Brand New Tooth

My baby grew a tooth.  It is so small, but it's there.  I discovered it during lunch.  I tried to get a picture of it, but my little guy kept it hidden the rest of the day.  I had to double check to make sure it was really there by running my finger along the bottom of his mouth.

Over the weekend my little guy had very rosy cheeks.  I wasn't sure why.  I wondered if maybe he was allergic to something, but I couldn't think of anything new he had been exposed to.  I ultimately asked internet about it, and one explanation was that a tooth might be on it's way.  I hoped that was the reason for the rosy cheeks.  Well, the rosiness subsided, and a tooth appeared.

Who knew I could get so excited about a tooth.  And this is just the first of many to come. 


A few weeks ago my baby was fussy and having a hard time settling down for the night.  After trying every tactic to get him to sleep: taking him on a walk, trying to feed him without success, changing him, holding him, and playing music for him, we wondered if he was experiencing some teething pain.  Thankfully I had orajel on hand, so while my husband tried to console my little guy I quickly read the instructions on the package and opened the tube of pain reliever.  I rubbed a bit on his swollen gums, gave him his pacifier, and held my breath.  Would this do the trick?  My little guy settled down for a minute, but still acted a little fussy.  I decided to offer him the bottle one more time.  He took a few more sips, and then fell asleep.   I think the orajel helped him.

    I was so happy I had my Orajel on hand that night.  The night would’ve been much rougher and stressful if I had to run to the store and frantically scour the shelves looking haphazardly for something to relieve my baby's teething pain. 

  

     I love seeing my little guy smile.  He has the cutest smile I have ever seen.  His smile makes me smile.  Some of the things that make him smile are: people, tickles, funny noises, funny faces, looking at himself in the mirror, and playing in his exersaucer. I don’t dread my baby’s teeth coming in knowing I have the ability to relieve his pain. 

I try to imagine how my little guy will look when all of a sudden he smiles and I see a tooth in the middle of his mouth.  It will be so fun to see.  I can’t wait to take a picture of him with his toothy grin.  I bet he will love looking at his new tooth in the mirror too.  It is so much fun to see my baby growing and changing, and the arrival of his first tooth will be quite a milestone. 

No teeth in sight

My little guy was teething a lot a few weeks ago and was experiencing a lot of pain associated with it.  But since then, he seems to have settled down.  No more teething pain, but no teeth to show for it either.  As a newbie at all of this, I guess I will just wait and see what happens next.  In the meantime, I have my Orajel® on hand, so I am set.  The Orajel® really seemed to help him when he was teething and I was glad I had it available.  Check out my review of the first time I used Orajel® for my baby.  And don't forget to enter the giveaway after reading it.

The Joys of Formula Feeding

For quite some time I have wanted to write about why formula feeding will not sentence your child to a life of obesity or stupidity along with the other myriad of things you hear when breastfeeding is touted over bottle feeding.

I have held off because I did not want to put up with hearing how wrong I was and how "breast was best".  I get it.  Breast feeding is natural, difficult, and great for some people, but it's not for everyone.  Not everyone can or wants to breastfeed.  And whether you do or don't breastfeed for whatever reason, mothers should not have to overcome some guilt trip about it.  I know the benefits of breastfeeding and always planned on breastfeeding my baby.  But then again, I used to always want to get pregnant and have a natural birth as well.

There are all sorts of issues that occur with breastfeeding that can make it difficult and reasons why mothers don't breastfeed--supply issues, anatomy issues,  and medical issues of both mom and baby just to name a few.  And then there is just a woman's situation and personal preference that needs to be taken into account when she is determining whether to breast or bottle feed, or to do both.

When I found out we would be adopting our little boy I didn't have much time to get ready.  One thing I did was research a bit more to decide what formula I would to give my little guy.  And as I read websites and information, some of them start to talk about how bottle feeding is not as good as breastfeeding and I began to feel guilty that I would be formula feeding my baby.  Crazy, huh?  Well, I got over it.

So my little guy has bottle fed and done fabulous.  And frankly, I cannot imagine breastfeeding.  Bottle feeding is easy, convenient, and nutritious.  My baby is smart, healthy, and amazing.  I am proud to say that  my baby has formula fed.  If you decide to formula feed for whatever reason, don't feel guilty about it.  It is a great way to feed your baby.

Teething Baby? Try Baby Orajel® Naturals

My baby has begun teething.   I had no idea teething took so long and could hurt so much.  I was asked by BlogHer to review a product called Baby Orajel® Naturals.  You can read my review of the first time I used it at this link here.  After you read my review, be sure to enter the giveaway contest as well.

Why bother?

Many times I have wondered why I should bother filling out medical forms.  From my experience they don't seem to be read.  I cannot count the number of times I have written my medical history on forms only to have to then verbally explain it all to the nurse or doctor who has my form in front of them but didn't bother to read it.

A few weeks ago I took my little guy to the eye doctor.  On the medical history form I had to fill out there was actually a box where I could check that he was adopted.  I thought to myself,  "What a great idea.  One less thing to explain when I am asked about his medical history."  Furthermore, as I continued completing the form, when I got to the family eye history portion I clearly wrote: "Birth mother:" and then "Birthfather:"  when I wrote in familial eye information.

I guess my diligence in filling out this form was purely for my benefit and to give me something to do in the waiting room.  When the nurse was asking me about my baby's eyes, she said, "Oh, and I see that you wrote that you wear glasses and that, and that your husband is near sighted, (or whatever it was that I had put down)."  I then corrected her and told her that actually,  that information was about my son's birth parents.

She seemed a little embarrassed and flustered, but it didn't' bother me.  You see, I am used to people not reading medical records.  I do admit that seeing the "adoption box" to check on the form had gotten my hopes up that it would be read.  Oh well, that's life.

And by the way, my baby's eyes are just fine.

Hoping

I am hoping that all of you are able to get through this weekend as well as possible.  I know how difficult it can be.  I hope that the child you are waiting for will join your family soon.

Know that I am thinking about all of you this weekend.