Bye, Bye Baby (Monitor)
Thank you so much to all of you who visited my blog. I am truly honored that you read my posts, and took the time to comment on them as well. I plan to respond to all of your notes and visit your blogs as well. I’m very proud to be a part of this WordPress blogging community! Again, thank you!
I said farewell to one of the last remnant’s of Sophie’s babyhood this week — the Graco baby monitor. Now that Sophie can climb out of her bed, exit her room and call me from the top of the stairs on a regular basis, I figured there is no longer a need for the baby monitor.
As crazy as this sounds, this act was quite tough for me. I know I haven’t actually needed the monitor for quite some time. In fact, Bryan can’t stand when it’s on. But for me, it was yet another symbol. A symbol of Sophie as a baby and then a toddler who didn’t leave her bed or her room at nap-time; a symbol of when she needed me to take care of her.
Now she’s almost 3-years-old and pretty much a preschooler. She can exit that room anytime and lets me know it (much to my chagrin). In fact, we may need to replace the monitors with a baby gate to keep her in her room at night!
But she doesn’t need me to “monitor” her in the same way. Putting those monitors away brought tears to my eyes. Sophie continues to amaze me with how she’s growing into a kid. I see her potty-trained, in a “big girl bed,” with a back-pack on going to preschool. I can’t believe it’s been only 2 1/2 short years since she was an infant. Wow, does time fly!
Sophie today (If she can get out of bed to do this, she clearly doesn’t need a monitor)
I can’t imagine what it’s like to see your child grow so quickly. I look at my niece change so much every week and it’s amazing. I can see how it would be hard to let go of some things.
http://www.wutevs.wordpress.com
Thanks for visiting and for the nice comments!
What a cutie!!!!!
See what my little star is up to…
http://gmomj.wordpress.com/2010/06/11/starlite-finds-her-voice/
Thanks! Your little one is a cutie! I look forward to reading your blog more.
I can’t imagine how quickly the time will pass to when I no longer need a baby monitor! (I actually use the same one as you; my relationship to that monitor is more properly described as an addiction.) My little one is nine months old, and I just can’t believe how big he is already. I feel like he was one week old just last week, nevermind last year! I put away his swing last month, and that was traumatic. I cried and cried. Lame, I know. But every milestone seems to come and go much to quickly.
Isn’t it crazy how fast it goes?! It’s bittersweet. I still haven’t brought myself to giving away her clothes!
Awwww! I am not looking forward to getting rid of Noah’s baby monitor either. He is only a year old, but hey, its still gonna suck when the time comes. With all the scary stuff happening in this world, I totally don’t blame you for not wanting to take part in getting rid of your baby monitor. I wish you the best of luck for when ur lil girl goes to school and beyond!! 🙂 I also have a mommy blog and I have looked over yours and I like what I see!! I have started following you on twitter and I was also wondering if you would be interested in doing a mommy interview for my blog? You can see what they look like finished on my blog. If you are interested, please email me at theloveofmylifewearsdiapers@gmail.com
*Tanya*
“With a name like mommy, she has to be good!”
bcomingnoahsmom
http://www.bcomingnoahsmom.wordpress.com
Thanks, Tanya! I’m enjoying your blog too and I look forward to working on my Mommy Profile!
I’m feeling your pain! I have four kids and my youngest started holding her own bottle this week. That is when it dawned on me that my “baby days” will be behind me soon. It’s sad.
It’s sad and exciting — very bittersweet. Thanks for visiting and your comment!
What sweet pictures! I love your dog in the pic with her and all of her stuffed animals. TOO CUTE!
http://www.thedailyawe.com
Thanks for your comments! My Casey dog looks like a stuffed animal, doesn’t she? Too funny!
Ah we are getting rid of ours next week….
Good luck. Thanks for reading!
I’m feeling your pain. My little one is turning a year old Wednesday. We stopped breast feeding this week and I’m also realizing that it may be time to put away the rattles, but she did look at one yesterday so I’m holding onto hope that she may still want them therefore I can not pack them away.
Thanks for visiting and your comments. It’s so tough and heart-breaking at the same time.
Oh, this will be a sad day for me. My son is 18 months and I rely on the monitor each day and night! I was thinking I might even need it when he’s a teenager LOL. The time does fly by. I hate it. I want desperately to keep him as a baby!!!! Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!
Thank you so much! And thanks for visiting. We moms need to stick together!
Lovely. I’ve raised three kids. Seems like each moment with them is composed of something being let go and something new taking its place. It’s all a wonder.
What a beautiful comment. I love it! Thank you!
This brought a tear to my eye! My daughter is just about to reach that stage and it makes me want to hold on to the baby in her.
Thank you so much for reading and your comment! It’s such a bittersweet time! ‘Tis life I guess!
I am and am not looking forward to that day. My little one, Crocifisso is 15 months and even though I can hear him without the monitor. It is like a security blanket for me, to be able to turn on the monitor and see him sleeping peacefully or awake sitting in his crib playing with his bedtime pals.
Great post, thank you for sharing.
It is like a security blanket for us moms! Thanks so much for reading and your comment!
thnks
Thanks for visiting!
I work at a baby store and I’ve been selling Graco monitors for 3 years! But I don’t have any kids and I never get to see the other side of the sale. Enjoy your daughter’s childhood and embrace her progression. 🙂
I love your comment! I’ve shared it with a few people. And I never thought of the person making the sale! Thank you for reading and commenting!
When my granddaughter was born six years ago, I bought her one of those monitors, but I don’t think I ever saw her using it.
The Codger
http://thecodger.wordpress.com/
Every kid is different, right? Thanks for reading!
I feel you. I stopped breastfeeding last week. 🙁 Everytime my baby boy reaches another milestone (next clothing size, solid foods) I feel melancholy!
mamaincancun
http://whatamistilldoingincancun.wordpress.com/
It’s so true, isn’t it? On one hand, it’s exciting. And then the other, it’s so sad. I guess that’s part of their growing up! Good luck! Thanks for visiting and your comment.
Congratulations Sophie!
Our daughter is 9 month and everything was running really fast since my wife got pregnant.
We don’t need a monitor because our apartment is not so big.
I consider that the wi-fi router, 3 cell phones and a 2.4 G wireless landphone are just enough radiation for the moment.
And one more thing, we are not using the microwave for the babie’s food.
🙂
It’s crazy, I know! Some days I think we were better off without technology! Thanks for reading!
I know what you mean. My last baby just turned 1 year old and every little milestone seems to poignant to me. It’s good to savor the moments and appreciate them though. You can feel sentimental about the past and still embrace and acknowledge their accomplishments. It’s not exclusive. Great post!
http://www.DorkyDeb.com
Thanks so much for reading and your comment. They grow fast, don’t they?!
soooooooooooooo cute…hehe
Thanks!
My son will be 3 in October and I just gave away his baby clothes. I had the hardest time doing so and I even tried to talk my husband into getting a quilt made out of his baby clothes. He talked me out of it and thought I was crazy 🙂 It felt good giving them to a dear friend who will really benefit from having them, but oh so sad letting them go. Good luck mama! We have a long road of letting go ahead of us. 🙂
Thanks so much for your comment! I can’t imagine giving the clothes away! They’re all piled up in boxes. Love the quilt idea! I keep telling myself I’m saving them for my sisters. But really, I just can’t bring myself to do it.
good
Tike is 3 1/2. we had one of those monitors tat even went UNDER his mattress and reported (flashed/beeped/ticked) on his breathing. I am *that* mom. Even after he graduated to a tot bed, I had the hardest time retiring that monitor. It’s a bittersweet moment. 🙂
Very bittersweet. It’s amazing what will set us off! Thanks for reading and your comment. Good luck with your little one!
Me too its called Angel sounds or something like that. The alarm was LOUD, and yet when my lil guy was still tiny, and had colic, and we only got 2 or 3 hours of sleep a night , I managed to sleep through the alarm one night! My 9 year old daughter came from across the house running to check , but luckily he had just scooted away from the monitor under the mattress. It was a life saver one night he rolled and somehow his receiving blanket got wrapped around his head! He was only 2 months old at the time, so it was a fluke roll over, but the monitor went off when he lost consciousness! He is fine today at 18 months BUT I truly believe without the Angel monitor I would have lost him right then! They are worth every single penny!
Wow, talk about a life-savings device! Glad your son is doing well today. Thanks for reading and your comments!
She is as cute as when she was a week old
and yes time does fly! but I am sure you being a mom. Good changes means good:-)
Thank you so much!
Any sort of milestone can be a bit difficult and bitterweet… what a beautiful little girl!
Thank you for reading and your comments.
cute.ness. that standard newborn nugget shot gets me always! Every Baby, Every Time. my little (almost 2.5yo) never had the monitor, but the shedding of the baby paraphernalia is something i notice often and with a tinge of bittersweet. good luck, mama!
I can relate. I can’t bring myself to get rid of her clothes yet! Thanks for reading and your comment!
I dont have any kids yet but I am already dreading the days like this…not as much as i am looking forward to everything else though!!
http://sylviangirl.wordpress.com/
Thanks for reading and your comment. I do think the great moments outweigh the tough ones! Good luck to you!
Congratulations Sophie!
Thanks for reading and your comment!
I can relate! Im struggling with the idea of letting go of my baby’s video monitor. Yeah. So much for baby, he will be 3 next month just like Sophie. I have come to the realization that its not about him anymore. Its about what I need. He does not need the monitor. On the one hand, I really dont need it anymore either. On the other hand, it gives me great comfort throughout the night to just look over at it and see that he is sleeping peacefully. Im not ready to let go….yet!
Props to you and Sophie!
Anna
http://annalex.wordpress.com
You summed it up perfectly! It’s about our needs; not theirs! Thanks for reading and your comment. Happy almost birthday to your little one!
My baby’s name is Sophie, too! She’s 1 1/2 years right now, but I can already see how active she’s becoming. I grow closer and closer to experiencing the moment when she’s no longer my little princess baby girl and she becomes an active toddler. I enjoyed your post and I wish you luck!
Thank you so much! Good luck to your little Sophie too!
🙂
my boy is only 4 months only and it kills me that time is going so quickly. i love seeing him flourish but im kinda sad that time just goes so quickly. i want to preserve every single moment. my heart just broke when i had to put the newborn sized clothes away and make space for the next stage. hmm … watching baby grow is bittersweet … but always more sweet than anything else
Thanks for reading and your comment. I know what you mean — I can’t bear to give Sophie’s old clothes away! Good luck!
awww she’s adorable! My best friend/roommate has a daughter and I remember like it was this morning when we were trying to get her to crawl. Now she runs away, talks, makes imitations, and copies everything we do. It’s flabbergasting.
It’s crazy, huh? Thanks for reading and your comment.
Sometimes they can get into even more trouble in their rooms when you THINK they are sleeping. Our two year old gets out everything from his dresser drawers and the closet. I wish we still had the baby monitor hooked up in his room.
I was thinking the same thing the other day when I found Sophie in her room after bedtime making a fort with her stuffed animals! Thanks for reading and your comments!
Interesting … We didn’t have baby monitors, of course, just baby cries … but I was just thinking the other day that after the first baby came, I gave up music.
I raised four. I had always listened to radio before being a mother. But what if you couldn’t hear the cry because the radio was on? They’re grandparents now, but I never got the radio habit back.
P.S. You’ll be just fine. I promise.
It’s crazy, huh? Thanks for reading and your comment. Amazing how those habits stick with you!
I feel you. I stopped breastfeeding last week. Everytime my baby boy reaches another milestone (next clothing size, solid foods) I feel melancholy!
It’s so wonderful, yet tough at the same time! Good luck. Thanks for reading and commenting!
I am still mourning the move from 0000 to 000 clothes… I can only imagine what it must have been like to give up the baby monitor! These are the little things I never even thought about, let alone understood, before I had my baby. It certainly is a whole other world!
Yes, it’s such a different world, isn’t it? Wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time. Thanks for reading and your comment.
Well said. I love the monitor. We live just a couple blocks from our office and I really want to create a SUPER monitor so not to incur child care costs! Not really, but I’m a fan of the monitor. It’s my new alarm clock. Great blog.
SulliDad
http://sullidad.wordpress.com
Thanks so much! Love the super monitor idea. Let me know if you figure that one out!
Not looking forward to that day, either, especially considering that she isn’t even born yet! I’m due at the end of Sept (28). Considering that my role with my fiance is reversed (he’s the stay-at-home person to take care of the baby), I just know it will tear me up. I have a lot of experience letting go of critters (my house is something like a halfway house for critters that need homes, so I get really attached and then I have to let go again), but I’m not so sure I’m gonna be able to do the same with my little girl! Thank you for sharing this little tidbit of life with us.
Thanks for reading and your comment. Get ready for a wonderful and crazy adventure!
I felt the same way when we removed the monitor from our daughter’s room. She would come out of her room all the time so we ended up putting up a gate in from of her door. This, in turn, made me feel like I’d put her in prison…. Now we have a one-year old and have the monitor again. Letting go a second time will be just as hard.
I’m right there with you! I’ve gone from monitor to baby gate, or prison. Thanks for reading and your comment.
From my experience my wife and I got rid of our baby monitor too early. Not that our boy needed it for his protection, but that his parent’s could have used it as an early warning system for when he was about to waddle down the hall and enter our bedroom unannounced. “No, son. Mom & Dad were just playing tent.”
Too funny! Thanks for reading!
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Thanks for reading and your comments. I’ll for sure check out your candle blog. I do love candles!
So funny, we JUST asked ourselves last night…when do people give up the monitor? My answer? When the kids are 10. 😉
My daughter is 3yrs old also.. Baby monitor is still in her room, but I never really put it on anymore.. it is very wild how fast they grow.
http://geelo.wordpress.com
Keep on such a cute baby Wow I can see how though that is but don’t worry Sophie is still at a young age
Will you also lead people to my blog I am a new comer http://lighterbright.wordpress.com please rate and Upload more photos of sweetie sophie Thanks
Big step, letting go. I have 4 kids, now adult, but I never had a baby-monitor.
Wow! The comparison between the one week and now photos are incredible. She’s lovely!
I understand attachment to symbolic items – but she will always need you. Even when she’s 16 and moody and angry, she’ll need you. She might not tell you that, but you’ll be the first hug she wants when she gets her heart broken, and you’ll be the first one she’ll want to tell when she gets an A+ for math.
All the best!
Lee
http://leeschmidt.wordpress.com
I have that exact baby monitor on right now. Hard to imagine it getting put away into a box someday!
http://newdad.ca
Whel I haven’t got one… and I don’t think I need one, it is pleasure to watch your baby growing, not come when he starts crying…
I love my baby monitor – although Nadia can get out of bed, door handles in NZ are often much higher and she can’t open the door. We have also had two largeish houses and I’ve liked that my kids didn’t have to scream and scream for me to notice them if I’m off trying to do something useful.
Also, I use it when she falls asleep in the car and stays asleep in the garage. We get one sleep per day and I don’t mess with it whenever it happens!
I even used it when I had to pick my son up from preschool next door when Nadia was (newborn) napping.
I came across this post from the WordPress page, and it touched my heart – to think of the way they grow. Our daughter is about to turn 1 year, so we’ve probably got a long time to go with the monitor. But I like to imagine what she’ll be like when she starts toddling and speaking, and being more grown-up than she is now.
It’s amazing how they develop 🙂
awe she’s cute! Keep the monitor, it’s useful when they’re teens, only you have to cleverly hide it.
Great post. When those little things disapear forever, it can suprisingly heartbreaking. My five-year-old is the last child in the house. No more toddlers or babies. It is great and sad all at the same time.
I have a 3.5 month old and reading this post makes me a little sad about the future, but also excited to see the little person she becomes.
very nice. thanks you
it is difficult to decide…..
I’m glad you are now entering a new chapter in parenthood. It must be very hard at first, since you have been used in having a baby monitor to safeguard your little one. Anyway, good luck!
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