Gone, Baby, Gone

This past weekend, we sold our crib and dresser/changing table. I thought I would be sad. I thought that I would feel this huge sense of sadness at this stage of our lives being over. I thought I would think "Maybe we should keep it, just in case...".



It seems like yesterday that Steve and I were expecting Olivia and so excited as we shopped for the perfect nursery furniture. Nothing too ornate or elaborate. Something that would work for a girl or a boy. I remember Steve assembling the crib in our living room, only to figure out after it was all done that it wouldn't fit through the door into the bedroom. We laughed (well, I laughed. I think he muttered a couple of un-mentionables) as he dis-assembled it enough to fit through the door.

My mom and I sewed the first set of bumper pads, a bright cheery yellow. I remember putting Olivia in that crib after bringing her home from the hospital. She looked so tiny in that giant bed. Then Jack and Grant followed, and I continued to love the set. It was just what I wanted.

As I watched the couple drive away this past weekend, with the entire set crammed into the back of their Jeep, I was envious in some ways. Parenthood is just beginning for them and they have no idea of the challenges that lie ahead. The sleepless nights, the worries over whether you're doing it "right", the diapers, the crying, the realization that life as you know it is now over.

But while I'm envious of some aspects of new parenthood, I'm mostly happy that we've moved onto the next stage. Almost done with diapers. No more midnight feedings. No more leaking boobs. No more incessant crying for no apparent reason.
Communication is improving. Needs are becoming more manageable. And we're enjoying more activities as a family.

I will miss the newborns in the family. But I'm also perfectly content to be at this new stage. And amazingly enough, I didn't shed a single tear when that crib and dresser left our hearts and home to begin a new life with a new family.