My head nearly exploded yesterday. Over a crib. For some reason I felt the need to analyze our sleeping arrangements, bedtime routines, and budget after Baby Boy joins our little family, because of a crib. And now I'm going to regurgitate that thought process here. You lucky readers!
It started off innocently enough, just thinking about our plans to paint the nursery tomorrow, excited to have the room painted and the furniture rearranged. But that led to the inevitable question I've been struggling with for months... When to buy the second crib? It would be nice to run out and buy it, and get it set up this weekend; the room would feel that much more complete. But, on the other hand, it would take up a lot of floor space that we don't necessarily need to sacrifice yet. Then I wondered... Do we even need a second crib?
We bed-shared for the first 9 months of Goosey's life. Surely we would do the same with Babe, right? I loved bed-sharing. But, I also love my space and privacy. After discussing with Casey, I know that he also really loved it; and it was decided. But that didn't stop me from briefly considering co-sleeping, in an effort to maintain closeness, convenience, and comfort; and I actually spent about 30 minutes pricing out white mini cribs - because the cinnamon wood would clash with our bedroom set - before realizing my stupidity. (Yes, you read that right, I actually considered buying a third crib, merely for aesthetic purposes.) The decision to bed-share was reaffirmed, but I still didn't know if we needed a second crib!
If we bed-shared for 6-9 months before transitioning to the crib and sleep training, Lucy would be almost 2 years old and in a toddler bed. We could buy a coordinating toddler bed for Lucy, and Babe could use the crib. Save a little money and whatnot. Brilliant, right?? But there are no coordinating toddler beds for the Graco Sarah Convertible Crib. And I need their furniture to coordinate, people! So long as these kids share a room!!! (Which, for the record, will be at least 1 or 2 years - because, oh yes, I even thought about the possibility of moving yesterday.) In addition to my fixation on wood tones, the savings on a toddler bed vs. a convertible crib is less than $50; and I think the crib would have a higher resale value. So, it was decided... Lucy would keep her crib and Babe would have his own, matching crib; but, wait, that means our kids are really going to share a bedroom. What if they wake each other up?!?!?!
The weight of it finally hit me. The first few weeks of Cry-It-Out will be brutal, and I'm sure he won't sleep through the night right away. Then there's my rowdy toddler that likes to squeal and climb, and chat with herself for 10-15 minutes before finally closing her eyes. After googling and discussing with my mom, it seems like our only option is to have different bedtimes. Babe first, then Lucy.
In my mind, I had accomplished a lot:
Need a second crib? You betcha!
Bed-sharing? Yup!
Bedtime dilemma? Solved!
BUT...(there's always one big butt that gets in the way, eh?)
What.about.money? Better quadruple check our projected budget for August 2012... Only to find a slight miscalculation has been made and we cannot afford full time daycare for two kids. Scary, right?? Sadly, we don't have an answer for this one just yet. Mucho (mucho, mucho) to consider.
I'm amazed if you survived that monster post. Does your head hurt?
If you find a cheaper crib but the color doesn't match , you could always paint it.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get all your answers solved, childcare is outrageous, but I am sure you will find a solution.
I don't know if we could match the paint to the wood grain. That would be a great option otherwise! If we're going to have two cribs at once, I'd prefer they be identical. Our crib isn't terribly expensive, just such a difficult color to work with!
DeleteAnd I promise to give an update for our childcare plans as soon as we figure them out. :-)
So I have deliberated this (on a smaller scale) -- and I'm not even pregnant. My delema- I want to "co-sleep" but for me I think it isnt a good idea to have baby in bed with me.... buut I know that cosleepers are very pricey, and also that they only last a few months. Best idea I could come up with was to build the crib initially as a toddler bed (ie - one side off) and side car it to our bed. This way we will all have our own space. This would also fix the "taking up room in Lucy's room before you need to issue". The only part of it that I cant quite figure out is where naps will take place as the side car may not be uber safe if I dont want to nap, but I suppose kiddo will be at daycare mostly and if its not well then I probably will want a nap LOL!
ReplyDeleteHope things get resolved with daycare!
The toddler bed is an interesting idea! I think I would be too afraid of the baby rolling into the space between the beds, though. Lucy napped in our bed, with pillows surrounding her, until she was about 9 months old; but I'd like Baby Boy to become familiar with his crib much sooner than that.
DeleteThere's plenty of room in the nursery for a second crib, it just seems silly to have an empty crib taking up space now, when he won't be here for at least another 3 months. We'll probably get it set up sometime during my third tri, because I would like the room to be finished before he's born.