Giving Thanks - Day 13

Day thirteen:

I am thankful for the Snuza Halo movement monitor.  From day one, I have been so paranoid about SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).  Actually, let's be honest...I am a FREAK about it.  Like most new parents, I find myself checking Jake in his sleep to make sure he's breathing, but, for a while, I couldn't even sleep if Jake was asleep because I was so consumed by my fears.  After some post partum anxiety and hormones calmed down, I thought my SIDS paranoia would calm as well, but it really hasn't much.  We removed the adorable owl bumper and replaced it with a mesh one, no blankets or stuffed animals are allowed in his crib, he's swaddled in a zip up pod instead of a blanket which could get around his face, and, obviously, he's placed on his back to sleep. 
These are all precautions "they" recommend to help prevent SIDS and have all helped bring a little peace of mind.  But the most relief for me has come in the form of the Angel Care movement monitor that Carene let us borrow.  It's a plate which is placed under the crib matress which detects movement and breathing and will alert if nothing is detected within a certain # of seconds.  It has been wonderful, but it doesn't travel with us and can't monitor him at day care, so we found the Snuza.  It does the same thing as the plate, it's just a small monitor that clips right onto the diaper.  No wires, nothing.  This makes me feel so much better for when he's at day care and for when we spend the night away from home.  It's so small and it only weighs 1 ounce, so it doesn't cause Jake any discomfort.  This is what we use now any time he's sleeping.

I'm sure some of you must think we are crazy (Ms. Bea, our day care lady, included) and I want to stress that I am in no way suggesting that I care about my child any more than mothers who do not take this measure.  I am just crazy and neurotic.  I wish it wasn't so, but it is, so I am thankful for this modern technology.