I Gave Away The Crib Today

My youngest moved into a big boy bed this summer so we stored the crib in the attic. I had been planning to get rid of it for months. A friend of a friend of a friend lost everything to Hurricane Katrina so when I heard they needed a crib, I thought, perfect....

As soon as my friend and her friend pulled out of the driveway, the tears started. It's not the crib itself - although I'll miss seeing the little spots where Drew teethed. Fortunately, it's a light pine finish so it's not really obvious. (Silly crib manufacturers! They put a plastic strip on the side rails to prevent babies from crewing. They couldn't outwit my Drew who chose, instead, to gnaw on the headboard.)

We bought the crib at Burlington Coat Factory a little over 10 years ago* shortly before Drew was born. It was his bed for nearly two years before becoming Sam's eight years ago. We kept it, even moving it cross country, just in case... It was one of the few baby items that I still had when Zack was born 3 1/2 years ago. And today it's gone.

Not that we were planning on using it again. We considered trying to have another baby (I'd love a fourth boy!), but my age and my husband's health are just two factors why we've decided that our family is complete. We decided. It's settled. I haven't given it much thought since.

But seeing the crib in someone else's van really puts the nail in the coffin, so to speak. No more beautiful babies for us. But at least there'll be one more beautiful baby to sleep in - an perhaps chew on - the crib.


* I checked the websites for the Juvenile Product Manufacturers Assn. (www.jpma.org) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (www.cpsc.gov) and the crib still meets the recommended safety requirements.