The 'easy' stage of Punky's life is officially over, although at this same time in Thomas's life, I thought the hard part was just ending. She is officially crawling. She doesn't fully appreciate that she can get into every cupboard,box,bag and shelf that she can possibly see, but it's not long. She is also pretty chunky still, so it's sometimes hard for her to maneuver her leg around to the proper position, and she seems like she gets a bit tired after holding herself up on all fours. But, she's cute and she's ready to move.
This is a somewhat bittersweet moment for a parent. As a Mom, it's exciting to see her growing up and so pleased with her new skills, but the beginning of crawling marks one of the most challenging times for parents in baby/toddler life. You can no longer set the baby down, walk away for a second and feel secure that she cannot get into any trouble. If you have stairs, you have to worry that if you can't see your baby, she might be trying to crawl up the stairs, or that she may be ready to fall down the stairs. If you have cabinets or breakable things within reach (and they can always reach further than you thought!), you have to rearrange your house, put up gates and child-lock the cabinets. There are actual companies who charge you money to do what might take you a couple hours max unless you are lucky enough to live in a 20,000 square foot house. I'll assume you don't.
And, then there are the little (and by little I mean size) things like poweroutlets and tiny objects like pennies, matchbox car parts, barbie shoes, stickers, paperclips, and other such items that cause choking and digestive harm. This part of baby/toddlerhood is high maintenance and exhausting for parents, amazingly exciting for baby, and calls for a major celebration when it's over and you can trust your kid to walk freely without falling, tasting everything they come across and/or destroying everything they come across. This is my third time (and last) through this journey, so I'll try to enjoy it. But, I'll have a nice glass of wine or two waiting for me at the end!
This is a somewhat bittersweet moment for a parent. As a Mom, it's exciting to see her growing up and so pleased with her new skills, but the beginning of crawling marks one of the most challenging times for parents in baby/toddler life. You can no longer set the baby down, walk away for a second and feel secure that she cannot get into any trouble. If you have stairs, you have to worry that if you can't see your baby, she might be trying to crawl up the stairs, or that she may be ready to fall down the stairs. If you have cabinets or breakable things within reach (and they can always reach further than you thought!), you have to rearrange your house, put up gates and child-lock the cabinets. There are actual companies who charge you money to do what might take you a couple hours max unless you are lucky enough to live in a 20,000 square foot house. I'll assume you don't.
And, then there are the little (and by little I mean size) things like poweroutlets and tiny objects like pennies, matchbox car parts, barbie shoes, stickers, paperclips, and other such items that cause choking and digestive harm. This part of baby/toddlerhood is high maintenance and exhausting for parents, amazingly exciting for baby, and calls for a major celebration when it's over and you can trust your kid to walk freely without falling, tasting everything they come across and/or destroying everything they come across. This is my third time (and last) through this journey, so I'll try to enjoy it. But, I'll have a nice glass of wine or two waiting for me at the end!
RSS Feed
