The Crib Thing

Let me explain that last comment yesterday about the crib.

Our kids are 8 years (J), 5 years (S), and 6 months (B). We have never owned a crib.

When J was born, we had the best intentions. We were living in a one-bedroom apartment, so we didn't have a nursery to furnish. Hubby's grandma had made us a beautiful yellow bassinet and we planned to use that in the beginning, and get a crib a few months down the line.

J slept in the bassinet for a night or two, but he was fussy and would cry. I ended up cuddling with him one night (I believe my excuse was "he's cold,") and he went right to sleep. About two weeks later, I figured out how to nurse him while laying down and dozing off myself, and that was that. He stayed in the bed. We never bothered with the crib because we didn't mind co-sleeping.

When J was 2, we moved to a larger apartment (2 bedrooms) and I got pregnant again soon after. During the pregnancy, we worked on transitioning J from our bed to a toddler bed. Then when he was 2.5 he developed asthma and somehow went back to sleeping in our bed (I wanted to watch him breathe). S was born and we tried the bassinet again, but half-heartedly. Most nights we had both of them in bed with us. When J was 3.5 we got him a big-boy bed and worked on the transition again, since he was ready to start pre-K, was potty trained, and so on. But S stayed with us and the idea of buying a crib went bye-bye again.

So now B came along. The big kids have bunk beds and sleep in them most nights (though little miss S protests a lot). We decided that B would be the one to sleep in the bassinet and even get a crib. Hubby's sister went so far as to buy the crib for us - months ago - and is just waiting for us to give her the ok to have it delivered. B was sleeping in the bassinet most nights - or at least starting out there until the overnight-nursing session. But I go back and forth. I really don't mind having a baby in the bed - it's the toddler and pre-school age when it gets tough. But there is a lot of pressure to have a crib this time around - from hubby as well, as he is tired of sharing. It's just that I'm the one doing the overnight work with the baby, and I'm also the one who has to get up early every day. So why not make it easier on myself?