baby proof

our home is really starting to look like a childcare center now. i know i've said it before but seriously, the need to keep abbey safe and contained has really taken its toll on the appearance of our living room.

1. we now have the pack n play (when did we stop calling these things "play pens"?) up at all times. i HATE this. fortunately we have room for it and it serves as a gate to keep abbey blocked off from the kitchen/dining room. plus anytime i want to hear her scream as loud as she possibly can i can just stick her in it for 2 secs.

2. our ottoman is now directly in front of our media cabinet thing to keep her from accessing it, along with 2 throw pillows to keep the cabinet doors away from her little hands.

3. the cushions from our over-sized chair are spread out all over the living room floor to block her from the vertical blinds that go to the patio doors (i hate vertical blinds btw) as well as to try to block off the fireplace but they don't really stop her from climbing on it.

4. there is an array of colorful toys in bright primary colors spread all over our floor all day. at any given point you are likely to step on something and hear a song about the alphabet. why can't children's toys come in colors that are complimentary to your home decor. we should have more options.

of course, i usually clean up the toys and push the pack-n-play into the corner every night after she goes to bed. and if we are expecting company i'll shove the pack-n-play into a bedroom and pick up the cushions and push the ottoman back to it's appropriate place but on most days, we live with it. somehow, despite all of this, i STILL spend all of abbey's waking hours chasing her down and pulling her away from something that is not okay for her to have. i think we needed a padded room.