Time Out

Sophie's first bed was an Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper. I can't say enough good things about this fabulous contraption. It attached to the side of our bed so our newborn daughter was literally within arm's reach for the first four months of her life. I loved having her right there next to me. It was so comforting to hear her little sighs and moans at night. Some people say they didn't get good sleep until their baby moved into their crib, I actually slept better with her next to me. Hubs on the other hand? Not so much. So in the interest of marital relations, we moved her into her crib.

One of the great things about this co-sleeper is that it converts to a playyard when it has run its course as a bassinet. Currently it sits in the TV room, taking up valuable floor space. We don't use it often, but just enough to make putting it away seem premature. Now that she's walking and into EVERYTHING, it is handy to have somewhere to contain her on those occasions when we need a few free moments. Neil calls it "Baby Time Out," although we don't consider it punishment.

Sometimes Sophie fusses when we put her in there, but often she is completely okay with it, happily playing with whatever we've put in there as entertainment. Whichever her reaction, it's pretty much guaranteed that we can count on her trying to lick her way to freedom.