Babyproofing or parent-proofing

Each day that Olivia is crawling/cruising/walking around I discover more things I forgot to babyproof or move out of reach. It seems like it's never-ending.


I've learned a few lessons while trying to babyproof my house.
   

• You're never really finished babyproofing.
• Make sure you can close the cabinet door under the sink before you drill the holes for the cabinet latch, important if you have a newer, deep sink.
• The "screw-free" latches are DEFINITELY worth the extra money. They save SO much time.
• Keep extra outlet covers handy.
• If you think you won't need the stove guard or the flat screen TV straps....think again!
• You will most likely find that many things that are "babyproof" are also "parent-proof". I still have difficulty opening the external latch on the cabinet that holds all the cleaning supplies! And for as many times as I open the drawer to the cutlery, I forget to push down the latch almost every time.
• The soft cover on the tub spigot will eventually save you from a few tears.
• Really think about buying toys/products that have a recommended age more than 6 months older than your child. You may think they can do it, but they will figure out quickly the reason for the older age on the label.

Birthday Girl

Well, with all the craziness of life the blog has taken a backseat.
Olivia is now 1! We survived the first year! And it's been wonderful. She's now taking her first steps and getting into absolutely everything. She had a great party. I decided to go with the Olivia the Pig theme. And we simply decorated with balloons and red and white tablecloths, which kept down the cost, but certainly not the time it took to get ready.  It was all worth it.

After several cake decorating classes and some help from a good friend, Olivia's cake turned out great.

But if I had thought past keeping up with the Olivia the Pig theme, I probably would not have baked a red velvet cake.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY GIRL!