Teething Update - Tooth Watch + Sign for "Hurt"

We are still on TOOTH WATCH only now it has been raised to "Severe". There are no teeth in sight yet, but there are lots of fun teething symptoms going on around here.

Reinventing these terms so commonly used by the national weather services, let's define "tooth watch" and "tooth warning":

Tooth Watch - An announcement that the eruption of a tooth and teething symptoms are possible.
Tooth Warning - A tooth or teething is imminent and expected, i.e. a tooth has been spotted

Any day now we'll be upgrading this "tooth watch" to a "tooth warning" when a little peak of white pops through those pink gums. That will not be a fun day! I wish I could fast forward a few weeks and bypass this horrible discomfort, but I know the relief would only be temporary as teething is not a short-term deal.

We are fortunate that Asher is easily distracted so the crankiness comes in short spurts. We've been surviving the extra painful moments with Hyland's Teething Tablets (in moderation, once per day if needed), frozen blueberries or peaches in our Nuby Nibbler, and cold teething rings.

1. Munchkin Teething Ring  2. Hyland's Teething Tablets  3. Nuby Nibbler with Frozen Blueberries/Peaches/Ice
4. Sophie the Giraffe 5. Lots of Hugs and Kisses! :(

{ Side note about the Nuby Nibbler - I like the one with the handle MUCH  better for handling purposes and because you can hook it to his pacifier clip so that it doesn't get thrown on the floor. A warning about using bananas in it, though - you will not be able to get the black gunk out of the net! Ick. }

Last night, Asher woke up around 10pm for a midnight snack, then was wide-eyed-and-bushy-tailed for about an hour and a half. I put him temporarily in his bassinet while I got ready for bed and he made sure to tell me that he was having some teething pain (although he was, surprisingly, tear-free). Check out his super impressive baby sign language for "hurt":

We actually have never practiced the baby sign for "hurt" with him, but he's only seen it on the Baby Signing Time DVD like a billion times, so I am not surprised he picked it up. Well... I kind of am, actually. There's no denying that this definitely looks like his mouth hurting is what he was trying to convey and he is having teething pain, so, it only makes sense. Smarty pants I tell ya. He's goin' places, this one!


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Baby Carriers: Why Splurge?

I never registered for a baby carrier for my baby shower. I found one that was on sale for $12.99 and figured that it could do the job just as well as those pricier ones out there. Boy was I wrong. I finally experienced the difference between quality baby carriers and cheap baby carriers and now I can tell you why you should splurge on a baby carrier (or at least register for one).

REASONS TO SPLURGE:

• Safety 
• Ease of Use
• Comfort & Ergonomics for You and Baby
• Style
• Flexibility & Longevity of Use

Introducing the Stokke MyCarrier. This baby carrier fits the bill, excelling in each of the above categories. I decided to "baby wear" Asher when we toured NC last Tuesday using the MyCarrier and I have to say, I don't think I would have been comfortable walking around on this rock 2280 feet in the air with Asher in any other carrier.  The Stokke MyCarrier features the same technology in it's straps and fasteners as mountaineering gear. He was not going anywhere.

In addition to its high level of safety, this baby carrier is simple to use. It can be worn 3 ways - front forward facing, front rear facing, and on the back. Switching from one mode to the next is easy and quick. Sizing the straps to fit one parent to the next takes seconds. 

COMFORT. The ergonomic engineering of carriers is probably one of the main reasons that one will cost more than another. This is probably the biggest reason you would want to splurge on a baby carrier. If you buy a carrier that does not offer comfort, you won't be baby wearing very often! The MyCarrier is supportive all around and takes the comfort and positioning of your baby for optimum development into consideration, as well. It has an optional aluminum back support bar that John and I took advantage of and I did not feel any back pain after walking around with Asher in it throughout the day. 

The Stokke baby carrier can be used from birth to 3 years, which is pretty awesome if the need arises far down the road. It looks nice and sleek, too, in my opinion. Even John didn't mind sporting it around town, so it is great for daddy baby wearing, too! There is also a little pocket on the side where you can put your keys or cell phone AND it has a sun/sleep shade if your little one falls asleep. Awesome!

I used the bib accessory which is shown in all of the pics with Asher sucking and chewing on it. :) The pack came with two so I can throw this one in the wash and still have one to use.

The Stokke MyCarrier is definitely worth the splurge whether you are looking for a new carrier or you are adding one to your shower registry. I wish I had gotten a nice one like this sooner! I definitely would have been baby wearing more often and probably would have made it to the grocery store a lot more frequently in those early months with our little guy. You live and you learn! We'll be trying out the other carrier positions very soon, so keep your eye out if you want to see the 3 in 1 in action! 

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8 NEW Baby Buys & Lifesaver Products

1. Latchy Catchy
I can't tell you how grateful I am to have this on our bedroom door and the door to our bathroom. We'll switch them to the nursery door and surrounding doors once we move Asher to his crib, too. You can still shut the door - but it's silent! Genius!

2. Bambino Land Burp Cloths
I have come to realize that the more absorbent burp cloths are the ones you'll reach for. These Bambino Land muslin burp cloths absorb what 3 of my other ones would! I always use these when I'm on the go.

3. Sophie the Giraffe ***with PLUSH!!!***
The plush version of the well known Sophie the Giraffe has been the 'go-to' toy. Until he's interested in really chewing on things, he much prefers the plush version. The giraffe shape makes it easy to hold and snuggle with for little ones who can't really grab very well yet, or at all. He's in love!

4. The Diaper Clutch
Just grab this little clutch out of your diaper bag for a quick run to change the baby. Unless you need an impromptu outfit change, as well, but otherwise this clutch is a cute little lifesaver!

5. BIBS
   Some babies just require bibs. Lots of bibs! See my bib post HERE.

 

Bandana bibs from Butterfly Kisses Co. on Etsy

6. Books, Books, & More Books! 
Before bedtime, when baby is a little fussy for no apparent reason (maybe bored), when you want a little extra "bonding time" - books are all around awesome to have and fun to read together! At my baby shower, we encouraged guests to give a book instead of a card (can you believe the price of cards these days??!) so that helped us get a great start to Asher's "library". Zulily also often has great package deals on unique books!

7. OBall by Rhino Toys
Little fingers can hold onto this ball long before their hands follow suit. Helps them with learning the dexterity of their fingers, too!

8. Earth's Best Nursery Wipes
Now that Asher is playing with toys more, playing in his exersaucer/jumperoo, and has his hands and mouth on everything, these wipes are a true lifesaver. They are alcohol free, non-toxic, chlorine free, hypoallergenic... the list goes on yet they still use natural cleansers and germ fighters to keep toys and surfaces safe for babies.

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Baby Sign Language - What's on Your Mind?

Honestly, I was skeptical about Baby Sign Language to a certain degree. I didn't think it would start "working" until 7+ months like all the resources on baby signing suggest and I thought it might be difficult to work into our routine. Boy was I wrong! We started signing with Asher at 3 months and now at 19 weeks, he is already starting to sign to us. For real.

At first I thought I was being "that mom" who might insist her baby is signing when he is really just moving his hands around randomly. But after a few days of wondering if what I was seeing could be real - I know it is! My baby is signing to me!  { I apologize in advance for all the exclamation points. I am just that amazed and excited about this! }

Here's what happened that made me a believer in baby sign language:

Last night, Asher would NOT go to sleep. I tried putting him down 4 times starting at 7:30pm. He would either fuss or just play and talk in his bassinet. I tried feeding him more milk, changed him, let him sit with me and the dogs for a while. He kept signing "banana" and putting his hand to his mouth (which now I know meant "eat"). Being a baby who may or may not be starting teething, I just figured it was just a baby thing. As far as the "banana" sign, I thought it must be that he didn't really know what it meant yet, or he was associating it with the book we had just read with bananas in it. I basically didn't want to jump to conclusions - I mean, he's not even 5 months old yet. Finally, after hours of this, I gave in and fed him some carrots (he already had bananas that morning). He ate almost 3 tbsp with a smile on his face the whole time. I got him cleaned up and readied again for bed. When I put him down, he fell asleep INSTANTLY. He was out for the night. I should have listened to him in the first place! I probably would have saved myself hours of frustration. 

So now I am a believer. I will be teaching him all the signs I can throughout the next few months. 

Could this be "eat"?

Here's how we've done it so far.

I did not know any signs when we decided to do this. I bought a baby signing book, but after trying to decipher a few of the signs pictured in the book, I have realized that I need to actually see it being done to learn it. I bought Baby Signing Time Vol. 1 and learned alongside Asher some of the basic, primary signs for babies. This DVD is AWESOME. It's the only thing Asher will watch on TV and he absolutely LOVES it. It's full of fun songs, cartoons, and other babies making signs. I really want to get him the full set complete with a "Mr. Hopkins" plush frog (because that's a necessity), but it's unfortunately out of our budget right now. I bought volume 3 on Ebay (I don't know why I skipped 2... it was a 1:00 am purchase) and plan to slowly build our collection.

He watches it a few times a day (*blush*) while I'm doing things around the house or getting work done on the computer. Hey - at least it's educational!

Our early signs throughout the day have included:

• "Milk" - whenever we would give him a bottle and while he's drinking it.
• "Water" - whenever he was getting a bath, when it was raining and he would focus on it, or when I was drinking a bottle of water.
• "Dog" - whenever he saw/touched Suki or Sumo, our pugs, or when reading the book Doggies.
• "More" - when we'd give him more milk, read him another book or do more of anything he liked.
• "Mama" - when he looked at me, "Dada" when he saw John.
• "Grandma/Nonna" and "Grandpa" - with our parents (although we've been slacking with those).

That's pretty much it until about 2 weeks ago. I also have another DVD (that is full of 80s footage and not fun for babies at all) where I picked up a few more signs.

I have recently introduced:

• "Banana"
• "Bird"
• "Diaper"
• "Change"
• "Eat"
• "Up" <-- Which I may regret because he always wants up! :)
• "Hungry" <-- New today. This may be too conceptual for his age, though...

Mind you, Asher watched the DVD each day and has seen the signs for "banana" and "eat" in the video since he was 3 months old. We also read a book called Today, I'd Really Like to Eat a Child that has a crocodile who eats bananas in it and we sign "banana" while reading it, too. (It's a cute book and not at all as scary as it sounds - haha!)

The thing about a young baby signing is that you have to have a keen eye for their signs early on. They are primitive versions of the sign and can easily be written off as nothing. For example, here is a video of Asher signing "more" and "banana" a few days ago (please ignore my annoying mommy voice): 

I will continue to post on our progress with Baby Sign Language. I also am going to be tweeting videos of signs and any cool resources on the practice, so follow me on Twitter to get those updates!

Sorry this post is lacking pictures. It's hard to get my little signer on camera.

Good luck with your baby signing adventures. I'm happy to answer any questions and also welcome advice from anyone who has done signing with their babies!

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Tales from Online Shopping - Baby Gear

Here are some of my most recent online "finds"...

1. Huggies Pure and Natural Diapers - We're trying them out as our disposable alternative to cloth when on vacation and when outfits wont fit over cloth.

2. Spider Monkey Plush Toy Set from Zulily

3. Stokke MyCarrier and Bib Set - Stokke was kind enough to send me this organic 3 in 1 baby carrier to review on our upcoming vacation. I'm SO excited to try it because I have only heard amazing things about it! I bought the coordinating carrier bibs for our little drooler. Check back for the full review and lots of pics! I hope I am able to say goodbye to my annoying back pain after using this ergonomic baby carrier.

4. Cloth Wipes from Sweet Bobbins - Thick, soft, CUTE, and so handy for everything drool to bum.

5. Turquoise Teething Necklace - Purchased from Zulily.

6. Buggy Guard Anti-Theft Stroller Lock - I'll be darned if my new awesome stroller becomes a statistic and gets swiped! This should do the trick.

7. Chompin Chicken Wing Teething Toy - A perfect AppeTEETHER! Oh, the pictures are coming... you can bet on that!

8. Simba Silicome Toothbrush - Baby toothbrush with stopper to keep it from going in too far. I have no idea what "fur clearing" means. Anyone????

9. Pully Palz Paci Hanger - Developmental toy that also helps keep pacifier handy. So cute!

10. Red Monkey Zip Up Hoodie - Baby Starters sale on Zulily.

11. Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes - Oh it's on! We have this and #12 below... I'll let you know which Asher prefers after a few weeks of playing with them both.

12. Bright Starts Get Movin' Music Player - So far I like this one better, it has more sounds and the handle is skinnier and easier for Asher to grip. But we will see!

13. Red & Blue Travel Pouch - By Stephen Joseph and purchased from Zulily for keeping baby essentials together while on vaca!

"My mom online shops way too much!" - Baby Asher

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