Looking for an out of the ordinary cradle? I’m pretty sure that I’ve located one for you.  The lovely piece of art seen above is a rocking cradle that resembles a tiny boat.  The cradle hangs from a suspension system that can later be removed to transform your little ones rocking cradle into a wagon or put on a rocker to convert to a tiny rocking boat.

The gorgeous ship is crafted with a mahogany backbone and planed with cypress.  It can be finished in a variety of child and eco-friendly ways.

$US3200 from Beaver Boat Works.   You can also purchase the bedding for the ship on the website.

In some ways, the downside to my job is that I see too many baby products. While others may walk in to a baby superstore and say, “I’ll have that, that and that in the Heritage Teak, thanks”, I’m wondering about whether a $4,000 Dutch designed, polyurethane and walnut baby cot is the ultimate statement piece.

When reality kicks in and I realise that my budget doesn’t stretch to avant-garde concept furniture, it’s time to draw up a good ol’ list of what my requirements are, before finding the right match.

Last time around, I used a borrowed Moses basket for the first four months. It was pretty, light, and portable although my son soon started scratching on the wicker. Not the most pleasant noise at 4am.
Hammocks look fantastic and are apparently great for settling – but installing a suspended version from my ceiling would probably not be welcomed by my landlord. As for the ones on a stand – well, I have a two-year-old who doesn’t know his own strength.

I love the look of the Seed and Cariboo wood and canvas cradles, but they don’t rock and aren’t on wheels. There is something quite lovely about putting your newborn to sleep in whatever room you’re in, especially during the babygaze phase when you’re too worried to take your eyes off them lest they are kidnapped by pixies.

So in the end, I went for a solid, rocking cradle on wheels, a larger size that would give at least 4-6 months use, during which time I could transition my son out of his converted cot and into a Big Boy Bed.

It’s standing forlornly in our sunroom. I will make room for it sometime in the next 10 weeks, just not right now, OK?

Update from last week: after a few goes at standing on my head and a vigorous yoga session, I think baby may have moved 180 degrees, so getting closer to head down, bum up! Never under estimate the power of humiliating body contortions.