I was surprised (and flattered!) to learn that our little fella’s crib nook was featured on Apartment Therapy Family yesterday! We often get questions about how it’s working out to have Hudson–a tall, nearly-nine-month-old–in what once was Aron’s closet, and specifically how it’s working out with the Alma Mini Crib
So here’s the original post about the crib (written when Hudson was near three-months-old for Baby Mine), and–following that–an update. Also, good news: there’s now a less expensive (similar) mini crib at Target!
THEN
Hudson is now occasionally sleeping in his crib, so I thought it might be a good time to share some photos of Aron’s closet-space-turned-nursery. There are really two doors inside our apartment: one to the bathroom, and one beside the bed leading to the walk-through closet that leads to the bathroom (you can see it behind Hudson in the monthly photos.). The rest of our apartment is an open studio. So we moved Aron out of his side of the closet (which was really just a nook with a dresser and a bar we installed) and into our front closet–after renting a storage space to make room for the shift.
With great anticipation, we wallpapered the little space with the Animal Farm pattern, hung a bright mobile, and set up the Alma mini crib (which fits perfectly)! I enjoy showing him the wallpaper and pointing out the animals. Most of them have sounds I can make (notable exceptions being the squirrel and rabbit), and he loves the high-contrast. And his crib is so close to my side of the bed that it’s practically a co-sleeper (we thought).
The first night Hudson was home, we realized we worried about the circulation and rolled the crib out into the main room with plans to buy a fan. And then we worried about just about everything else. He’d go to sleep on his back, promptly raise his little swaddled legs in the air like a gymnast on the parallel bars and flip onto his side. We were up constantly to check on our little side-sleeper, who suddenly seemed too far away. He must have thought he seemed too far, too; he much preferred falling asleep on our chests–which would have been fine if we weren’t then terrified we’d drop him or crush him in our sleep. (Basically a dominant theme of weeks one and two was a fear of accidentally killing this little baby they let us bring home.)
Since then, Hudson has been sleeping in a little co-sleeper in our bed, right between us. And even then, I tend to pull back the covers, pull him in next to me, and snuggle up for the last night-sleep cycle. Essentially, he made his way closer and closer every night. That is, until this week, when we decided to have the first sleep cycle happen in the crib. He has been going to bed much earlier lately, so the partially-closed door allows us to actually carry on dinner and conversation with a little less fear of waking him! We sort of miss him even though he’s just a few feet away, but in the early mornings, he still comes back into bed–so it seems like the best of both worlds (at least until we go to that world where he doesn’t wake up at 4 or 5 a.m.)
NOW
Hudson sleeps in his crib every night and for nearly all of his naps (twice a day); he still fits comfortably in the crib, and easily repositions himself throughout the night. He’s definitely close to all sides, and often sleeps with an arm through the bars, but we think he actually finds this to be a comfort. It’s pretty cute to tip-toe past and see an outstretched tiny-palm or little fingertips wrapped around a side. Actually, when we first unswaddled him he flapped his arms up and down frantically and we thought he’d never fall asleep. Then, all of the sudden, he pushed his arms through the bars of the crib such that they were confined, tossed his head from side to side, and he was out! To be honest, I think he might choose to sleep pressed up against the sides if he were in a full-sized crib, too.
He has fallen asleep sitting up a few times, and when he finally tumbles he’s likely to crash into the side of the crib–which sounds so sad! Again I’m not sure this wouldn’t happen in a larger crib, too, but it’s more likely to happen in here.
We will be in this apartment until his first birthday, so we’re counting on his fitting until then. Even with the doors and his having a little “room” of his own, it isn’t easy sharing such a small space. We have gotten stuck in the bathroom when he has awakened unexpectedly; we keep our voices low at night (even with a white noise machine running); and there’s no sleeping for anyone if he’s not. But I can’t imagine what we’d do without the ability to close a door.
Fortunately, there’s no reason to think we’ll have to!
P.S. Our 500-square-foot apartment tour.
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