Safe at last

I finally caved.  We bought a baby gate.  I found one that works (as long as you don't jiggle it too much), and it is up.
Since he has been walking, Nate finds it to be a fun game to stand at the top of the stairs and giggle when I shriek and grab him.  It was becoming a time consuming project just to rescue him several times in a half hour.   
Nate walked down the stairs last week and it didn't end well.  I went into the other room and thought he had followed me.  He didn't.  I heard the thumping and the cry and it broke my heart.  It wasn't the first time he has fallen down the stairs, but it was the first time he made it to the bottom.
So although we are probably only weeks away from complete stair safety with him, I couldn't take it anymore.  I was always on edge when I was in the kitchen because he would make it to those stairs so fast.  I hope we have another kid to make this purchase feel more worthwhile :)

Ironically, the day after I put the gate up, I took a tumble down the stairs.  It doesn't fit the way it is supposed to because the newel post for the stairs is round, so we had to raise it up to the flat part of the post so it would grip it.  Anyway, that means you have to step over the bottom bar.  I had nylons on and didn't realize how slippery they would be on the carpet stairs.  I had one leg over when I slipped down and did the splits.  As I fell, I grabbed the gate and it came off easily, but it broke my fall a little.  I was lucky I didn't break my neck!
It did teach me that the gate isn't attached as tight as it should be, so I think I fixed that problem.  Anyway, it's been nice the few days that we have had it up.  I like being able to leave the room and not have to take Nate with me.  He can keep doing his thing and I can do mine.