The sleeping arrangement dilemma

[So much for two full weeks of school prep! Last week I was hit with the stomach flu, and I am feeling increasingly overwhelmed about getting ready in just one week. I have decided to simply not fret and instead trust that God is going to free up some time this week for me to get that done!]

Now to the topic of this post.

For several months we've tried to make do with what we already have for Audra when it came to where she would sleep, or more specifically, WHAT she would sleep IN. She began in a Moses basket, next to our bed. Then she graduated to a bassinet, next to our bed. When she grew out of the bassinet- um, two months ago, now?- we realized we had a dilemma. Normally at that point we would move our baby into a crib.

However, we have one crib, and Adelia is in it.

So, we wondered... do we move Adelia (18 mo) from the crib to a toddler bed so that Audra (6 mo) can go into the crib? I wanted to buy more time before we went there (knowing full well that going there equals please-stay-in-your-bed bedtime battles, and I just don't want those... yet. Well, I don't ever want them, but I know we will have them, so I like the option of choosing not to have them just yet.)

We pondered the idea of having Audra sleep in the pack-and-play. We have one (borrowed) pack-and-play that is set up in our living room and which I use daily for Adelia. [Here, honey. Here's a book. Please look at that book quietly while mama puts Audra down. Things like that. Or times when she is being especially let's-get-into-EVERYTHING! and needs some boundaries.] I can't imagine not having that tool to use for Adelia. So then we'd have to borrow or buy another pack-and-play.

However, I wasn't too keen on the idea of putting my baby into the pack-and-play to sleep. It just doesn't seem comfy enough. Now, I know people do it all the time and it's a perfectly reasonable solution-- but I just don't like the fact that it's a thin mattress with little support beneath said mattress. Maybe I'm a comfort snob or something, but I'm one of those moms who- when my children have to sleep on the floor somewhere- brings extra quilts and blankets to fold up beneath them because I want it cushy for them. The pack-and-play does not scream cushy, comfy or cozy to me, so that was a hard sell.

Also, I didn't like the idea of having to throw my back out every time I leaned way in to put Audra down to sleep. [Okay, yes, I'm exaggerating. But I'm just saying: it's a negative to the pack-and-play idea for me.]

Our solution for the past two months was to move Audra into the toddler bed. It's a crib-sized mattress, she can't crawl out of it, and we already have it. It has worked out fine, but we knew at the time it wasn't a permanent solution. Now that she is getting much more mobile, it simply isn't the best solution anymore.

Back to the drawing board.

Once again Mark and I discussed the should-we-move-Adelia-out-of-the-crib-and-into-the-toddler-bed idea, and we both agreed all over again that we don't want to go there. Adelia has potentially another year of sleeping in the crib. Why should we move her out any earlier than we absolutely must? Only because Audra needs the crib. Arggh.

Once again we considered the pack-and-play, but I still don't like it as a sleep option.

One morning the solution dawned on me, and I called Mark immediately to tell him:

We need a second crib.

It may sound crazy, but the thought had never occurred to me before. It was sort of this light bulb moment for me:

We have two babies, we need two cribs.

Duh. Why hadn't I thought of it before? I guess I just figured we would keep making do until we had no other option but to move Adelia out of the crib and give it to Audra. But I am so relieved and thankful that having a second crib will mean that we won't have to rush Adelia out of her crib. ~Whew~

Second crib purchased, dilemma solved.

Tonight Audra will be moving from our room (~sob!~) for a trial run in the girls' room. You should see it. Picture a very small room crammed with two cribs and one twin-sized bed. And three of the cutest girls imaginable.

I love the puzzles that having all these children in our small house brings. It sure keeps us thinking and trying to be creative with the space we do have.

We're already working on the next puzzle:

Where will one of the girls sleep when afternoon nap time rolls around? I'm pretty sure it won't work to have them both in the same room for naptime. *grin* See? Makes life interesting!