and i can't tell you what a blessing that has been.

it has been a blessing in many ways. not just for the most obvious reasons.
like private time for mama & dada. tv watching. not having to tip toe around.
but also for little surprises that have brought so much joy to us.

patrick's crib has become a safe haven for him.
somewhere that he feels completely comfortable & secure.

we have filled his crib with soft books. a few rattles. & stuffed animals.
just a few of his most favorite things.
so when he wakes up . . . instead of feeling alone . . .
he reaches for one of his things to entertain himself. 

the same is true before he is going down for a nap.
he has books to look at. and toys to play with. until he dozes off. 

i just love the fact that he enjoys being in his crib.

and then there is the complete & utter enjoyment of watching him wake up on the monitor.

it is by far one of the sweetest things i have ever seen or heard.

since he does not see mama or dada the second his baby blues open.

he finds ways to entertain himself as he is rising from his slumber.

he coos. he tries to talk. he rolls around. he rocks back & forth on his knees.

he makes noises that are hands down the most adorable little sounds ever.

he does little things that i would never get to witness 

if he were waking up with us right next to him. 

thank heavens for video monitors with the volume on high!

yes. i am certain that for us. this was such a great decision.

it brings be great joy knowing that our sweet boy will grow up

loving his own little space. his own little corner of the world. 

& the value of him learning to entertain himself in quiet play . . .
there are no words to share how important i feel that is.

our tales from the crib are so sweet.
there are a few tears. but mostly a heaping dose of contentedness. 

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