Worst Sound In The World- Updated

Many months ago I commented on "the worst sound in the world" (movie reference, Dumb and Dumber), but referring to my nephew's scream. UGH.

However, not to be outdone, Chase has found a sound far worse- and that happens to be thanks to his teeth. Grinding his teeth. Sure, reading it, it doesn't seem so bad- but sitting there hearing him doing it? OMG. Chills up my spine, and I immediately yell at him to stop. His mouth is all pucker in a way as he's doing it to those brand new top teeth... and he just looks at me all serious, cocks his head to the side, then smiles... and does it again.

I did research some, and apparently it's all common and not to be concerned about- that he's just trying to adjust to the feeling of the teeth and all, but man. It sucks.

Oh well, I also realized I needed to get on board with trying to brush his teeth/gums now- I mean, I guess we should've done it from the start with the other teeth- but- whoops. Just not something I thought about as I collapse into bed at night, exhausted from the day. We walked down the baby aisle looking for some food and lotion, when I saw our selection and remembered I'd been meaning to get him his own toothbrush & toothpaste. So I debated between the kind you slip on your finger or a regular- infant/toddler toothbrush. The thought of being bit made me lean towards the regular kind, and ultimately I held the packages up to Chase and let him decide :)

So brushing an infants teeth is more difficult than it seems, because all he wants to do is grab the brush and chew on the thing- but, hey, one step at a time :)

Will Walk For French Bakery

Oh my... YUM. I have decided I am all about the French diet. No, I am not applying to be a poster child for a healthy diet- but more about enjoying all foods in moderation.

I decided to walk to Publix after dropping off Kaely today, so the 2 miles each way, and noticed that the French Bakery was open (it's been in the process of opening for months now)... so after our grocery shopping I stopped in. I heard the choir angels start singing- they have a clear window so you can see the bakers doing their magic, all the fresh baked croissants, choquettes (my new favorite!OMG), baguettes, petites, etc... I stood there in awe. On top of it, they were sampling cheesecake, the petites, and beverages. I was one happy camper. I have decided that making that walk and going to the bakery are going to be a weekly tradition. LOVE IT.

A very crazy week as always over here, with teething madness continuing (the stinkin' tooth on the top right now), and some scares next door, and insane weather, and Halloween decoration making, etc etc etc- nothing new essentially. Looking forward to a quiet evening- oh wait- babysitting- crap. Okay, that time may never arrive... at least they're cute :)

Chase getting into everything of course, and then movie night ended up in my bed :/

Teething Tablets

Hello controversy.

The past couple weeks with Chase's top teeth coming in have been pretty rough- and waaaayyy slow-going compared to his bottom teeth, which seemed to break the gums overnight and that was it. This? A much longer process. So I decided to do the "teething tablet" route like I did with Kaely- and didn't think twice. Well, that's not true, when I saw the price tag I thought twice, three- four times... but ultimately I figured if they work, it's totally worth it.

Then, Dave mentioned how he seemed to act "loopy" (insert a couple different words there) within moments off taking them. Getting the giggles, constantly bending backwards to be upside-down, etc. At the after-babyshower-party, one of the girls took a look at the bottle and joked about the ingredients being a derivative of poppies (so to speak, lol)... so when Chase started acting "loopy" again Sunday night, I took a look at the ingredients myself. Noticed "belladonna" was listed, and it rang a faint bell, I just couldn't remember why. Turns out, it was in a movie, someone was poisoned with it. Hmmmm- definitely triggered some further digging. There are so many controversial reports on this stuff- and here it is as a recommended remedy for babies! So frustrating. I mean, it's been used as a sedative, for colic, for pain relief for sciatica, nerve pain, etc, etc, etc...

After doing more research, Hyland's (the manufacturer) states that their tablets contain 0.0000000000002 mg of Belladonna alkaloids (the part responsible for adverse effects) per tablet. Whereas medicinally prescribed Belladonna is upwards of 2-5 mg per dose- many thousands of times the amount. So, yes, accidental overdoses would have to be extreme (multiple bottles worth at once) to have a full dose- buuuuuttttt... if it's this minute, why bother putting it in? Just wondering....

That being said, I decided to ask our pediatrician (of 7 1/2 years) what her thoughts were (a little late for Kaely- sorry!), and she just kind of laughed. Not in a derogatory way, but that as long as used as intended, and if they work magic on Chase, to go for it. She said she still recommends Tylenol and such primarily- since homeopathic remedies can be a little inconsistent. Buuttt... I guess I will keep the tablets as my backup plan now. Still a little unsure- but, hey, grandparents used whiskey on the gums- and I know I don't agree with that. Orajel can be dangerous as well, complicating breathing and all... sooooo... crap.

Oh well.

As far as Chase's 9 month check-up weigh in- he's the same weight pretty much from the other day- about 18 1/2 lbs, and 27" long. He's still on the lower end of the growth charts- but consistent in his growth- obviously the kid is not under-nourished. His sister also had her 7 year checkup, and she was in the same - about average for height, and in the 'teens for weight. She's at 47 lbs and 48"- sadly that's only 13" away from my height- I am fairly confident that she will outgrow me by middle school :/ Hmmm.

Well, not many pics the past day or so, but did think this one at the doctor's office was kinda funny. I was trying to catch a pic while he was falling, holding onto the toy for dear life :)

YAY!

We woke up yesterday to Chase clapping... I know most babies do this at some point, but as many times as we've played Patty Cake, or If You're Happy and You Know It... it was fun to see! So all day we clapped and responded with YAY! He's also been "talking" a lot more... with the ddddsssh (thinking this is usually for the dogs)... and dadada (duh)... bababa (ummm- no clue)... still no mama though :/ Oh well! 

Just a moment of non-teething madness to share :) 

9 Months Baby!

Holy crap. 9 months old today! As of a checkup (not his 9 month one) a week or so ago, he is about 26 1/2" long, and 18 lbs 11oz... his official 9 month appointment will be on Tuesday. So a gain of almost 10", and 14 lbs 9oz. Ha! So proud of this little bug :) Adding onto his 2 teeth from around 6 months, we have his top teeth coming in- you can see the one on the right is cut through, the left is nearing that point too- AHHHHH- teething sucks.

I will also observe that his ability to "play well with others" has not improved- well... maybe just with Nathan? He loves older kids, and has been increasingly more social with adults/strangers too- gaining a compliment yesterday about how good he is as he hung out with Dad at the "Pints & Pampers" party for Baby Girl Regan while I was at the lady's baby shower. But when it comes to sharing/playing with Nathan? This is what we get:

On to other randomness- I discovered an awesome use for some table cloths I found around the house- curtains! Kaely's room has had bamboo blinds in there for years, but the problem is that at night you can see right through them with the light on. I found some old cheap curtain rod from my apartment I had years ago, and spent $0.49 on new brackets to hang them, then dug up some leftover fabric that compliments Kaely's bedding... and voila! A nearly free solution- very cool :)

The other part of the table cloths I used for the bed/crib skirt I finally got around to making for Chase to match his quilt. Amazing how little time it takes to do when you actually sit down to do it...

Finally- I part with the classic "Chase" look when asked to share with Nathan ;)

Nature vs. Nurture? Hmmmm

Let GO!

Ahhhhh- yes, the word "NO!" is on the horizon... but as moms of babies know, up there is the phrase "LET GO!"- most often with hair pulling, pulling on the dogs, grabbing cell phones, cords, plates on the table of a restaurant, etc... It never ends! Ah, but I have found one way that he actually listens- kinda strange in a way- but usually towards the end of when he's nursing I notice him starting to drift in attention span- which usually spells trouble for an increased chance of being bit. So I ask him "Chase, if you're done, let go please!" - and damn if he doesn't actually do it- every time now- for over a week. My sister shakes her head laughing at his crafty ways- coincidence? Perhaps- but strange none-the-less. Now, if only he'd listen to the rest of the things I say....

I have a lot of making up to do since the blog posts have slowed waaaaaay down. Teething, holidays, school, etc has taken up so much time and energy that to sit still and have enough brain left to write has been difficult. Luckily Kaely has been helping a lot with keeping Chase entertained, because let's face it- Mom's are boring :)

We've also been experimenting more with table food, since that's sooooo much more interesting than anything served on his own spoons. So from matzo ball (chicken) soup, to steamed broccoli, rice, gnawing on a carrot (I make sure he can't snap off a piece on this- it's more for a teething toy), etc... he loves it all!

 (broccoli & rice)

My sister has also generously donated to the "spoil the boys" fund- aka, the growing pile of toys over here- plus the grandparents have snuck a bunch over too- from the "Crawl Ball" to the fishing set by B. toys (I LOVE this toy brand- the first set by them was the squishy blocks, now they carry a whole line at Target) I don't know what we'll do come Christmas/Birthday- although we have been having a blast playing in the toy sections now at the store. I'm sure the associates hate us, turning on every toy out there (bouncing Tigger, dancing Mickey, this awesome vtech Monkey toy, etc)... but hey! It's fun :)

Speaking of trips to the store- yes, I am "that" mom that tortures her child for the sake of a laugh (yes that's a turkey on his head) Sorry. I couldn't help it- the "dollar spot" at Target has these ridiculous Thanksgiving hats, and I had to... after I attempted to snap the pic (not that he would sit still- hence why it fell over his face), a mom was behind me with her little girl, and started laughing- she said she was glad she wasn't the only one who did that- she said she was guilty of taking pictures and sending it to everyone- at which point I turned around with the phone in my hand smiling- guilty as charged ;)

With our teething issues, naps and sleep are beyond necessary, and have discovered that he prefers to sleep on his side/back now (I still put him on his back- but he moves everywhere)- and inevitably he has his feet/legs hanging out the crib. Did I write the other day about how he got his leg stuck in the slats? (I'll have to check), but his monster thighs got wedged in the slats since he was having a fit- I worried for a minute I was going to have to cut the crib apart. This kid! Never a dull moment... even in his sleep :)

Standing Tall

I'm not sure if I'll be regretting encouraging Chase to start the walking/standing along the furniture yet or not :) Just one more way to get into things, and we know he doesn't need more ways! It is crazy how "grown up" he seems now, just hanging out standing there, or sitting around playing with toys. Hard to believe how much has changed with him since 8 months ago. After challenges with his bath tub, I thought we'd try to put him in our big bath- but that backfired as well, too slippery for him to sit up on his own (since he refuses to sit still), and ended up just laying around splashing with both legs until I was drenched. What a goob ;)

I also thought that maybe he would be a great baby to employ for companies who develop those "baby proof" or "child resistant" containers/lids/etc. He tackled yet another one today- I had him sitting on the counter in front of me while I brushed my teeth (I was basically holding him), and he grabbed ahold of the mouth wash... two seconds later he managed to get the lid off and spill minty fresh liquid all over the counter. ARG! So now we have Tylenol, mouthwash, vitamins, and any regular things like the lids to the Puffs... nothing is safe! Just a lesson in never believing the quality and safety of something when in the hands of a baby.

Praying for a good night's sleep- as we've been waking up 3-4 times a night lately- stupid teeth! The upper right tooth is catching up to the upper left one, so they are timing it to break at the same time- creating a crazy baby. Extremely happy and laughing one second, to crying and reaching for me the next. Kind of bizarre- and a little scary- just holding onto the temporary part of this all... If your baby does not have teeth yet- ENJOY IT! :)