Babyproofing

Here is a short article I wrote about a year ago:

I have the most difficult task ahead of me: Babyproofing the unbabyproofable apartment! It's not like it should be a big deal. I mean, I only need one room for my (just about) 7 month old daughter to play in a safe environment, but everywhere I look I see a big red light flashing "BABY HAZARD- STAY AWAY!"

I pretty much narrowed her potential play area to our dining room (if you want to call it that, as there is no dining room furniture) /living room. The bedroom  (just the 1) : has a plus side: it is carpeted and a negative side: there is no space for her to move. The kitchen, "spacious" as it is, has ceramic tiles. While that was a big plus when we moved here, now all I'm thinking about is my poor baby, G-d forbid falling over from her sitting position and possibly banging her head on the hard floor. No. My baby girl is staying OUT of the kitchen until she can walk. Why worry about her getting into the pots and pans cabinets if she won't even be allowed in the room.

That being said, let's get back to the dining room. It basically consists of my daughters toys taking up most of the walking space. Every piece of the baby equipment in there, I consider money well spent. I recall my husband complaining to me "Why did you buy ....., we don't need it!" over almost everything my daughter owns. Well, Haw Haw now mister, you tell me just how much she uses all of it. And that is, A LOT! In all honestly, if I wouldn't have bought any of these "non-essential" items, my baby would have lived in her car seat, and then stroller for a change of scenery.

Right, so besides all the baby gear in the DR, we have the computer desk (wires EVERYWHERE if my daughter decides to crawl under there. Oh, and when I say crawl- I mean roll over and over and turn 360 degrees on her tummy.) We also have a fishtank and stand (which she can probably eventually get into. (The stand, not the actual tank) I have a dreaded feeling she might attempt to eat fish food flakes one day...) Then there is a stuffed to the brim bookshelf. Now, if my daughter takes after me AT ALL, I worry it might topple over when she tries to take a book out. There is also the "Closet of Doom", the walk-in closet that is far from being walk-in any more. More like a "step-in" closet. Because that's all you're able to do in it- take one step in. Woe to whoever attempts to take something out of there. Unless you are me, and can "jenga" the pieces out of there carefully one at a time to a tune of suspenseful music.

What's the worst hazard in the room? That would be the two steps going from the kitchen to the DR. Almost all my visitors seem to miss them, even after I call out "Mind the steps!" I suppose I'll have to get one of those baby gates for it, annoying as it is, this area has the most traffic. I debated getting a fenced in area. I forget what it was called, but I saw it on babiesrus.com. I decided against it when I saw 99% of the happy reviews were from people who kept their dogs in it. Yuck! Keep my child in a "cage"? I shall NOT!

So, on a still-undecided on what-to-do note, I'll sign off here. I have more important things to worry about, like why my baby hasn't pooped in over a day? I suppose it's a good thing that I'm a stay at home/work from home mom. I can keep an eye on my little sweetheart, keeping her out of trouble.