Tears fell yesterday. I think half sad, half happy. I’m not sure if it’s because we don’t plan to have any more kids or because it seems with baby #2 everything is happening so much faster. But yesterday, the baby started to crawl. It’s not a pretty crawl. I’m not sure it could even be classified as an army crawl. But nonetheless, she’s crawling. She sets her sights on something (which likely she shouldn’t be wanting) and gets there. I think I had to make her do it 10 times before it even really sunk in what was going on at the time. I promptly picked her up and put her in our Boba carrier because my heart couldn’t take it anymore. “PLEASSEEE slow down baby”, I found myself saying over and over again.
But I regress….
It’s happening folks.
As a mom, my brain quickly switched. “Now what. I have to get our house in order. This is not going to be as easy as when I only had one”
So, here’s my top 3 tips on preparing your house for a crawling baby:
#1 – Babyproof all the things. Outlets should get safety covers, fireplaces should have something around them if they are used and at least a bumper on the ledge. Any wiring or appliance cords needs to be wrapped up or hidden behind a cover. Gates should be put up near stairs (both top and bottom). Corner and edge guards for anything with a sharp corner. Any cleaning supplies or medicine needs to be put up high out of reach, and preferably in a locked cabinet. Use cabinet locks on drawers and doors than can open. Final step – crawl around at your child’s level and see what you missed. Trust me, there’s something.
#2 – If you have older kids, especially if the old child is only a toddler, it’s important to explain to them over and over again that we now have to pick up our toys. Try to have a designated place for things they really like to play with but aren’t suitable for small babies – like toys with a lot of pieces or things that a chewing and crawling toddler could destroy – like cardboard puzzle pieces (don’t ask me how I know that).
#3 -Invest in a lightweight vacuum. Seems odd I might say this, but this is actually my #1 tip – especially if you have older kids too. Somehow with older kids crumbs, dirt, and debris seem to multiply like rabbid rabbits. I swear I sweep or mop and turn around an hour later and sweep up just as much as I did the hour before. It’s insane. This will really gross you out once you baby starts crawling. You will freak out about their hands and things going in their mouth (natural immunity here people!). A lightweight vacuum is key here simply because you don’t want to be lugging some huge chunk of machine around the house multiple times a day, especially if you have stairs. Lightweight is also amazing for having your kids help do the vacuuming too. After receiving the Hoover 2-in-1 Stick and Handheld Vacuum to test out, I absolutely recommend it. It’s seriously amazing.
Not only is it lightweight and I can easily move it wherever I need, but so can my 3 year old. It’s cordless! I love it. She loves it. Everyone wins. We have the freedom to move throughout the house easily. I don’t trip her anymore on the cord either (whoops). It can also go from carpet to wood floor with the flip of a dial turn. It also has a handheld cleaning component which is amazing for stairs. And it’s easy to clean!!! Can you tell how much I seriously love it?
Okay, one thing I hate about it….there’s a light on the vacuum. Which is actually a great thing. But it’s bad when you have dark wood floors like us because you see just how dirty your floors are – OMG, it’s gross. But it’s also really cool to see how well the Hoover 2-in-1 Stick and Handheld Vacuum clean it all up.
The Hoover Cordless Family includes a line of 4 cordless cleaners – 3 vacuums and a hard floor wet cleaner. They all have an interchangeable 18-volt lithium Ion battery that works with all the products in the line.
While I go sulk in a jar of Nutella because I have a crawling baby, you can go check them all out here and decide which one you’re going to get!
WAHHH…I have a crawling baby now.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
We're Parents is a unique mom and dad natural parenting blog focusing on topics such as breastfeeding, babywearing, and car seat safety. You'll also find Delicious recipes, inspired travel recommendations, and more as you journey with us through parenting. 
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