Lowering A Crib Mattress Is A B-Word

Since we have the same crib/mattress/box spring that we used with Grayson, I have put together, taken apart, adjusted, lifted, lowered, and tightened it many times. I have been realizing for a couple of weeks now that the mattress needed to be lowered again for Kendrick since he has begun to pull to a stand and otherwise climb on anything around him that is wobbly and unsafe. At first my excuse for not lowering it yet was that I needed the Allan wrench to make the adjustment and didn’t know where it was in the garage. Then Brent brought a toolbox in that had a whole load of the things. The problem now was remembering to adjust the darned thing! Nearly every time Kendrick or Grayson was napping or after I laid them down at night I would remember with an angry grunt that I hadn’t done the chore. Then when Kendrick would wake up I ran into his room in fear that he would fall out of the crib and break an arm or crack his skull open on impact with the floor. So, finally, I remembered before putting the kiddos to bed, and grabbed the toolbox.

In the past when lowering the spring-thing, I took the blankets, toys, animals and mattress off before setting to work, thinking that it would help immensely. But this time I figured what the heck? It shouldn’t be that hard! By golly it’ll be easier if I don’t have to take all that crap off and then put it back on! Therefore I set to work. I unscrewed the first of the four screws without the slightest problem! But, with the second one, as soon as the screw was out, my ankle (which was under the crib due to the way I was sitting on the floor) was in agony! The stinking thing fell down fast and hard and landed on my poor, unfortunate foot. I was so mad! But, I ignored the aching pain and started turning the screws into the new holes as far as they would go before moving to the other side.

So off to the other end of the crib I went. This time the first screw came out a little harder, because of the weight from the other side. Thankfully I had expected this and it didn’t faze me much. After pulling the crib out a foot or two, I then climbed part way behind it and situated myself into an awkward position on the floor in the corner between the wall and the crib; with little light. This screw proved to be the most difficult to turn. Because of the weight from the three other corners that were pulling down, I had to counter it and lift with my free hand. Not an easy task when you’re in an awkward position on the floor in the corner between the crib and the wall. But I prevailed! After a lot of effort, I got the stupid screw out. Now it was time to get the holes matched up and the screw replaced. First, I had to lower the thing to the correct spot. Oh dear. My hands apparently aren’t small enough (even though my wedding ring is size 4 ¼) and I couldn’t figure how to get past one piece of the crib without having an extra joint between my wrist and elbow. So I tried doing the exact same thing 3 times, tried something different, and then got a horrible leg cramp. This leg cramp was seriously horrid. Because of my awkward sitting position on the floor in the corner between the crib and the wall, and because of the fact that the spring thing was only partly screwed in on one end and being held up by my crushed hand on the other, I had no way of kicking out this leg cramp. I squirmed and hit it. I shook my leg and stretched it. But this stupid position wasn’t giving me anything. Therefore I did the worst possible thing: I ignored it.

While trying to ignore the ridiculous pain in my left upper thigh, I finally got the holes matched up and the screw in tight. Thus, I began the tormenting process of standing up. Let me remind you that this was not easy because of the awkward position I was sitting in on the floor in the corner between the crib and the wall, and also the leg cramp that had grown more painful and was tightening uncomfortably. But I somehow made it to a fully upright position once again. I climbed out from my weird spot, and sat down to replace the screw from the other side of this end. This screw was amazingly simple! And after returning the crib to its rightful resting place, I returned to the first end to tighten the screws that had awaited me. 40 minutes after starting this “project” of lowering the crib mattress spring thing, I was sore and finished.

I hope you’re happy Kendrick. I just saved your life from the possibility of pulling yourself to a stand and then falling out of the crib because your mattress was at the topmost setting. You’re welcome.