Our Swing
July 09 2010 My parents bought us a portable swing when I was pregnant with Jedi. I didn’t know what I was doing after he was born. He and I both had a lot to learn. It took awhile, but we eventually found our way. Before then, however, he spent more time in that swing than he should have, gazing at its lights and falling asleep with the sounds. Once he grew from a small infant to a weight-exceeding baby, the swing was folded up and put in storage until next time.
During the 3rd trimester with Buzz, I lumbered my big belly to the basement in search of the swing. When Buzz was born, I felt more comfortable, more sure as a mother. Except the swing was the only place I could get him to sleep for any decent amount. I remember panicking, worried he’d use it forever. Of course, he ultimately grew tired of its confines. Soon after, the swing was folded and put in storage until next time.
Many months into my pregnancy with Abby, I brought out the familiar swing. Once born, her initial reaction to its back and forth motion was not pleasant. She wasn’t in it often, but gradually the soothing sways found her mesmerized. And then it snapped, broken and unfunctional. We tried replacing with a different chair, but it wasn’t the same. The swing that had been with us for each of my 3 babies was folded one last time and stowed in the closet.
We placed this broken swing out for the trash recently. It was my choice. I wanted to make room in the closet. It’s not as if there will be a next time, anyway. The finality as I watched the garbage collectors haul it in their truck, however, tugged at my emotions. We no longer have a swing patiently waiting it’s later use. The swing that held the scent and memories of my newborns. The swing that swayed each of them to sleep. The swing that shifted and buckled under their growing bulk. Our swing. It was a piece of the past of our family. And I threw it in the trash. My fickled heart says I wish I hadn’t.
19 Responses
on July 09 2010
With only one kid, we’ve been keeping everything – clothes, toys, baby gear – in anticipation of an expansion someday. But I know once we’re done with babies, it’s going to be incredibly hard for me to get rid of the things that would’ve nurtured and clothes my little ones. When they hit their miletones as they age, so do we in our acceptance of the change and the ability to let go.
Justine’s latest post: Project Band-Aid
on July 9th, 2010
@Justine, We lost some of my first born’s baby clothes in a move and 6 years later I’m still bummed about that. Apparently I don’t accept and let go very well.
on July 09 2010
Ah yes….you know we just sold all the baby stuff in a huge garage sale. It was harder than I thought to let all that stuff go. I think it’s easier knowing someone else is going to USE it. It’s gotta be harder taking it to the curb…
Best,
Tina
on July 9th, 2010
@Tina, In a way it’s easier, but then you start thinking and daydreaming about when your baby was a baby and… it’s a slippery slope.
on July 09 2010
This made me a little sad. It’s like your swing was the velveteen rabbit – loved, used, and forgotten. Poor Swing…but then I remember that the swing is inanimate and I’m okay again. Hope you are too.
Marilyn’s latest post: Passing On a Love of Reading to Your Kids Top 10 Books I Can’t Wait to Read to My Kids
on July 9th, 2010
@Marilyn, It may be inanimate, but it held a lot of life.
on July 09 2010
We bought most of our baby stuff second-hand, which is why I think I don’t have an attachment to most of it. It’s our family’s turn with it, just as it was someone’s turn before us and will be someone’s turn after us. But I did get wistful when my little ones got too big for things. They grow much too fast, and your swing is such a tangent reminder of that!
Stacia’s latest post: Red- Why- -amp Blue
on July 9th, 2010
@Stacia, Most of ours was hand-me-down, too, and it is easier when you know someone else might come to love it just as much as you. The swing was one of the few items bought new.
on July 09 2010
First-born had colic and spent her first four months SLEEPING in the swing (please don’t call CPS on me)–it was survival, man. The swing was an old relic given to us from a family friend. It saved our lives, and I was sad to see it go.
TheKitchenWitch’s latest post: A summer tradition- Breakfast Popsicles
on July 9th, 2010
@TheKitchenWitch, I won’t call on you if you don’t call on me. Buzz didn’t have colic but just didn’t want to sleep anywhere else.
on July 09 2010
Oh I feel for you. I’m in that phase too. Youngest is six and there definitely will be no more. It’s time to get rid of the crib and high chair I have up in the attic.
And, oh that sweet scent of newborns. Brings back beautiful memories.
Cathy’s latest post: Back from the East-
on July 9th, 2010
@Cathy, The last big item we have left is the high chair. I might be a mess when that goes.
on July 09 2010
Sometimes I get so caught up in decluttering our place, I throw out items that I shouldn’t. I always regret it later, although I’ve been doing a better job of keeping my daughter’s first stuff. Hopefully you got a picture of the swing, a reminder of how you loved it.
Rudri Patel’s latest post: The Domino Effect
on July 10th, 2010
@Rudri Patel, I do have pictures, of each of them in it. Thank God for digital cameras and never deleting a picture.
on July 11 2010
Oh, I hate that. I often wish I had a whole extra room or storage shed or something to store all the sentimental things we have no room for. I save some things, but not all, even though I wish I could!
Steph
on July 11 2010
Oh I feel for you – I’m getting ready to ‘loan’ out some baby girl stuff and it’s pulling at my heart strings!
on July 12 2010
I’m like many others and sell/give away everything. Part of my “hoarder” mentality is that I just can’t throw things away, even if they are broken … because surely someone, somewhere can continue making good use of them.
I can imagine the tug on your heart saying goodbye to the swing. It was a good swing.
Kelly’s latest post: At the beach
on July 12th, 2010
@Kelly, If there was any way to fix it, we would have. We thought about glue, even gorilla tape. Nothing would have been strong enough, though.
on July 12 2010
We have just such a swing. My oldest wasn’t fond of it, my youngest adored it, and I admit I adored him because he adored it. It made life easier in the those early months. And ours now sits tucked away in the basement anxiously waiting for whatever decision will be made in our home. I’m secretly hoping it makes one more trip into our living room.
Christine LaRocque’s latest post: Wistful