Adventures in Drool: On the verge of walking

We are on the verge of walking! Droolface is able to go from sitting to standing on his own. Over the weekend he took a hesitant step, so I think we are very close to toddlerhood.

Watching him consider his first steps is just amazing. He really focuses a lot of energy on moving his body - something that the rest of us take for granted. Being a baby requires a lot of energy. Could you imagine crawling around all day - it's exhausting!

This quest for walking has come with a few drawbacks. First, you really have to watch these little guys. Droolface was crawling around just before bedtime the other night and must have misjudged his quickness. He ended up doing a faceplant on the floor and gave himself a bloody nose. It was horrible!

I could not believe how quickly it happened either. I immediately picked him up, but the crying and flowing blood freaked me out just as much as it scared him. It took awhile to calm him down and get the blood wiped up, but he was fine.

Obviously baby-proofing is a great way to soften up corners and keep baby fingers out of dangerous cupboards and drawers. But accidents will still happen.

Here are a few things to keep an eye on to make sure baby can handle his new adventures into toddlerhood:

1 - Babies expend a lot of energy, so make sure they are well-hydrated and fed. I read an article recently that showed baby food is high in pesticides. Since babies are so small, even small amounts of chemicals can have a large effect on them. Make sure baby has access to plenty of clean water, and provide healthy food. We choose to use organic food when buying it in the store. At home, I make baby food with farm-fresh produce and fruit. Just do your best to keep chemicals away from baby as long as possible.

2 - Crawl around your house so you know the dangers. Droolface easily popped out the outlet covers I had installed to protect him. By doing a weekly inspection of the corners of my house, I noticed both outlet covers had become kitten toys. Now I know to keep an extra close watch on Droolface when he is in that area of the house.

3 - Keep important medicines handy. We recently learned that Droolface is allergic to two major groups of medicine. He broke out in red welts and hives in one instance, and I did not have any Benadryl on hand. Be sure to keep allergy medicines handy at all times. With toddlers, you never know what they might have a reaction to, so it is better to be safe and have Benadryl. It is also a good idea to keep bandages, medicated ointment and even hydrogen peroxide on hand, just in case the little guy gets a cut or other injury.

4 -  Emergency car bags are a great idea. On two separate occasions, I had to take Droolface directly from daycare to some sort of appointment. Both times I didn't have the basic baby necessities! Now I have an emergency bag in the car, so that I am prepared in any situation. In today's world, you never know what will happen next, so being prepared is the best offense. In my car bag I now have: extra diapers, wipes, a pacifier, shelf-stable food, a sippy cup, extra bottle, extra clothes, a few juice boxes, plastic bowls and utensils and a washcloth.

I'd always rather be prepared and not need it, than need it and not have it. Words to live by!

Have a great week in the kingdom of drool!