Please help! We have a crawler!

[sarahfran]

Oh Rashmi... I so feel your pain! I'm in exactly the same place, only I've been here for a while... getting more and more tense about Dylan's new mobility and all the hazards my home poses!

I too have considered hiring someone to babyproof--I think mainly beause I'm so overwhelmed by the task. Reading everyone's responses to you has me double-convinced that I just need to get off my tuff and do it.

If only Dylan would be content with all the lovely toys we've bought or been given. He's far more fascinated with the doghair globs, the electrical cords, the specks of crud he carefully extracts from the carpet...

I can only imagine what a nervous nelly I'll be when he starts driving!
-Sarah
Mom to Dylan, 8/18/03

:) Motherhood is such a joy! :)

[papal]

Sarah, i am with you with the toys thing.. why do we bother?? She does not like anything in primary colors, i am convinced. She detects that these are toys and hence not to be played with. I should start a toy company with black and grey toys (remotes, phones,modems , keyboards etc).. i bet i would make a killing!! :)
Right now Leela's fav toys are:
1. One small tube of Vaseline for chapped lips that i found in dh's camera case. It expired in the year 2000 so i do not even know when it was bought.
2. One small jar of Carmex for chapped lips (don't ask, we have so many chapped-lips thingies because we can never find one when we need it).

Both are sealed tightly and are not choking-hazards and I watch when she plays with them..but right next to her are linkadoos, felt balls, a piano-xylophone thingy, various stuffed toys etc. What is up with that??!!

[stillplayswithbarbies]

Rashmi, we used the Superyard XT at first until we got "un-overwhelmed" with the baby proofing.

If we were right there with her, she was in an open area, but if we had to step out of the room, or pay attention to something like a phone call, we plopped her down in the Superyard.

We were able to take it to my mom's too so she didn't have to babyproof when we were there. And now we plan to use it outside. So it's getting plenty of use,but at first it was a way for us to contain her safely when we needed to.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[megulis]

Well, I am in the mist of trying to figure out gates also. My 10 mo ds is in the beginning stages of learning to crawl. I am going to order Kidco PlayDen from babycatalog and am thinking about becoming a member for the 10% discount. Here is a post about that:

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/dcboar...ode=full&page=

I am buying a conversion kit from KidCo for $66 (includes S&H) to make that a ConfigureGate. I was thinking if you are willing to spend the money that may be a good idea for you to start off. Use the PlayDen until you figure out all the things you need to buy.

I also have the Superyard XT that I bought from TRU. It is in two pieces right now sectioning off the speakers and stereo equipment. Doesn't look pretty, but I thought we could also use it for outdoors or if kids come over on a play date which I have never done.

I think I am basically going overboard. We also want to move. I guess that is why I am buying things that can maybe be used in all sorts of openings.

Good luck!

[squimp]

I think they believe the primary colors are not going to be fun. I just got a pile (OK, 2) of those Lamaze toys, which all babies supposedly love, and Sophia picked them up for the first time, then immediately tossed them behind her, as if to say "this sucks - what else do we have?" I would buy your grey and black toys - also we need baby keys.

The problem is, though, that Sophia knows which things are important. I hand her the VCR remote, which is virtually useless, and she still wants the TV remote, even though it is nearly identical. I gave her my keys for a moment's distraction and she was immediately setting off the car alarm. I'm not even sure how she did it - the car made as noise I had never heard before! How do they know just what NOT to do?

My hope is that I can stay just slightly ahead of her for as long as I can....:)

[hellosmiletoday]

I just ventured into the baby-proofing forum to get some ideas...and was wondering how did you "baby-proof" your computer? I have a computer desk in HER ROOM. Its our baby room/office. Originally I was going to have the family room as her "play" area...but with all the plugs, it might make more sense to fix her room?!? To make matters worse I will be moving when DD is 13 months...so I don't want to invest too much time and money into it, and spend my last week here unscrewing all the baby locks. I wonder if those large giant pens will be sufficient for her until we move?

Mommy to baby girl 5.8.04

[Lynnie]

I have one suggestion, although its not exactly what you are looking for.

For my first little guy, i made a giant play area with these gates from todays kid i think. they are a set of 6 interlocking gates about 2 feet tall in primary colors, and two have toys and stuff on them. i think it is called a play yard (they sell on ebay alot) but i bought three sets of them at various consignment stores, garage sales etc., and then was able to block off a really big space. i bought some of that colorful interlocking mat for the floor, and then made a huge pen of 5x3 gates. i didn't want to have to hook it to the wall, so i just had one long (5 gate) end up against our front windows - floor to ceiling ones) and it was great. the baby could see out, but not get out.

the primary colors definitely did not fit in with our decor, but our guy loved it, and a ton of toys fit in there (activity garden, another crawling fun toy, and plastic boxes of balls, books, toys, etc) as well as the baby and a couple of adults.

now that my second guy is about to start crawling, i am going to have to see what i can do to convince my husband to agree to it going up again (we have redecorated a little and now it will clash even more - but visitors always loved it and thought what a fun house we had.....)

for your space, i think you would have to move either the sofa or the seating area if you wanted to do that. maybe the sofa could go like an "L", next to the seating area and facing the tv, then your giant play yard could go against that wall and coming out as far as you wanted.

if you are at all interested after this loooooong post, email me and i will try to send pics if i have any.

lynn