Brady-Proofing

When Aiden was a baby, he never really got into things.  Other than moving a few breakable things out of his reach, we didn't need to do much once he became mobile.  I'm embarrassed to say we never even put up a gate at the stairs.  But, we didn't need to, Aiden just didn't care to go up the stairs.

Brady is completely different.  He gets into everything and thinks going up the stairs is a fun game.

Back in the beginning of the summer I had mentioned that we were going to do a project and make closed cabinets in the living room.  Rob had done a lot of research and planned it all out.  But, when it came time to build it, we were feeling like maybe it wouldn't provide as much storage space as our current shelves gave us and that we needed.

After a quick google search, we found people had made doors for the Ikea Expedit shelves and we were convinced that we could make something with what we already have.

Again, Rob did lots of research and planned everything out.  I really can take no credit for this.  Rob is really good at stuff like this and other than getting the kids out of the house and out of the way, I did nothing.

He did have to tweak a couple things along the way to make it work, but the end result is perfect.  I am so happy with how they turned out.  We used the same idea as this dresser, with the stained wood on the top and sides, and then the white doors.

The other thing we did was get a gate for the bottom of the stairs.  I did a lot of research on baby gates.  We knew that we wanted one that was more permanent and that swings open.  We wanted Aiden to be able to open and close out with no problem and of course, I wanted it to not look hideous.

Even though it was a bit pricier, we decided to go with this one, the Munchkin Numi Loft Gate.  I figured we would have it for years and with our uneven walls being an issue, it seemed like this one would be easy to install.

I also like that there is no bottom part that sits on the floor and would be easy to trip over.  When Brady is sleeping, we just swing it open against the wall, out of the way.   You can also completely lift it out of the hinges and put it away if necessary, but we haven't had a reason to do that yet.

So, there is an update on baby (Brady)-proofing.  As he gets older, we may find there are other things around here we need to move.  I love how different he and Aiden are from eachother, it's like a whole new experience this time around!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!  We are loving this cooler weather!

Swaddle

Aiden was born 3 and a half years ago.  That doesn't seem like that long ago, but there is a ton of new baby stuff since I had Aiden.  There is not a lot that I feel like I need with this baby, especially since I am having another boy.  But, I've been hearing lots of buzz about muslin swaddling blankets.  They seem to be all the rage- even my mom mentioned something about them.

Aiden loved being swaddled as a baby, and I did always have a hard time finding a blanket that worked well.  So, I decided that I would try these out.

{I chose the "mod about baby prints"}

They aren't cheap by any means, but everything I read says they are well worth the money.  Also, every website that sells baby stuff sells them, so you may be able to find a good deal.

They are quite large too, so using them for other things like nursing is also an option.

I ordered them last week and it's making me excited for all things baby!  I'll let you know in a couple of months how they work out.