childproofing

Dad Battles Baby’s Sickness, Baby Takes on Trash Can

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Open Sesame!!

Just as Maddie was starting to feel better, her Dad got a real taste of exactly what was troubling the baby. Suffice it to say that Mom had to take over sole caretaking responsibilities while dad battled the nasty stomach bug.

While Mom set her sights on Maddie, the baby had a new adversary to tackle.

For weeks now, we have not been able to stop Maddie from digging into the kitchen trash and removing items of interest. It was a game at first, but once it became a contest of wills, there was no stopping Maddie from dumpster diving.

That’s when Maddie’s parents decided to flip the script on the baby.

We tracked down a taller trashcan that’s equipped with a butterfly lid. This lids opens up and out. At first, Maddie was determined to crack the code. She tried to coax the can open. When that didn’t work, it was time for more drastic measures.

Maddie started placing items on top of can and knocking them off. But no matter how much abuse she heaped upon the new can, she couldn’t get inside. It only took about a half an hour for Maddie to lose all interest in the new trashcan.

When you have an opponent like the Mad Madster, you have to celebrate the small victories!

This entry was posted in Baby, Child Development, Childproofing, Family, Parenting, sick baby, Sick Parent and tagged , , , , , , , , , , .

Baby Stomps All Over Stairs Challenge

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Is this the way to the gym?

A day after complaining about my amazing daughter’s complete disregard for the laws of gravity, things have taken a rather perilous turn for the worst.

Yesterday, Maddie took a keen interest in the stairs. I supervised her very closely as she attempted to actually climb one. At the time, I was very relieved that Maddie was no quite able accomplish this monumental task. However, Maddie the Lion-Hearted is a not girl who takes defeat very easily.

So this morning, one of her first orders of business was to take another shot at the stairs. Imagine my surprise when after just a little experimentation, she was able to scale two stairs. OK, take a deep breath – There’s no reason for me to panic just yet, it was only two stairs. However, the glint in Maddie’s eyes told me that she was just getting warmed up.

So how long would we have to wait before Maddie perfected the art of raiding the stairs? How about just a little less than four hours? That’s right, shortly after Maddie woke up from her afternoon nap, she was off to the races climbing the stairs with reckless abandon.

No fear, no hesitation, Maddie just marched up ten stairs as if she had been doing it since the day after her birth. So now I must enhance my passion for protection as Maddie has laid down the gauntlet for the newest and most dangerous activity to date.

This entry was posted in Baby, Child Development, Childproofing, Children, Family, Parenting and tagged , , , , .

Electrical Cords – Let ‘Em Rip

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You can childproof all you like, but when it comes to Maddie, “Resistance is Futile!” Sure the stairs are blocked off and the electrical outlets are plugged up, but Maddie comes with a few extra amenities in her magical bag of tricks.

If you follow any of Maddie’s exploits, you know that she is definitely wired for sound.  And now that she is racing around the house, the games are absolutely underway.

The baby’s newest trick is what’s known as, “Grip it and Rip it!” Maddie is now constantly on the hunt for electrical cords. Once she sees one, all bets are off – “Go marine, GO!!” Her little knees spring into action and merge into a blur as she closes in on that cord du jour.

You race to intercept Maddie, but she strikes swiftly and without mercy. The cord is hers now and she is more than happy to show you her fresh kill. That’s actually the funniest part of any Maddie misadventure; she loves to display whatever forbidden item she has taken captive.

I have become a hunter!

In just the past week, Maddie has stalked cords belonging to phones, computers and fans. But this weekend, Maddie’s mischievous nature soared to new heights. We were watching the baby on the monitor when everything suddenly went blank? Good lord, what happened?

We burst into the room only to discover that little Miss Mission Impossible had somehow reached behind the crib and torn out the cord to the camera. She was sitting in her crib with an ear-to-ear smile triumphantly waving the plug at me. My little minx is obviously destined for the world of espionage because she CUT HER FIRST VIDEO FEED before she was even 10-months-old.

I can only imagine the places she will take me once she’s a year old.

This entry was posted in Baby, Child Development, Childproofing, Communication, Crawling, Family, Parenting and tagged , , , , , , , , , .

Baby Unleashes Carnage in the Kitchen

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My work is done here!

If it doesn’t involve stairs, Maddie is now more than happy to prove that she can basically access any part of the house that we can. Her ability to motor from point A to point B increases with great efficiency just about every day.

Her new trick is to actually follow me into the kitchen to see what I’m up to and what she might be able accomplish in there. The childproofing has gone pretty well so far, but Maddie is intent on covering every inch of the house, grid-by-grid.

Before launching her latest assault on the kitchen, Maddie confronted a very large package of toilet tissue. With 18 rolls to work on, her hands were full. She thrashed the bag with criminal intent but was unable to punch through the plastic. After about five minutes, it became apparent that the plastic would not yield the paper treasures that were so close, yet so far away.

Now it was time for Maddie to begin her assault on her father who was rummaging around the kitchen. Maddie is by no means stealthy; you can hear those hands slapping the floors several moments before she makes her grand entrance. Yet once she rounds the corner, she is on you.

Her first order of business was to pull the kitchen trashcan down on top of her. With that task out of the way, her next assignment was to gain access to the dishwasher. Much to her disappointment, Maddie was turned away before she could unlock the mysteries hidden deep behind the dishwasher walls.

The baby then proceeded to yank on various cabinet doors to she if could yank them open. Each one held firm, but Maddie vowed that these doors would not be safe for long and she would be back. It was then that we whisked her to her high chair where she could enjoy some nice lasagna.

Maddie enjoyed the taste, but was locked into a moral dilemma. Should she enjoy her meal, spread it all over her face or redecorate the kitchen with it? The answer hit her like a ton of bricks, why not do all three?

Maddie started firing food off the tray and onto the floor. When her Mom tried to clean it up, she got popped as well. The little terrorista was on a roll and didn’t let up until her masterpiece was complete.

This entry was posted in Childproofing, Children, Crawling, Family, Mischief, Parenting and tagged , , , , , , , , , .