Goodbye, Crib!

Our kids have outgrown the crib at a younger and younger age, and now Garrett's time has come.  Back in June I would put him in his crib for a nap and he would protest and put on leg up on the rails as if to climb out, but I would chastise him and say "NO!!" and he would fuss and pout but lie back down and go to sleep.  But toward the end of the month, he discovered that he actually could climb out and that dumb old Mom had no say in it after that door closed.

Because Devin has always been an evil genius who loves to play Houdini, we have duct taped doorknob covers on several doors in the house, including the inside and outside of their bedroom door.  But of course, he figured those out as well.  One afternoon during nap time I heard funny noises coming from their room and opened the door to find Devin INSIDE the crib with Garrett showing him exactly how to climb out of it.  The stinker!!

For some reason I didn't think Garrett would follow in his footsteps, but the next day I put him down door a nap, closed the door and heard a loud "thud" a minute later, then the door would open, and his little legs would carry him out of the room at lightening speed.  He had figured out how to pop the doorknob cover right off!  So, needless to say the crib came down that afternoon.  It's more of a hazard to keep it up because it serves as a death trap for the little boys as they do their stunts out of it. 

I won't lie-  I totally cried as I took the crib down.  I cried because it was the end of an era and as I unscrewed each piece of hardware, I remembered being 20 weeks pregnant with Ethan and shopping for that very crib with my mom when she came into town.  I remembered picking out the cute bedding and putting it all together as we anxiously awaited the arrival of our first baby.  And with the exception of taking it apart to move it from apartment to house and then room to room, it has never been apart for an extended period of time. 

But I also cried because Garrett and Devin drive me to my wits end most days and the crib was my only course of sanity during nap time because it kept Garrett contained.  I cried because I wasn't ready to let go of that!!  The first week of Garrett being in his big boy bed was rough.  Devin moved to the top bunk and Garrett was down below and of course it was play time whenever the boys were supposed to be sleeping.  And then we went to Texas and when we came back, it seemed to be a lot easier.  Now all I have to do is lock Garrett in there with a sippy cup of milk during nap time and he yells at me for half a minute but then climbs into bed and falls right to sleep.  The same is true for bedtime, and now that Devin is a lot better at staying awake all day (and not falling asleep in the evening and catching a second wind and staying up til midnight) he is so tired come bedtime that he goes right to sleep and Garrett gets bored and follows suit. 

I just can't believe that we are a cribless family.  That crib has served as a permanent fixture of this house for a decade.  The last year has pushed us further and further into the babyless stage of life and it seems surreal at times.  Part of me LOVES the new found freedom of not being pregnant, nursing, and carrying for a totally dependent baby.  But at the same time, a huge part of me grieves for that time that is now in the past.