Teething Time?!

When I googled "baby teething symptoms" and read drooling, restless sleeping and chewing on everything, I knew my baby was in the teething phase! I also read some other symptoms, like fever, that my baby didn't have. So, do a lot of research and ask your baby's pediatrician for more information in regards to the medical aspect. 

In this blog, I'm going to recommend the products I used for my baby once she started teething. She got her first two teeth at six months and by one year, she had eight teeth.  I did not use any teething gels or gum soothers, but I did try out a lot of different teething toys and products. The ones below were most helpful to my baby and I hope it helps your baby during this phase!

1. One of the first items I bought were Nuby bibs. I saw a friend using them for her baby and thought what a great idea! Not only did it help catch all of my baby's drool from her chin and clothes, but there is a chewy piece on the end that was easy to turn up and let my baby chew on.  The drool started irritating my baby's chin, so this bib made it very easy to wipe the drool off her chin. I bought about eight of these to use one per day and put in the wash once a week. I used these bibs for about 4-5 months.

2. Once my baby's teeth broke the skin, I wanted to get her used to the idea of brushing her teeth. I bought two items for this. The first is what is in the pink and blue case. They are finger toothbrushes that you put on your finger and run along your baby's gums/teeth/tongue. My baby would bite down on my finger and at this point it didn't hurt. The downside to these finger brushes is the size. I could wear it on my pointer finger but my husband had to use his pinky finger. I used these finger brushes for about 3 months before transitioning to an infant toothbrush with bristles.

3. The other teether/toothbrush that my baby loved was the two cactus teethers. The soft plastic bristles helped with the idea of brushing teeth and the three cactus arms were great for my baby to chew on and hold by herself. This was by far her favorite teether and she used it for about 4 months.

4. Soon, I started noticing my baby chewing on anything wood. Her crib rails, tables, wood toys. Once she made some teeth marks in my sister's dining room table I knew I needed to get her some wooden teethers. I bought this pack and she chewed on this for a bit. She wasn't as interested in them as she was the table, but I figured this was a better option! 

5. I also tried the terry cloth type of teethers. There are four pictured. You can try putting water inside the Mickey or grapes one, freeze it, and let your baby chew on it. Be sure to monitor the coldness of it and how your baby reacts to it. The other two that are pink/orange and green/yellow are good to put a cold piece of food and allow your baby to chew on the food and eat. Of course, be aware of any potential food allergies. I didn't use these as often because my baby was eating solid foods during teething and was able to chew on her food.

6. Since my baby didn't use the teethers in number 5 as much, I was searching for new teethers that she would take to and I found the RaZbaby RaZberry! It is shaped like a pacifier but with bumps like a raspberry. My baby used these for about a month. She would put it in her mouth and take it out to investigate the texture, it was so cute to watch!

No baby is alike! Your baby might like some of these, she might not! It's okay to try new things or try things again in a month. The upside is all of these are on the inexpensive side. I hope you find some helpful. Good luck on your baby's teething journey!

Here are the links to each item mentioned in this blog. The link will take you to Amazon and if you buy an item through my link, I may make a small commission at not extra cost to you. Thanks for reading!

Nuby Bibs 3 Pack

Nuby Bibs 2 Pack

Finger Toothbrushes (I bought this large pack to get a better deal.)

Cactus Teethers

Wooden Teethers

Terry Cloth Teether

Pack of 1    Pack of 2 RaZbaby RaZberry Pacifier Teether 

National Adoption Day!

November is Adoption Month and I love talking about adoption! Just one year ago, my husband and I were blessed with a precious baby when her birth mom chose to make an adoption plan! 

With today being National Adoption Day, I wanted to make a few recommendations in regards to preparation for adoption. This special blog is dear to my heart because I have had the privilege of answering questions for others in my life on their own journey to adoption.

Be prepared to do a lot of research and paperwork! But also know, once you have your baby, it was all so worth it.

1. Are you looking to adopt a newborn baby or an older child? Are you looking to adopt domestically or internationally?  For international adoptions, you'll want to find out the particular regulations they have for adoptive parents. Are you looking into private adoption or looking to be a foster parent? Do you want an open adoption, semi-open or closed adoption? These are some terms and questions to research and it will help you know which path you want to take. 

2. If you choose domestic adoption, as we did, you'll want to start looking at adoption agencies, adoption lawyers, and agencies that can conduct home studies. A home study is a major first step towards adoption. You'll fill out a lot of paperwork and a social worker will conduct a home visit. Once all of this is complete and you pass, you can be considered for adoption situations.

3. You can start working on a profile book. There are companies who can help with the layout or you can design your own. The profile book is shown to an expectant parent wanting to make an adoption plan. Your profile book will help show who you are. It is helpful to have a PDF version on hand too.

4. You will probably need to do even more research before choosing the adoption agency or lawyer you want go do with. Are you in a financial state to travel outside of the country for an extended stay? How about outside of your home state? Are you aware of the various conditions a baby can be born with? Are you willing and prepared to educate yourself on how to best support your baby? Do you have a pediatrician chosen and can you meet with her to ask about some possible conditions a baby might be exposed to while in the womb? Ultimately, you will have to choose some preferences and it is okay to make those decisions. You are making a lifelong commitment and you need to be the absolute best parent(s) to your baby in order to help him or her thrive.

5. Find some support groups in your community. My husband and I went to a couple of meetings at our church to find out information. We read some books, listened to some podcasts, talked with others.  We shared our story during the process and had a lot of support from family and friends. Our social worker has a private facebook group where questions and ideas are posted. Waiting to be chosen as adoptive parents can be a long and trying process, or it might be smooth and quick. No family ever has the same journey!

And this is all before a baby or child is even in your sight! One year after having the opportunity to adopt our baby, I can tell you that all the prep work was well worth it. I wish you the best on your journey!

Here is one of the books I read that you might find help: Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew by Sherrie Eldridge. 

Reading to Your Newborn Baby

When should you start reading to your child?

Now! It is never too late, or too early, to read to your child. I read my baby her first book when she was three days old. Since my husband and I adopted our baby, that was the soonest we could read to her! I understand moms who have children biologically may not be in the position to read right away, so whenever you can, just start! 

I read at least one book a day to my baby. What if you miss a day? It's okay! Just start again the next day. Reading to your baby should be fun and not an added chore so as to take the enjoyment out of it. After a few months, I tried to get in a routine once my baby woke up: change diaper and clothes, feeding and then read a book. If we had more time to read during the day, then we did.

Is there a particular book you should start with? Babies see in black and white and then a few more colors come in. So I started with some simple board books that were in black and white. Sometimes they are noted as high contrast books. There are only a few words on each page so they take just a few minutes to read. Your baby might be interested in the pictures on the page. Babies learn your voice and speech patterns when you are reading out loud. 

Is there a particular way to read? My reading voice is the same one I use to talk happy with my baby. You know, when you say something like, "You're such a cute baby!" with all that excitement and enthusiasm. I'll use extra expression when reading too. As my baby got a little older, I toned it down a little but then added excitement when she goes to touch a picture, or turn a page.

What if my baby loses interest after one page? It isn't imperative to finish the whole book. Babies have no idea of the story line. In fact, most board books are so simple, there isn't a story line. Babies also have no idea if you make it to the end of the book. At this point, you are building a behavior of sitting in your lap with a book, with the opportunity to listen to your voice.

When reading to newborns, keep it simple. Read a few pages if your baby starts squirming. Try again later or the next day. After a couple of weeks, you'll notice your baby making it through an extra page at a time. And who doesn't love having their baby cuddle in their lap with them for a fun activity like reading? I understand reading isn't fun for everyone, but you will be doing your child a great thing by instilling this behavior early on. My husband reads to our baby too and she loves reading time with her daddy. 

As a teacher I loved the quote, "Today a reader, tomorrow a leader!" Now that my baby is one year old, she will pick up books as if they are one of her toys. I love seeing that so much!!! I helped my seven year old with the same reading behaviors, and now as a second grader, she is reading at and above grade level books. She is the kid that you see walking around with a book in her hand!

Here are two books that I read to my baby as a newborn.

Hello, Baby Animals - Purchase by clicking here!

Look Look! - Purchase by clicking!

Introduction Blog

Hello! Welcome to my blog! Thanks for stopping by.  

If you're a parent, or about to be, I'm going to guess that you're reading this in between many other tasks you have to do. Are you a multi-tasker like me? That's when I'm writing this! My baby is a taking a nap, and it might be a short one, so I better keep this quick! Multi-tasker or not, I know you want to help your child thrive. And I'm happy to help! That is the mission of my blog - to help you help your child enjoy reading and learning.

I have been in education for eighteen years and have held positions from first grade to seventh grade teacher and a few positions outside of the classroom. I have my degree in elementary education and a masters in educational leadership.  I have successfully taught many of my students how to read and have fostered a love for reading in many other students!

My sister has repeatedly told me that she hears me ask questions when reading books that she would not have thought of.  She also told me that I spot the educational value in the toys our children enjoy.  With her encouragement, I have started this blog to help you help your child to engage in reading and learning. I hope you find some good tips and get some good ideas from my future blogs.

I am an aunt to two girls, age seven and four and have been able to help them learn since birth. My seven-year-old niece absolutely loves reading and is reading above grade level. Since she was one week old, I remember sitting her in my lap and reading her books. This past year we have all done virtual education so I have been able to teach my four year old niece. She is learning her letters and numbers and I love teaching her.

This past year I became a mom!! It has been a year of learning and being a mommy is my favorite role yet! My husband and I found out the day she was born that we were going to be able to adopt our sweet baby. We met her late at night the day after she was born and our hearts were in heaven when we got to hold her. The next morning we stopped at the bookstore to buy her first books. We decided on Everything is Mama and Your Baby's First Word Will Be Dada by Jimmy Fallon because our sweet baby made us parents.  We brought the books to the hospital with us and read them to our sweet daughter each day she was in the hospital until we brought her home. Oddly enough, we were the only parents reading to their newborn baby! Since then, I have read at least one book a day to her. Side note: much to my delight, our baby's first word was Mama!!

Now she just turned one, and LOVES books. Her favorite kinds are the touch and feel and lift the flap books. She knows how to turn pages, she will pick up books to play with, and she loves sitting on my lap to be read to.  This is a behavior I have instilled in her since birth and I would love to help you instill the same behavior in your child. It is never too late, or too early, to read to your child.  

If you have any questions or ideas you want me to blog about, feel free to send me a note!