My Thoughts on Swinging.

I knew the baby swing would be a good thing to have when I registered for baby items. I picked out a Bright Starts Cradle Swing that would go side to side, or front to back. We even invested in rechargeable batteries for that sucker. They were a lifesaver. We planned to wean EK from it when she was about 6 months old. The problem was- she slept SO well in it. If I needed to clean house, I put her in the swing. When she was tiny and I was about to lose my ever-loving mind from newborn stress, I put her in that swing. She swung and swung at the highest speed possible. I could turn what would be a 30 minute nap into a 2 hour event, just by putting her in the swing instead of her crib. Then, we noticed that the batteries weren't lasting as long as they once did. The swing started to creak when we put her in it. Next, her feet were hanging over the edge.

It happened.

She was too big for the swing.

I'm just letting Mom think I still like this.

EK has started to put herself to sleep for most naps and every night. Rare is the opportunity to rock my baby girl to sleep, she's more interested in pinching me and giggling. This is OK, too. I held onto the swing, letting it sit in our living room for over a month after realizing we just couldn't use it any longer. It was one of the last pieces left that we have used since she was a tiny newborn.  Last night, Ryan and I put it up in the attic...and it makes me sad to think that we may never use it again.

We are blessed with such a sweet baby girl. Each time we go through a new transition  -whether it be walking, sleeping through the night, or growing out of clothes, toys, whatever- my heart aches for the snuggly, sleepy little one that she was. It just aches because almost 13 months have flown by, faster than I ever thought they would. Here's hoping it slows down.