Lessons in Parenthood #658

Will is on the move. He officially is crawling now and while this is great fun to watch, it also takes this parenthood thing up to an entirely new level. Gone are the days of putting him down in one spot and expecting him to stay there. Now we have to keep a constant, very watchful eye on him so he doesn't cause bodily harm to himself or to the family cat.

This past weekend we decided it was time to baby proof. We went to the mother of all baby items stores, Babies R' Us, and picked up a variety of baby proof items that bare a strange resemblance to Medieval torture devices. Outlet plugs, cabinet locks, coffee table bumper...and this is where we ran into lesson #658. Billy and I enjoy our house looking neat and nicely decorated but we quickly realized, after pulling the coffee table bumper out of its package, that there is no way to look couth with a ghetto, rubber, gray bumper pad lining your nice Pottery Barn table. Oh, and our nice limestone fireplace with a ledge would need one of these gray beauties, as well. In addition, it was time to remove any decorative item that could come within baby's grasp and this included removing a relatively unstable three-legged round table with a pretty lamp perched on it. A moment of sadness came upon us as we (temporarily) said goodbye to our nicely decorated, adult-friendly house when we realized we will need to live like this for a few years, particularly if a baby #2 comes along. However, the sadness was quickly replaced with resignation and an understanding that keeping our son safe and happy is more important than any Tiffany-replica lamp adorning our living room. This is the lesson learned: having a child makes you more selfless than you could have ever imagined. So while my son is only 8 months old, he already has made his mama a better person. Who needs nice furniture? I say bring on the gray tubing...