babyproofing

Babyproofing: Week one

catherinemryan

It has been a week since I decided to tackle the disaster that is our apartment. In the interest of creating a safer and saner home, I’ve dedicated time every day toward picking up, putting away, throwing out and clearing off.

I’m proud of myself. The dishes have been done and everything looks tidier—kind of like my mom has stayed for the entire week. (I’m joking, but not.)

I feel a little more comfortable with Edie’s crawling, too. I still have to keep a close eye on her—her all-time favorite thing to do is sprint toward the dog bowls—but I don’t have to worry about her zapping a finger off anymore.

On the other hand, all this cleaning and wiping and purging is taking time away from other things. I have been working on my writing and freelancing less this week. There are a finite number of hours in the day, and something’s gotta give.

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Creating a safer home

catherinemryan

The other night I felt an urge to get rid of everything. Everything. I wanted the books, picture frames, files, magazines, souvenirs, change jars and dog toys gone. I felt claustrophobic, strangled by our belongings. I craved clear surfaces and space.

I’d lost my cell phone for the millionth time earlier that day. Motherhood, or perhaps the lack of sleep that comes with waking with an infant throughout the night, has made my mind even more scrambled than ever. I become furious when I misplace something, which is often.

I also spent a frustrated five minutes looking for the glass of water I’d just refilled. I asked my husband if he’d moved it. “You mean the water glass next to the bed?” he asked. Yes, that one. Yes, I put it there. Yes, I’m a mess.

I don’t have the energy or time to spare searching for keys, coupons, stamps, bills and cell phones. Frantically looking in piles and under laundry makes me crazy. I need to do something differently.

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Creating a safer home

catherinemryan

The other night I felt an urge to get rid of everything. Everything. I wanted the books, picture frames, files, magazines, souvenirs, change jars and dog toys gone. I felt claustrophobic, strangled by our belongings. I craved clear surfaces and space.

I’d lost my cell phone for the millionth time earlier that day. Motherhood, or perhaps the lack of sleep that comes with waking with an infant throughout the night, has made my mind even more scrambled than ever. I become furious when I misplace something, which is often.

I also spent a frustrated five minutes looking for the glass of water I’d just refilled. I asked my husband if he’d moved it. “You mean the water glass next to the bed?” he asked. Yes, that one. Yes, I put it there. Yes, I’m a mess.

I don’t have the energy or time to spare searching for keys, coupons, stamps, bills and cell phones. Frantically looking in piles and under laundry makes me crazy. I need to do something differently.

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Mobile technology

catherinemryan

This week my life flashed before my eyes: Peeper started crawling!

Ten Thousand Hour MamaWe went to a play date at a friend’s house on Monday. Her 9-month-old twins were motoring around the house, dodging plush toys and cross-legged adults sitting on the floor as if the living room were an obstacle course. At one point, her son used my left arm to balance and her daughter my right as Peeper rocked on her knees in front of me. It was happy chaos.

At one point a visitor from out of town who didn’t have a baby of her own looked up and said, “Wait, where’s the fast one?” For a second everyone stopped. Where was he?

Thankfully, he wasn’t off rummaging through the knife drawer: His mom had put him down for a nap. But with his crawling skills, he could have been anywhere.

I identified with that heart-stopping panic now more than ever.

Peeper started crawling the day after that play date. (She must have been inspired by the very mobile twins!) She suddenly figured out how to coordinate her arms with her legs. Now she has forward mobility, however precarious and wobbly it looks.

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