The Cats Are Funny.

We've been setting up things so that the cats can get used to them and hopefully their curiousity will wane on some of these items before the baby is born. But their curious nature has led to some laughter on our part as we watch them try to figure things out.

Crib: They haven't paid much attention to this. But I think it's because it's too tall to get in and there is no easy way for them to jump in & out. Although Larry did try sticking his head through the slots in an attempt. He banged his head against the slots a couple of times with no success and then finally gave up. It does have a trundle underneath which I keep blankets & sheets in. Periodically I will find a cat sleeping in there and will have sheets to wash, but if I just cover it with a towel then I don't have to worry about the baby stuff getting cat hair on it. Although they are less interested in it since getting the toybox.

Stroller: Since we had to "build" it, it's still in the house. Lucy jumped in there one day and was going to try to sleep in it. I just started pushing her around in it and she got seriously freaked and jumped out and has never returned.

Bouncy Seat: Larry seems to think that this is a cat chair. When I got it and set it up he was VERY interested in it and didn't care what I put in it, as he would lay on top of that in the seat. But he didn't like the vibration option. Once I turned that on low he looked mildy irritated, but when I turned it up higher he didn't like it at all and would leave. He would try again & again if the vibration was off. Finally I decided it just had to go in the closet until the baby comes. I hope he doesn't try to sit on the baby in it.

Swing: I finally picked up one of these. It's crazy how expensive they are. I just can't see paying new prices for something I will use for only 6 months or less. I did pay quite a bit to buy it used. But even the cost of it used with shipping & handling was less than buying it new, plus I am being more ecologially friendly by reusing things and not adding to new material items. I actually bought many items second hand off of eBay. I probably paid more than what I would have gotten them for at a rummage sale, but since the sales are just starting, I don't know that I would have the time to actually go out looking for them after the baby is born anyways or what condition I will find them in at the sales -- everything off of eBay I chose to buy has been immaculate. Anyways - Larry has been very interested in this. It is a travel one and somewhat resembles the bouncy seat. He has attempted many times to get inside the chairn and was successful 2 times, but then it starts swinging right away and he gets a little spooked and tries to compensate for the imbalance he is experiencing and just ends up making it swing faster and gets scared. But that certainly doesn't stop him from trying again, and again, and again. We just laugh at him.

Pack-n-Play: Again, another used purchase (actually I think the only new things were the crib, car seats, & stroller for the travel system - I did pick up a burley & jogger at a rummage sale last fall for great prices.) Anyways, I set this up yesterday. We're hoping she likes it well enough as the plan is to lay her in that when we are on the main level of the house. I like that it's big enough so that we could put her in the swing or the bouncy seat inside of it in case the cats are still too interested in her. Larry kept looking at it and the inside of it, but he just couldn't figure out a way to get inside. I was thinking of putting him in there, but I don't think he would like it. He might yelp to get out if he can't jump out, which I am not sure he would try if there was no place he could see to jump to. But he does enjoy playing underneath it. He's a fat cat and doesn't fit very well under a lot of things, so he was having a lot of fun last night squeezing underneath it and peering at us and trying to lurch out at Lucy as she walked by. Much laughter to be had there.

Bassinett: (Yes, another eBay find. You really should consider it. Personally I am addicted to eBay. But because these items are used for such a short amount of time, you usually find them in "like new" condition and like I said, you'll save money -- which will allow you to buy more used baby things -- and you are not adding to more material consumption.) Anyways, this was the first acquistion that was out and they were slightly interested in it, but never could get into the actual bassinett part, but they have camped out in the basket below a few times, but I don't think it was what they wanted. They like to sleep on things a little higher.

Toybox & Rocker: Both of these have towels over them so I can easily wash them and remove the cat hair, as the cats spend a lot of time on both. The toybox is something my parents made us and has a cushion top and it positioned by the window, so it is a particular favorite of the cats, especially Lucy. She's also pretty fond of the rocker (something we already had.) I am afraid the nursery used to be "Lucy's Room" and she still thinks it is. She might change her mind after a crying child is in there for a while. Although since having moved the bed out of that room (which was where she slept before in there) she does tend to sleep on the bed (now in the office) when daddy is on the computer playing his games.

There are a few things I picked up from eBay that I haven't put out yet (like the exersaucer - which by the way is almost new and hardly cost anything since I arranged to pick it up, or the Baby Einstein Play Mat/Gym). We don't need the exersaucer for quite a while, but it's there in storage. The play mat I think will be interesting to see what the cats do with that, because honestly, I think it will look like a big cat toy to them with all the dangly things on it. The cats have had run of the house & so much attention for so long, that this could be a tough transition for them, especially Larry, who ALWAYS has to be around us. He's not like a normal cat who is aloof with people, he is pretty attached to us. Lucy I think will handle it better. I remember when we got Larry, she was pretty pissed and got depressed & lost weight and pretty much ignored us for 6 months. Whoever said cats don't have personalities are completly wrong, because she certainly has one. Have you ever had a cat give you the "silent treatment"? I have. And she can hold a grudge for a long time too. We're not too worried about the dog, as she is outside most of the time & is relatively well behaved (if not, I raise my voice and she just cowers to the ground - she knows who is boss!)