The art/science/witchcraft that is baby proofing and becoming a better parent...

Age of Lady Kaitlyn:  10 months and 10 days

Family,

And a good Monday evening to you from the Queen City - what a week!  Actually, I should come clean and tell you that I'm actually writing this on Jan 28th, more than a full week after the post date.  However, considering that the last 10 days have seen me in -25 C weather in Canada and at a wedding in TN, I'm hoping you'll excuse me.  And fret not - the Bull has kept meticulous notes (translation - scribbled highlights in his notebook), and so I should be able to keep the week's separate.

This blog is a bit different, as it's actually less about K and more about her parents.  I have no lie to tell - 10 months in, and I feel like I've been one step behind every second of the way.  Whether it's knowing what milestone comes next, thinking through what solid foods she needs to be starting, or thinking about what sign I need to learn next from the Primrose sign language catalogue, the Bull feels as though, try as he might, he's just not been able to get in front of things coming at him.  This is doubly frustrating for me.  For starters, the project manager in me is NOT used to constantly scrambling without managing against a plan (I mean, I even had a "cutover task list" for our wedding), as I know that being reactive is never the best way to "achieve progress against plan."  More importantly, the father in me knows how essential it is to establish the road map and help shepherd the wee one down the path, and I just feel like I haven't been at that point.  And just when I think I'm getting back to even, we have another Peds appointment, where I usually learn a) we have things we need to work on and b) we're already behind on the next set of activities.  Within the last two weeks, however, I am pleased to admit that I think we've turned a corner.

Parenting is just like anything else - experience is the best teacher, and with repetition comes speed (and by extension more time).  I liken it to basketball in that regard - elementary school moves at one speed, but when you get to middle school everything feels faster.  This is compounded when you get to high school, and then I would expect it's exponential once you get to college (although I can't speak to that one).  However, whilst things feel as though they move at light speed when you're a Freshman, by your upper class years, you do feel much more in control and feel as though the game has slowed down.  Now, in truth, nothing about the game has changed.  Something has changed, however, about you.  You are more comfortable.  You are more relaxed.  And as things move quicker and become rote memory, your mind is finally able to start focusing on tasks ahead.  That's what I'm finally starting to see with Jenny and I, and I gotta say - it's a great feeling.

Now don't get me wrong - we have a LONG way to go.  However, some big steps (that's right - even parents have milestones) have been crossed off recently.  For starters, Team Taylor knocked off 2 big items this week in the world of baby proofing - outlet covers and staircase gates!  I had covered most outlets, but I sealed off the final remaining ones this week (even those above the counters - I mean, you can't be too careful.  Have you seen my wife rock climbing in Thailand?  Those genes are impressive...).  As with so many other "one time" activities, it just felt great to get that off the list and know that you don't have to watch the Munchkin's every move when she's on the ground (which is a good thing, because the increase in speed for her crawling is NUTS lately).

To quote Sean Connery:  "Welcome to the Rock."

As to the gates - I will be honest and say that was NOT my handiwork, but I have NO complaints.  After purchasing two separate sets of gates and finding both of them were a) the wrong size and b) weren't appropriate for our staircase, I was close to the point of desperation, as I knew that the Munch would soon be a motorboat.  Add in the fact that I knew I'd be out of the country soon for work, and I was determined to ensure JT at least had this added bonus layer of security.  As fate would have it, I happened to run into a friend of mine at work who mentioned a baby proofing company that professionally installed her gates.  She couldn't stop raving about this guy, and so I gave him a ring.  All I can say is BEST MONEY I'VE EVER SPENT.

For those of you that know me, you know hanging a picture and changing a light bulb are the extend of my skills around the house.  Between that and wanting to ensure those gates were more impregnable than Helms Deep and less escapable than Alcatraz, I was thrilled when this fella showed up.  He spent 5.5 hours working on these gates, and the end result is peace of mind for Team Taylor.  He also did a sweep of the house to point out potential hazards - I can confirm we failed most rooms, with the nursery being the most epic fail.  Grrrrrrrrreat...

Fashionista in the making - courtesy of Grammie.

Next step for us are the cabinets and the new car seat, and we're hoping to get to the new car seat by the beginning of Feb.  The cabinet locks will have to follow soon enough, as the Munch is already pulling up and LOVES the hardware on our cabinets.

Babyproofing aside, there are other spots where I think we're finally gaining some traction.  For starters, I'm now getting much smarter about what the Munch wears.  Weather this winter has been horrendous, and too often I've just tried to "run her into daycare" with little more than a fleece on.  I'm thinking about it more now, ensuring she's got a beanie on (courtesy of Grammie), that she's got her sweater, and that she's got short sleeves under it all for daycare (which is kept quite warm).  It's just the little bits of planning that ensure K will be warmer when she needs to be and (hopefully) be healthier for longer periods.  We're also starting to raise the temperature in her room on bath nights so that she won't be cold when we're applying lotion (and we're drying her in the bathroom, which is the warmest room in the house).

Seriously - cutest.  Daughter.  EVER.

Lastly, in the foods category, we're finally starting the move in earnest from containers to finger foods.  We are now circling almost the entire menu at daycare (K LOVES Ravioli, but peas are still her favorite - who is this kid?), and K is eating whatever Team Taylor eats when we sit down for a meal.  Most recently she tried pot roast and potatoes at Nanny Tacy's - she LOVED it!  Jenny and I are now starting to think about what types of food are appropriate and how best to prepare them, which is a radical shift from where we were a month ago.  And whilst we still are 100% bottle for the formula, K is getting a sippy cup every day now to prepare her for "toddling out" to the next classroom.

We are also looking at swimming lessons and actively pushing K on her next set of physical milestones (more on that in the next blog).  So far the next batch of "Kipper" swim lessons (9-12 months) hasn't been posted, but if all goes to plan we'll have K in swim lessons just before her first birthday party.

Okay, I realize that post was a bit different than most, but I wanted it recorded for posterity.  K - when you're reading this 30 years from now, remember that mommy and daddy took almost a year to truly figure out that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure - we'll check in with you 3 decades from now to see if our planning paved the way for a better childhood. :-)

Speak soon!

Love,

Sam and Jenny