We had been waiting for this day for a couple months now. We ordered the gates in anticipation that crawling was imminent. And I installed the rails over a month ago thinking Isabel was on the verge. And then we waited.
Isabel had been flirting with crawling for over two months. She was up on all-fours, rocking, scooting, and then…she just kept scooting. I alluded back in the 6 month update that we might see crawling soon. Then again in the 7 month update. And I will do so again in the 8 month update when I get around to writing it.
Meanwhile the gates waited patiently in the garage. And when crawling finally clicked last week, the gates still waited. She wasn’t quick enough yet.
Well, she’s quick enough now, and operation “Stay out of the Kitchen” has been implemented.
The truth is, I was excited to put up the gates. Aside from the fact that it signified a major milestone in Isabel’s life (mobility!), I viewed it as a “Parental Right of Passage”. Add it to building the crib, surviving the first few weeks/months, sleep training, and a handful of others, this is a big one. It’s one of those moments that causes parents to stop and realize that yet another routine is changing. No longer can we quickly go to the bathroom and know for certain that she is perfectly content and safe playing in a relatively stationary position. Now, a quick minute could mean the difference between safety and danger.
As Isabel develops, so do we. We learn new tricks, improve on our weaknesses, and strive to be a better parent than the day before. With her new mobility, we must be more alert. The cord that is left eternally plugged in for convenience now represents a hazard, and the once inaccessible cabinet becomes a potential nightmare. Her strength will only increase and she will soon be standing, walking and running (Dear God, Help us!).
The cats have no idea what they’re in for. And by cats I really do mean the cats, but of course I mean us too.
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