I <CRIB> NJ: Slats Call on Another Parenting Era

I may be jinxing myself by writing this, but — if all goes according to plan — last night Margo slept in her crib for the final time.

The final pic of Margo in her crib (I’m 98% sure she is in this photo.)

Today while she’s at school, I’m going to move the crib back to mine and Tara’s room to get it ready for its next tenant and then put together Margo’s first big girl bed (hopefully all the pieces are in the box!)

4/5/2025: Margo realizes she can jump on her bed

Lately Margo’s been stretching out her bed time more and more, which in the moment can be exhausting, but of course I’m ultimately thankful for her dilly dallying (“I not dilly dallying daddy, I gotta ask you a question!!”)

Margo still likes to read to herself in bed, but thankfully does it without nursing three pacifiers now.

Our routine until recently was I’d read her books while we sat in her rocking chair together, but a couple weeks ago she started making me read from the loveseat on the other side of the room, so she could have the chair to herself “like a big girl.”

Holding 4-Month-Old Margo’s pacifier in as she desperately resisted a nap

I remember when she was so tiny, I couldn’t imagine her ever needing the full crib. Back then she needed help keeping her pacifier in her mouth to fall asleep.

My oldest photo of Margo in her crib.

Now she calms herself at bed time by asking as many questions as possible. On Sunday, after a wind down that went at least 30 minutes later than normal, I stood in her doorway finally making my escape only to hear her squeak out, “Daddy, can I ask you one more question?”

“Sure, what’s up?” I said with a sigh that was equal parts exasperated and amused.

“Ummmmmm…,” she said, really taking her time to make sure she picked a query worthy of ending her night, “…can you say good night to me?”

We let her start keeping stuffed animals in the crib a little after her second birthday.

In a surprise move on her final evening as a crib sleeper, Margo had me hold her in the rocking chair while we read Dr. Suess. We’ve enjoyed keeping her contained at night for almost three years and are a little nervous about what she’ll do once she realizes she has the freedom to climb in and out of bed without any parental assistance, but I suspect she was ready for this transition before we were… and at least she hasn’t figured out how to open her bedroom door just yet.

My Song of the Day: “Baby Mine” by Arcade Fire

About a month shy of her second birthday, Margo somehow ended up in this position while asleep. I debated whether I should risk waking her up to reposition her, but thankfully the mission was a success.