Sunday, December 7, 2008

Things Have Changed

Kids keep you on your toes. Constantly changing, growing, doing new things. It is a wonderful thing to watch....and at the same time, completely terrifying.

I bought Connor a new toy...brightly colored textured plastic rings that can be linked together, hooked on things, etc. I hung a few links from the handle of his carrier and was pleased to see that not only did he stare at them raptly, he grabbed them, pulled them, and put them in his mouth. This was a big developmental milestone for him, because before this he wasn't really grabbing and holding things so much as occassionally swinging an arm at them as though he didn't like having them in his personal space. To not only grab, but put in his mouth too? It means he's figured out what those little hands are for! Yay! You think this might have alarmed as well as delighted me...but nope. I was just happy.

Later I had him laying on the dryer while I was did the laundry clothes. It is a safe enough place for my little non-roller. I had the links dangling from the door of a cabinet above the dryer for him to look at and play with. They weren't directly over his head like they are with the carrier and as I was folding clothes I saw him twist his torso up so he was almost on his side in order to give him better access to the links. "Oh...he may start rolling soon now afterall!" I thought with pride. "My little guy is driving a truck through those milestones!"

Was I alarmed? Nope, not at all...not until I saw this:

I had put him in his Bumbo seat and while I was watching him he just sat there contentedly observing his surroundings, seeming completely innocent. I walked around the corner to grab a dish cloth and when I returned I see Mr. Don't-Mind-Me-I'm-Just-Sitting-Here getting into my oranges.

That is when I started to freak out.

It is one thing for him to happily grab at the perfectly safe, non-choking hazard toys I give him, and another thing entirely for him to be GETTING INTO THINGS. He's only three months old! I thought I had another couple of months at least of having a nice, calm baby who would still be where I put him when I set him down. Now I have a baby who is approaching mobility in a semi, and I have to think about where I put him and what might be in range of those curious little fingers.

Wasn't it enough that I had to worry about SIDS, reflux, RSV, daycare, and other people? Now I gotta worry about choking hazards, falling hazards, poisions, and whatever stuff the dog has managed to drag around. I need to baby proof...and to be entirely honest, I am not ready. I don't own a single baby-proofing item. I'm not even entirely sure where I need to start.

Connor, can't you stay the way you are just a little while longer? No? ...**sigh** that's what I thought....

2 comments:

Stephanie F. said...

Nice blog. :-) And great video! Let me know if you need help baby proofing!! Funny enough, we just installed baby locks on our cabinets (for the cats). :-)

Nana said...

LOL, that was just too funny, its been such a long time, I dont know where to tell u to begin, except for the beginning keep things all the floor and vaccuum every day or he will have the tinest little thing in his mouth, and when he poops ur going to think what the H what is that.