Guck

Hailey is taking after her oldest brother. Every time I have gone to get her out of her crib after a nap she has had a leg stuck between the crib slats. Spencer had the same problem when he was her age - and maybe even older. He would get caught and we would hear him screaming "GUCK! GUCK!" as in "STUCK! STUCK!". He would be so stuck that a couple of times I thought we were going to have to saw the crib slat off. I didn't have any idea how to do that without causing more injury, but hearing your baby scream in pain as you are trying to "unguck" their leg is just torture.

We didn't know what to do in Spencer's case. I scoured the baby catalogs and internet websites and chat rooms to try to find someone with a baby that got his legs caught in crib slats, but apparently, we were the only parents with that particular issue. I found solutions for babies that climb out of cribs, but not "guck" babies. We needed something to cover the slats that he couldn't get his leg through but would still be breathable and let air circulate. Thus the idea of the crib screen was born. It was not pretty hooked up there with its cable ties sticking out willy nilly - but it did the job! No more GUCK! Naturally, now there must be a whole epidemic of leg/crib trappings because you can now buy a net like device very similar to the one Trent and I made in the One Step Ahead catalog and I am sure other places as well. We should have gotten a patent. Someone is living the life of luxury on our million dollar idea!

Poor Hailey was super stuck today. Today was one of the days where the saw crosses through your mind. I was finally able to free her with a little baby oil on the slats to let her big ol' thigh slide through. She was crying so hard I was worried that she was really hurt, but once I got her out and gave her a big hug she was fine except for the giant red "guck" mark on her leg.

So I called Trent on the cell and told him to stop at the Home Depot to pick up some screening. It was time to recreate our invention. So we did. Isn't it pretty?

Hailey doesn't know what to think of her new digs. She must feel like she is in a bug keeper.

Spencer found the leftover screening and came to me looking just like this and asked "Mom, can you use this to make me a bee hat? Then when I see bees, they won't be able to sting me." I totally cracked up!