Showing off his teeth

I finally managed to get a decent picture of my little guy's two bottom teeth.  They may be small and cute, but beware, if you stick your finger in his mouth you will learn that they are also very sharp.

Would you like some juice?

I like this picture I took of my little guy today.  I know it's nothing fancy, but it reminds me of the fun time we had together today.   My little guy has a new hobby.  It involves chasing the empty juice bottle as it rolls around under my kitchen floor, and then occasionally trying to see if he can get any juice out of it even though the lid is on.  He is so much fun to have around.

Busy Week

Well I had another busy week.  My little guy is quite the explorer these days.  We have been working on baby proofing our house, which will probably be an ongoing process for the next while.
Just when we thought his crib was low enough, he learned how to stand up in it.
My little guy likes to shove anything and everything in his mouth.  I prefer him to stuff food in it, but he likes the non edible items as well.

But the funniest is how he likes to lick everything.  He especially likes to lick the kitchen floor and refrigerator.  It is hilarious.  But it also requires me to try to keep my house spick and span--not an easy task.

Just a reminder, there is still time to enter the giveaway and read my review about the Baby Orajel® Naturals teething gel.  Click on this link to view it.

The pain of miscarriage

Last night I read about my dear friend Augusta's miscarriage.  As sadness filled my heart I have thought what can I do?  What can I say?  How can I convey my love and concern for her, her husband, and her friend who donated a precious egg who are all mourning this loss?

I suppose I will simply write that my heart goes out to her and to all who had such hope and joy in the arrival of their child.  As I mourned this loss I returned to the age old question of:  Why?  To which I say, I don't know.  I only hope there will be people close to Augusta and her husband who can be sensitive and kind to them during this painful time in their life.

I did read a few articles from my church's website this morning about miscarriage, that helped me learn more about the pain it brings.  I also read an article about one woman's story of what she learned while bedridden during a pregnancy that ultimately resulted in a miscarriage.  I will add those links should anyone like to read them.

Easing the pain of miscarriage: How can you help when a loved one is suffering?
The unconfined heart: sometimes our struggles increase our ability to care

Augusta has such a big heart and has been a dear friend to me on my blog.  In fact, while she is mourning her loss, she still visited my blog to comment on a recent post about my little boy.  She is strong, compassionate, and kind.  I hope you will visit her blog and let her know you care about her.

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.