Cross off #4! Even this little bit counts.

So while most people would think that we are very late in doing this whole baby-proofing thing, I think.... they would probably be right. Sam is approaching the 15-month mark and this is really the first child-proofing we've done to our house. Oh sure, we put up the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs every so often, but after he fell down a couple of stairs a few times, he really doesn't even attempt to climb! Exploration and discovery! That's what we're trying to teach here!

(Did you buy that?)

I put the outlet plugs throughout most of the house after he repeatedly tried sticking his tiny fingers into the sockets. But that was right after he started crawling- MONTHS ago. He has been opening cabinets and drawers in the kitchen for a while now. It really doesn't bother me at all. He goes for the same three cabinets and the same drawer and pulls out the same things every time. It's nothing fragile or breakable or even things that I use all that often, so I just let him go to town "exploring." I am, of course, beyond thrilled to not have those annoying little baby-proofing hooks and latches all over my house.

But Steve decided that he was growing tired of Sam yanking out his toothbrush and all of his other personal effects from under the counter of the downstairs bathroom (where he gets ready before PT in the mornings) and throwing them on the floor. So we gave in and baby-proofed. But just that one cabinet. (What? You didn't think we were actually going to be thorough and do the entire house, did you?)

Do you think it encourages him when I take pictures of him doing this?

We got a big ol' two-pack of cabinet latches and Steve did all of the dirty work installing it. (Please note my extreme sarcasm. Also, try not to notice the gigantic pregnant lady in the mirror.)

Yep I'm still milking the last little bits of soap out of that Halloween dispenser. It smells so goooooood.

The installation process

Demonstrating its child-proof-ness. This is while Sam is in the little stand-alone cabinet behind Steve pulling out all of the Q-tips and bobby pins he can get his little hands on.

Sam, checking this lock's quality and effectiveness.

Now if only I could figure out a way to "lock" the toilet paper and constantly sanitize the flush handle..