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16 Hudson Valley Parent Q 2012 Baby Guide 9 11 what is your emergency?" This phrase played over and over in my dreams for months leading up to Abi's arrival. My granddaughter was coming to stay with me for three months. The last time I kept Abi, she was just a baby, but now she's crawling! As soon as she started to crawl, she began climbing on laundry baskets, sofas and getting into all sorts of mischief. Naturally, I started to worry about her staying in my New York home — which was definitely not built with small children in mind! I was determined to turn my home into a space where Abi could play without the constant fear of injury. As I walked through my home, my head began to spin thinking of all the things that needed to be changed to ensure Abi's safety. I was on a mission, but had no idea where to begin. Identify hazards We have open stairs, a loft with horizontal bars and many boxes filled with potentially hazardous objects. We did, however, renovate the kitchen last spring with Abi in mind. We had drawer latches and double knob locks for each cabinet we installed and I moved the boxes and cans down to the lower shelves and the detergents and other chemicals to the top. When my own children were small, I always left one low drawer filled with plastic containers open so they had a space in the kitchen to play. After my minor success at "Abi-proofing" my kitchen, I decided it was time to tackle the entire house. I was a little overwhelmed, so I turned to friends for help. Get perspective The most common bit of advice I heard was to get down on the floor and look at your house from a crawling baby's point of view. Although I felt and looked silly, I promptly got down on all fours and inspected each room of the house to see what needed to be changed. I was shocked at what I found. In the living room, I had exposed electrical outlets, tons of loose wires and exposed power strips. I also had poisonous plants and unanchored furniture that needed to be secured. I was almost afraid to venture into the other rooms after discovering all the things that needed to be fixed in the living room, but I quickly reminded myself to toughen up and do what's best for Abi. So onward I crawled! Stay vigilant In each room, I made sure to cover unused electrical outlets with plastic covers. Then I rolled up all the loose wires and carefully tucked them away. I neatly tucked away the plastic bags that were scattered around my kitchen and moved all medicine to our locked medicine cabinet in the bathroom. I was amazed to find that childproofing is honestly an ongoing, daily task. I've tried to make it a habit to scan counters, Sharp, heavy and poisonous How one Ulster County Grandma babyproofed her home Clear the table of décor, which could be hazardous to curious babies like our 2012 Cover Kid finalist, Derrick from Newburgh. photo by Visual Concepts Photography; jeremylandolfa.com BY KIM ELLIS "