escape
The Incredible Floating Toes
How is the climbing stage going?
I guess it depends on who you ask.
As far as Maddie’s parents are concerned, the climbing stage isn’t too cool.
Ask Maddie and I’m sure she thinks it going GREAT!
“No crib can hold me,” exclaimed the 18-month-old girl as she prepared to vault into the great abyss.
This is to be expected when you have a toddler that can throw her legs as high as her head and has toes capable of gripping any smooth surface like a gecko lizard.
Maddie vaults on top of tables and chairs with reckless abandon now. This high-risk behavior is on the verge of becoming a serious problem.
Watching my baby, it’s easy to understand the pure folly of human nature.
Like scientists and politicians, Maddie often decides plunges ahead with a course of action rather than pondering the aftermath of what she does. Of course she is only 18-months-old and has time to resolve this risky behavior issue.
Baby Houdini Pulls Great Escape
Time to say goodbye to an old friend. The Bumbo Chair has been a trusted parental companion for several months now. It’s allowed my 7-month-old daughter Maddie to hang out with me in the kitchen for countless meals, cleanups and bottle cleanings.
This era came crashing down this afternoon when my little Houdini cracked the Bumbo code. We knew this day was drawing closer. I believe it was a packet of tic-tacs that finally sent Maddie over the edge (figuratively and literally). Even though the candy was out of reach, she threw her entire body in the direction of these refreshing little mints.
She whipped out one leg, leaned over and then whipped out the other. Hold on there tiger, where do you think you’re going? But there’s no stopping this one once she gets her attention fixed on something. Maddie is on a mission and your only options are to help or watch.
So of course we make sure she has a soft landing on the kitchen counter, but then what? She is awash in her amazing triumph over the constricting chair, but that’s where her plans kind of fizzle out.
That’s because our kitchen commando still has no idea how to crawl. So when she pulls one of these great escapes, she’s stuck on the counter like a bump on a log. It’s very cute to watch her ponder the next move, but for now, her options are rather limited.
Now we face the challenge of integrating Maddie into a whole new set of habits with a high chair. It will be interesting to see how she reacts to being banished from the kitchen counter. However, I’m sure that in a day or two, she will already be plotting her escape from the high chair. (Won’t that be fun?)
Maddie Searching for Car Seat Escape Route
Maddie and her family hit the road heading west this morning to avoid the living hell known as I-95. We decided that the entire family would be more comfortable in a bigger ride, so months ago, we decided to rent an SUV for our holiday trip.
The bigger vehicle allows one of the parents to hang out with the Mad Madster in the back seat. This arrangement seems to work well for all parties involved. Now when the baby is awake, the parent in the back can provide either food or entertainment to keep the baby happy and the spirit of Christmas alive during a long trip.
Gina took the first shift in the back seat and marveled at all elbowroom. She also noticed that Maddie is paying far too much attention to the straps on the car seat, almost as if she is planning an escape. The baby seems to understand the fact that if she can get out the straps, she won’t be locked in. Hopefully this scenario won’t play itself out for a few months yet, but the possibility is now on our radar.
Maddie was getting some pretty good sleep during this particular trip – but the time had come to take a break and air out the baby. First we took care of a little diaper change and then gave Maddie a chance to stare at some of her fellow travelers.
Once our break was over, it was my turn for a little backseat time with Maddie. I gave her a bottle and then watched as she quickly faded off to sleep.
Gina and I have both noticed that when Maddie is sleeping on the road – she has developed a very cute habit of checking her surroundings. She appears to be sleeping soundly when her eyes suddenly snap open and she stares directly at you. The baby looks deeply into your eyes for about 6 seconds, makes sure you are the person she expected to see and then she’s out again. But this new habit also begs the following question: Is Maddie really checking out her surroundings or is she quietly plotting, getting ready to make a break for it? Only time will tell!
Stay Home PaPa 