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Jude is six months old. It’s a beautiful thing, that six month milestone. As much as part of me gasps at the realization that the first half of the first year has already flown right by me, another piece of my heart just glows with the joy of anticipating the unfolding of the second six months.
Aside from his size (yeah, about that…) Jude is a typical six month old in every respect. He’s pitch-perfect for milestones. Development. All the good stuff.
And that, of course, means, that we are bracing ourselves for some very real shifts in life very, very soon. Because while he’s pretty content to bounce like a mad top in his oversized jumper toy thing right now, in about fifteen seconds, he’ll be wanting to crawl, and climb, and walk, and then (gulp) run.
But for today, it’s bouncing. And rolling. He does a scary lot of rolling, this boy. He does it the second you lay him on any flat surface, awake or asleep. Give him any expanse to explore and he will settle into it, smile the biggest, gummiest wet baby grin you can imagine, and flip immediately.
I told you he’s normal.
All of this means that we’re focusing a lot more on safety these days. While it’s only been two and half years since our last newly mobile babe, I can personally attest to the fact that you kind of forget how far these little ones can manage to get– and fast. And since this one is not the sort who prefers to occupy a sling and be worn all the livelong day, I’ve gone out of my way to make sure that all of us non-toddler family members know how to keep this guy out of harm’s way while he’s discovering the great big world that is our house.
Outlets covered. Small toys off the floor. Watch the corners. Nothing in his mouth except his own toys.
One thing I really like about the home we’re renting? No floor vents. If you’re a mom, you know exactly what I’m saying here. No floor vents. Let’s sing the Hallelujah chorus together. Also? The stairs are tucked neatly around a corner. Out of sight, out of mind.
That adage only goes so far, however. For the very first time, we have a Levana Ayden video monitor. I scoffed at them in the past (“Isn’t it enough to just hear them?”) but folks, never again. Want to know if that squeak you hear while in the middle of a read-aloud is a baby waking up or resettling? Just watch the screen. Need to steal a glimpse of that sweet little sleeper while you’re cooking dinner? Go right ahead. You can look at your baby and be sure he’s o.k. at any time, without abandoning what you’re doing, or risking waking him with a creaky door.
And that rolling I mentioned? Yep. Jude is a full-on tummy sleeper. Has been since the beginning. And this Momma, having been programmed by almost two decades of Back to Sleep campaigns, hates it. So guess who uses the video monitor to still the panic that inevitably haunts the mother of a baby who refuses to adopt the preferred sleeping position?
If you had told me when my first baby was born nearly two decades ago that someday, I’d be counting my baby’s breaths through a digital, wireless, 4.3″ LCD hi-res screen, I’d have said you were crazy. If you had gone on to say that that same monitor would have a two-way intercom, the ability to play lullabies, a 48 hour battery, and a temperature display, I’d have never bought it.
And yet here we are. My parenting toolbox has been expanded and made better through technology. In the battle to keep all the plates spinning in a busy house and still meet the needs of our youngest members, I’m happy to embrace anything that allows me to be more things to more people.
If you need some help keeping your baby safe, and your house running, you can buy a Levana Ayden monitor now. You can also enter to win one below!
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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Levana. The opinions and text are all mine.