Baby Gitmo

There's a long list of things that I didn't think I would do as a parent: use the swing for naps, introduce a pacifier, cry-it-out sleep training, have lots of brightly colored plastic toys cluttering every corner, etc. Minds are quickly changed, though, once parenthood is no longer just a concept and you are faced with the reality of doing what it takes in caring for your little one. You begin to research for more balanced opinions of what seemed unfathomable before, to look around at other parents' experiences, and eventually to go with your gut - which may contradict what your mind was telling you just yesterday.

Add playpens to that list of things that I didn't think I would need, want, or do. Until now. They always seemed like lazy parenting. Confining. Stifling a child's sense of exploration and limiting budding mobility.

Though, as Jack becomes more mobile (and quicker) every day, it was becoming clear that it was folly to think we could watch him every second during self-play times. And as we played together on the floor, it was apparent that dog hair is more attractive on the dog than all over baby and Mommy. Jack's brightly colored plastic toys come with little plastic companion pieces and Stella has a knack of sniffing out and destroying that one errant piece left hidden under the table. For addressing all of these reasons, I embrace our 36 square feet of playpen. And Jack's digging it too.