I've always had my newborn babies sleep right next to me (not in the same bed... in their own little bed) for the first few weeks before moving them to a separate room. I would probably have them stay in the same room as me longer than that, but I have become a super light sleeper since having kids, and I eventually wake up to even the slightest movement of the baby. So for my own sanity and needed rest, I put some distance between us early on, and I figure if the baby really needs something I will easily hear him from one room away.
With the first two boys we borrowed a basinet to use. But with this one I thought I would simply use what we had and make it work—maybe it will work even better. I transformed our port-a-crib into this baby station. I really wanted everything I might need in the middle of the night and wee hours of the morning within reach, so I made this pocket storage to go on the front from an old curtain we weren't using. It houses the diapers, burp cloths, diaper cloths, lotions, change of clothes, pacifiers, bedding and a few other things I might need.
Inside the crib is a changing pad that the baby will sleep on, extra blankets, and a basket for the wipes and my books. I always read when I nurse and already have a growing stack of books just waiting to be read. I'm rather excited to have something to force me to slow down and pick up a book.
