15-months and breaking free

Ok, so I sort of pride myself on not being an overly protective and fussy new parent. Isabel gets dirty, she's tasted junk food and I let her run and fall at the park. She's a kid. Being a kid is supposed to be fun, right? I hear other mom's talking about how they were so incredibly careful with the first one and all subsequent children were knife jugglers. I hope I fall somewhere in-between.

Don't get me wrong, our house is totally baby-proofed. The whole kitchen is on lockdown. (giving Mommy a good lesson in patience) And once baby started walking, we turned our living/dining area into a sort of baby-corral with a strategically placed gate. It's been working great. But, as our munchkin grows (daily it seems), her play area shrinks. So, today I decided we should try something different. I took down the baby gate and said "go explore." And it was at this moment that I realized that I'm not quite as laid back as I thought. I was a nervous wreck all day!

At first, I just observed.....and waited for her to kill herself. This seems to be a toddler's ultimate goal, in case you didn't know. I was sure she was going to fall, bang her head, bust through the window and be carried off by a flock of crazed seagulls. It was exhausting. And, as it turns out, unnecessary. She made it safely through the day....and wore herself out! Bonus!

Yes, Mommy learned an important lesson today. If I let her be more independent - she'll become more independent. Brilliant. Let's hope Day 2 (and 3 and 4 and 5, 6,7, etc.) is just as uneventful.

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