almost ten years ago, we bought a crib.  at the time, it was just a bed for our baby girl that had to match the rest of the room and not kill her when she used it.  we loved that crib but at the same time, it was really just place to lay our little person down to dream.

two years later, another little blessing joined the party, we moved for the second time and found ourselves in germany.  winnie the pooh was replaced with helicopters and boy drool while that crib remained, sturdy and overwhelming in the tiny german room overlooking the quiet village below.

for two years, it cradled our big little guy’s dreams and bounced big sister’s rambunctiousness.  it was taken apart for the third time and moved across the atlantic, back to the place we call home.

baby ballard the third took claim of the wooden fortress.  we laughed, we cried, we pretended it was a jail.  independence was tested as little feet attempted nap time escape but, in the end, it was always where he lay his little, adorable head.

seven years into this crazy relationship with our crib, we were given baby jonah.  his soft little hair and sweet baby toes were the fourth in our family to grace this space.  knowing he was our last, i probably held him more than i allowed him to sleep in the crib alone.  but it was still his bed.  it was still the steadfast base of his daily routine.

the crib left our home yesterday.  22 weeks from now, a sweet baby girl will be lying her head here and learning how to sleep through the night in it.  yesterday, an adorable new momma and her adorable baby bump took home her new crib and smiled excitedly at her first piece of baby furniture as she decided where it would look best.

but before all of that happened, my four got back in it…just for old times sake.

it is just a crib.  it is not even a requirement in the raising of a healthy baby.  if we got really technical, it is just a repurposed tree!  but it is also the end of our baby years.  it is the last of our baby things to go.  bouncers and high chairs and strollers were not hard to release, but this…it was different.  feels of aging mixed with excitement for our next adventures were hard to process.  as i moved the toddler table into the empty space where the crib once sat, it made sense.  it was just a crib.

and while some of my dear family and friends (and certain opinionated strangers) may say  “you should have kept it!” or “what a gift it would have been to your future grand kids”…you may be right.  but it’s just a crib.  sure, it held all four of my precious babes and it moved with us all over the world and yes, it would be an amazing gift but…it’s just not for us to do.  in the quest to simplify our lives and save ourselves from stuffocation*, we had to let it go.

i will forever love the memories created in that crib.  i may have even cried a bit when it left our house.  it did it’s job, it provided respite and safety for my babies and now it is time to be just a crib to the next precious babe.

thanks for the memories, wooden child bed!  we will forever look upon you fondly in the photos of our lives!

*while you are all so kind in giving me credit for the awesome term “stuffocation”, i can’t take it.  it was actually coined by James Wallman and is the title of his book (you can find it here) on how our society is living less life because we have too much stuff.  thank you though!  😉