Toddler proofing and loving it!

I know that many parents dread the phase when their child starts getting into things, but as a mom who waited almost 2 and a half years for her son to crawl, I say, "bring it on!" For many, many months, I watched Emmett pretty much stay in the same general area. It took him a little longer than most, but he did learn to roll, pivot in a circle, and eventually, scoot backwards on his tummy.
I still remember the day that he backed himself up under our couch, but couldn't figure out how to move forward. Of course, I helped him out, but not until after I took a quick picture on my phone. I know that most parents are proud of their children when they do something new, but I never imagined that watching my child get stuck under our couch would be something that I would celebrate!

Now that Emmett can crawl FORWARD, pull to stand, and cruise, I have to be much more careful about where I put him and what things are in his reach. However, I am not complaining... I am loving every minute of it.
Emmett had shown so little interest in moving for so long and now it is like he is seeing the world for the first time. The other day, I left the room for a minute and came back to find Emmett eating a piece Corbin's cinnamon toast. He wasn't simply eating it. He was shoving it in his mouth with both hands, as if he hadn't eaten in days. It was almost as if he knew that he only had a few seconds before either Corbin or Mommy caught him in the act.
I've also had to fish dog food out of his mouth and change his clothes after he put his hands in the dog's water dish. And I'm quite sure that we will have to start closing the door, when he discovers the even bigger "water dish" we have in the bathroom. It may be a slight inconvenience, but I can't help but be happy to see him acting like a typical toddler.
Of course, I do also worry about his safety. He loves to cruise around things and doesn't really know the difference between the couch and the rolling office chair. All he sees is something to pull up on, which isn't always in his best interest. He also likes to cruise along walls, which is fine, except he hasn't quite mastered how to get down safely. Needless to say, if he cruises into our kitchen with the hard tile floor, we definitely have to watch him more closely.
I guess the point that I am trying to make is that having Emmett has made me appreciate all of the stages of development more. We may have our television surrounded by a safety gate and have a few more messes to clean up, but I don't mind at all. Our little man is doing new things and that makes me one happy mommy!