Each day that passes, it becomes more and more evident that corners and edges and stairs and tipsy-type items are not our friends. No, they are not. Recognizing that we’re not just baby proofing for a brief season (but more than likely for the next 6-10 years, until our brood is complete and toddlers are no longer toddling), it makes sense that our furniture choices be well-rounded (and by that, I mean functional, practical, washable, tasteful and walkable). I want Henry to be able to cruise the coffee table without having to worry about his every move, and I want to be able to close electronics and cords and the like behind doors for a time. Goodness knows there are already plenty of toys strewn about the living room since Christmas (not complaining ;)–I don’t think we need to add DVDs or Wii remotes or the cable modem to the mix. Let’s face it. We were MWOK for a lot longer than we’ve been parents, and the house still somewhat reflects what we once knew: that a water glass will remain upright and where we left it, that burning candles will create ambiance–not chaos, and that electrical outlets are conveniently located on walls, right behind items like the (rolling) entertainment center. Ahem.

It’s time to get serious about eliminating the risk factors. (Note: we do not have any burning candles where the little man can get to them. Heck, we hardly have burning candles at all. A girl can dream.)

At any rate. Our son is nearly nine months old, and it’s amazing that we’ve gotten this far without doing some kind of major overhaul to everything within his reach. We’re all about teaching him what’s safe and unsafe, what’s off limits and what’s fair game. But he’s still a baby. And a curious one at that. It won’t be long…

So we’re making some necessary changes around here, not the least of which is to swap out our sharp-cornered coffee table with the *ideal* storage ottoman (read: leather or faux leather, preferably dark brown, easy to store toys in, soft rounded corners, not too heavy to pick up and move out of the center of the room, strong enough to be used as extra seating if needed). I thought this would be a relatively simple task, given that I see this type of thing all over the place…Target, World Market, department stores, etc. But I have yet to find one that really suits the room (and our tastes) and that doesn’t either break the bank or lack some quality that I find most appealing in this type of furniture. I’ve seen a few I really like, but they happen to belong to friends and are no longer available in stores. I went another route for a while, trying to come up with something totally different, yet still functional and fun, but it wasn’t happening.

So here I sit. And I’m thinking about the darn ottoman again because the weekend has arrived–the time when we actually have a few hours to shop around a little or check out something together to decide whether we want to make a purchase. I think I’ve been looking at ottomans here and there for the better part of six months.

I watched Henry cruise across the room today on a quest for one of the dog’s toys (who would want a real toy when a dog toy is so readily available?), and I realized we no longer have months to figure this out. I’m thinking it’s more like a week or two…maybe days even. And sure, we watch him closely and do a lot of preventative repositioning, distracting, etc., but we’re not going to be able to do that forever–nor should we. Home should just be a safe place for a kiddo who’s on the go and learning so much so quickly. I just hope that the right ottoman is out there somewhere, waiting to take up residence in the center of Henry’s new playhouse. That is, our house. You know, the one that had corners and candles and such before the love of our lives moved in. 😉

scheming/decorating/wishing said picture-perfect dream ottoman would just arrive on our doorstep…

mm