Thursday, April 29, 2010

Like a Hawk

I have admitted before, that I don't know a lot about babies. I'd find specific examples for you but...well, I'm lazy.

The funny thing I have learned about being a mom (well, one of the funny things) is that you really don't have to know that much about babies. Because you learn. You figure it out. You read a book. You follow your instincts. You take advice. It works.

So, in my combined reading/instincts/figuring out, I have decided that I want to make sure to let Gemma explore as much of the world as she safely can.

Basically, I let her play with random stuff, that isn't her toys. But that is still safe. It's a win-win situation because she is excited to play with something new, and I don't have to go find an actual toy.

(Spoiler Alert! The above is not really a declaration of a parenting choice, but instead preemptive justification for the events that follow.)

Well yesterday, I was in my room. trying to make it through the ginormous laundry basket that is Gemma's crib, when I heard a knock at the door.

The new debit card, that I had ordered came.

I grab the card and go back upstairs. I return  to Mount Laundry, and Gemma is playing happily with the big envelope the card came in.

A few minutes later I hear...

choking.

Oh, sh*t! Craaaaaaaap.

Her face is red. She looks scared.

I'm scared.

I run down the stairs.

Why am I downstairs?

She's still choking.

I stick my hand in her mouth.

Wait, aren't I not supposed to do that? Something about scratching her throat or something.

Craaaaaaaap.

She's still choking.

I pulled my hand out, panicked, and look...

A strip of the paper is stuck to the roof her mouth, and she is gagging. I scoop the paper out with my finger (gently).

She returns to normal. Crisis averted.

Two hours later...

I give Gemma a plastic block. She's playing happily on my bed. I sit on the edge of the bed, facing out, straightening my hair.

I hear squeals of laughter. I turn around, thinking she must really love that block.

She has the laptop cord. In her mouth.

Craaaaaaaap.

Lessons learned:
  1. Don't let baby chew on cardboard.
  2. Even idiots know not to let babies chew on cardboard.
  3. I really should have known better, than to let her chew on cardboard.
  4. Unnattended laptop cords can be just as dangerous a cardboard.
  5. Now that she is more mobile, I have to watch her like a hawk...especially around cardboard.
Does anybody else remember when their baby first started getting into trouble? Or does anyone else have a cardboard horror story to share?

Guilty Inquiring minds want to know.

6 comments:

  1. Oh, honey! It keeps getting better! My kids get into absolutely EVERYTHING! I remember once when The Girl was 2, she covered her hair and body in Vaseline. Do you know how hard it is to wash a water repellant toddler?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Levi plays with paper... a lot. But I keep a really close eye on him. I know, I'm a bad mom... letting him play with paper, but it's pretty much his favorite thing. And I'm constantly pulling paper bits out of his mouth. :/

    He also tries to constantly get ANY cords he can reach. That, I do not allow.

    I also have to keep the inside of his playpen SUPER vacuumed clean... because he will pick up the teeny tiniest little thing and stick it in his mouth.

    ReplyDelete
  3. well mackenzie (age 2 1/2) so far has been in...goof off ( a sticker adhesive remover similiar to paint thinner) , desitin diaper rash cream , deodarant which she has kindly eaten a nice chunk of , cat food , cat litter (she doesnt discriminate!) and just the other day, a nice shot of downy liguid fabric softener. how we have made it to 2 1/2 years old through all that?! i have NOOO idea...and i hear they just keep on coming! haha dont sweat it, shes ok, yes its scary but paper is the least of your worries!!! i have poison control programmed into every phone in the house, including my cell phone! i think they get a kick outta my frantic calls...but in the end, mackenzie is fine and im the one staying up crying all night how i have failed as a parent...and then the next day all is fine again...its really a learning process, and im on my 4th kid! so it isnt something that gets any easier with time! (not to discourage you) having kids is the best thing in the world !! - now if youll excuse me, mackenzie has been awfully quiet ...lol

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jude gets into EVERYTHING he's not supposed to. Electrical cords, paper, the dog bowl, the cranky old cat, etc. It doesn't matter how many toys I give him to play with, he ALWAYS goes off to find trouble.

    ReplyDelete
  5. You will soon dream, wish and PRAY she is this age again later when every 5 minutes she is finding a piece of paper or cord to try and put in her mouth and 'no' seems to mean 'let's wait until mom looks away and try it again!'

    Just a minute ago, I just bent over to tie my shoe (which she untied) for 10 seconds and I looked back up to see her with my laptop cord in her mouth. I SWEAR SHE PLANNED IT!

    On another note, at her birthday party last week (she turned 1) everyone kept laughing when she tried to eat the wrapping paper and I kept taking it away and they (ex and in laws) were all saying 'No, that is so cute, why don't you let her chew on it, it wont hurt her.'

    OMG, I wanted to strangle them. Do they think someone who gets their grapes cut into fourths should be trying to eat a wad of wrapping paper the size of her fist?

    Arghhh!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Blaze and Gemma are 1 day apart! How neat! Last month while I was making supper and he was in his jumperoo I heard a squeal and crying and looked over to find one of the linking rings in his mouth caught between his cheek and mouth, still hanging from the jumperoo. And that's an actual baby toy??? I am certain there will be more to come. He is such a little monkey and now getting into everything. I can only imagine once he starts to crawl! Love your pics.

    Rhonda

    ReplyDelete