Monthly Archives: January 2016

Teething Remedies

10 great teething remedies for baby. Some great advice I haven't read before. Gracefulmommy.com

10 great teething remedies for baby. Some great advice I haven't read before. Gracefulmommy.com

It’s official! Gracie’s bottom two teeth have broken through! They are still not all the way up, but getting close for sure. PS- this is the best picture I have of her teeth, and you can’t even really see them. It is near impossible to get a good photo LOL!

10 great teething remedies for baby. Some great advice I haven't read before. Gracefulmommy.com

The typical signs of teething are:

+drooling

+fussiness

+biting everything in sight

+doesn’t sleep good

+swollen gums

+grabs ears

Gracie let me know she was teething by biting everything and not sleeping good. She does not drool that much and I did not notice her gums getting swollen. She likes to bite on my fingers, and a few weeks ago I felt something sharp! It kind of happened out of no where. But then I thought back to the previous few nights and thought…. “oh…that’s probably why she was up every hour.”

I actually researched what the “teething period” actually is. I was wondering if teething was just when the tooth is cutting through or the time before. It’s actually considered “teething” 4 days before the tooth breaks through, and the 2-3 days after. So teething is pretty much for a week. It’s good to know that teething is not like a month long. Unless of course they get teeth back to back, I guess. Anyways, that week can feel like a month long if your baby is hurting!

I reached out to some of my followers to see what worked for them and their babies, and got some great responses! Here is my list of best teething remedies:

1//Frozen washcloths

This is an easy one. Just wet a washcloth and stick it in the freezer. I also tried this with breastmilk and Gracie seemed to love it! I think I’m going to have a couple in the freezer so they are always ready.

Frozen washcloths did wonders- Brittani F. 

Frozen washcloth=amazing- Jen D. 

2//Hyland’s teething tablets

10 great teething remedies for baby. Some great advice I haven't read before. Gracefulmommy.com

These tablets are dissolvable and are supposed to provide fast relief of pain from teething. They are considered all natural + homeopathic. One day Gracie was pretty fussy and I gave her one of these before her nap and she slept great! Who knows if it was a coincidence, but lots of moms agree these work!

I used Hyland’s teething tablets & gel- Veronica M. 

Hyland’s homeopathic teething tablets- Shelley W. 

3//Amber bead necklace 

10 great teething remedies for baby. Some great advice I haven't read before. Gracefulmommy.com

I first heard about these from a friend who was convinced this worked wonders on her son. The baltic amber beads contain succinic acid. When baby wears it, their body heat causes the amber to release the succinic acid which then is absorbed into the skin. This acid works as a natural pain relief and is also said to reduce inflammation. It’s actually very interesting to me. I put it on Gracie and haven’t noticed a HUGE difference yet. But she’s definitely been happy with it on!

Because it is a necklace, it can potentially be a choking hazard. When Gracie is sleeping, I move it to her foot. Also, I wouldn’t leave Gracie unattended with it on. It’s just not worth the risk!

Amber bead necklace.- Holly E. 

We have an amber necklace which has reduced drooling a ton but we still don’t have any teeth over here! – Abby C. 

Jeremiah started drooling buckets and was irritable and couldn’t sleep for 3 days. We decided to try the necklace and he was a new baby within 12 hours! We haven’t taken it off him since and he’s been great!! – Dani E. 

4//Munchkin mesh feeders 

10 great teething remedies for baby. Some great advice I haven't read before. Gracefulmommy.com

10 great teething remedies for baby. Some great advice I haven't read before. Gracefulmommy.com

I love these! Putting frozen food in these little mesh feeders seems to relieve teething pain for little Gracie girl! So far I have tried frozen banana, frozen carrots, and frozen breastmilk. To make the breastmilk popsicle, I pumped a little bit of milk, poured it in one of our frozen food containers, and then put it in the mesh feeder. Gracie was so content for about 30 minutes sucking on this! I’m sure it felt great on her gums. Be warned though, these mesh feeders can get super messy.

Mesh thingy with frozen banana Frozen Waffles – Jen D. (I love the frozen waffle idea!!)

Frozen fruit in those little mesh pouches. – Bethany B. 

5//Camilia teething drops

This homeopathic medicine comes in single-use doses and you simply squeeze it into baby’s mouth. One of the active ingredients is actually the same as the Hyland’s teething tablets, so it may work similarly. These drops are supposed to temporarily relieve symptoms of teething, including painful gums and irritability. I have not tried these yet with Gracie, but after reading reviews online, I may soon!

We like the Camilia remedy. -Erica A. 

6//Teething rings + toys

Keep a tupperware in the fridge full of tethers so you always have a cold one ready: 10 great teething remedies for baby. Some great advice I haven't read before. Gracefulmommy.com

We have a ton of these little teething rings and toys that we got for Gracie’s baby shower. She honestly didn’t chew on them much until she was truly teething. Now she loves them. I keep a tupperware in the fridge with all of the rings and toys. That way, we always have one cold. Gracie seems to like the Nuby keys toy a lot. I’ve heard that you should always put these toys in the fridge, instead of the freezer.

10 great teething remedies for baby. Some great advice I haven't read before. Gracefulmommy.com

Yes, we have the famous sophie the giraffe teether. And yes, it is awesome. It’s not Gracie’s all time favorite toy, but she does like to chew on it. If you ask me, it’s a little creepy looking.

This minnie mouse toy from Disney World is actually Gracie’s current favorite teething toy.

10 great teething remedies for baby. Some great advice I haven't read before. Gracefulmommy.com

7//Chewbeads 

Ugh. I so wish I thought of this invention. These necklaces are genius! Unlike the amber beads that BABY wears, these are necklaces for mom to wear. They are actually super cute, too. I wear mine while I’m holding Gracie. She loves chewing on these. We also have the chewbeads bracelet that Gracie can chomp on for a good while. She loves it. I think it’s something about the  rubber it is made out of.

10 great teething remedies for baby. Some great advice I haven't read before. Gracefulmommy.com

I have the chew bead bracelet & Gracie loves to chew on them when she visits. – Gramma 

I like the chewbead necklaces that are for moms to wear. They probably don’t really help get the teeth through but my little guy loves chewing on them and they can be helpful while nursing because they give him something to play with without being overly distracted. – Nicole H. 

8//Nursing

Sometimes, the only thing that works for Gracie is nursing. Breastfeeding truly does comfort her in a matter of seconds. It’s literally my go-to remedy for everything, including teething. If you aren’t breastfeeding, just try extra snuggles + cuddles.

9//Bagel 

10 great teething remedies for baby. Some great advice I haven't read before. Gracefulmommy.com

Okay this one is pretty genius. Sometimes, teething toys just don’t do it for Gracie. She gets frustrated at them and ends up more fussy than before. Someone told me to just let her chew on a bagel. It’s easy to hold and allows her to chomp down without getting frustrated. A good tip I read is to microwave half a bagel for 30 seconds and then let it cool down. Doing this makes it stale so it will be rock hard. Just don’t leave baby unattended with it, because as baby chews on it, it does get soggy and can bagel pieces can start breaking off. I just kept rotating it for Gracie, and she LOVED it.

10//Infant tylenol 

I haven’t given Gracie any traditional medicine yet, but there definitely is a time and place for it! I can imagine when Gracie gets her molars that she may be in a lot of pain, and may need something like tylenol to get through it.

I loved hearing from different people what worked best for their babies. Sometimes, though, what works for one baby, does nothing for another. Each baby is unique and they prefer different remedies. Your baby may not respond well to any of these. In that case, you just have to snuggle hard and get through those tough days! Teething doesn’t last forever!

10 great teething remedies for baby. Some great advice I haven't read before. Gracefulmommy.com

DISNEY TRIP JANUARY 2016

DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com

DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com

We had so much fun last trip for Gracie’s first Disney World Vacation, that we had to come back! This was sort of a last minute weekend getaway, but that’s what is awesome about having annual passes! This trip was so fun with Gracie. I think she was even more observant than last time. She went on more rides than last time, too!

One of my new years resolutions is to learn how to do videography. So, during this trip I made sure to video a lot more! Check out my first YouTube video below!

I can’t wait to get even better at making videos. There are so many memories saved when you record those special moments. I also took a million pictures. Check out my favorites:

DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com

First, can we talk about how cute this outfit is!? Aunty Kaity’s friend and her mom made this for Gracie! HOW SWEET!

DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com

DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com

DISNEY TIP: If you ask any Disney photographer for a magic shot, they will put something special in your photos (like Tinkerbell!!)

DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com

Gracie’s newest trick is waving! She is still figuring it out, but here she was waving at Repunzel. SO CUTE!

DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com

DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com

DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com

We took Gracie on the Carousel this time. She loved it!

DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com

DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.comDISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com

We also took Gracie on Dumbo for the first time. I think this was her favorite ride. She loved the wind blowing in her face. It was actually my first time on the ride, too. Super fun! DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com

DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com

Gracie loves the bus rides at Disney. She gets really relaxed and sometimes falls asleep. AWWW!

DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com

Look at Gracie staring at that tiara! Hint hint- Daddy…. I think Gracie needs one of those.
DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com

DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com DISNEY VACATION JANUARY 2016 || Gracefulmommy.com

We had so much fun at Disney World for Gracie’s second visit. If you didn’t watch the Disney Vacation video yet, check it out below:

Bumbo Review

One mom's review of the Bumbo seat || Gracefulmommy.com

One mom's review of the Bumbo seat || Gracefulmommy.com

What is the Bumbo? 

The Bumbo seat is a little chair designed to help your baby sit up and is made out of a durable foam material.

One mom's review of the Bumbo seat || Gracefulmommy.com

The Good?

+We started using the Bumbo seat when Gracie was around 3 months old. We put her in it to play for a couple of minutes. It was mainly used just to change up her position if she got tired on her tummy. We also wanted to get her used to sitting up, so she could learn to do it unassisted. However, we didn’t really start using it until she was 5-6 months old.

+We also used to use it while we took photos of Gracie. We would cover the Bumbo with a blanket and it allowed us to get different photos of her. That worked perfect!

One mom's review of the Bumbo seat || Gracefulmommy.com

+Gracie is 6 months old and I use the Bumbo seat now to feed her solids. We do not currently have our high chair set up, so I use the Bumbo to feed Gracie on the floor. It’s perfect for meal times!

+I like using the Bumbo while I feed Gracie because it is super easy to clean up. The foam material makes it easy to just wipe up any spills Gracie makes.

One mom's review of the Bumbo seat || Gracefulmommy.com

+The Bumbo also comes with a safety strap now (honestly, I don’t use them much because I am ALWAYS right by Gracie when she is in this)

The Bad? 

+There is a lot of controversy around the Bumbo. They have been recalled A LOT due to babies falling out of them. That’s why they added the safety strap. Yikes. That’s really scary. While the Bumbo seems like it can be a great place to put baby while you do dishes or go to the bathroom, this is not the place to do it. I never leave Gracie alone in the Bumbo because of this. I have seen her arch her back to try to get out. Also, these are meant for the floor only. I’ve put Gracie on the counter or table in her Bumbo before while I fed her, but the Bumbo is made for the floor.

+Also, Gracie doesn’t really love to play in this. While she loves eating her solids in the Bumbo, she doesn’t really love to play. She would much rather be on her tummy playing or sitting on mommy’s lap.

+Gracie’s legs get stuck in the seat. When you go to take her out, the whole Bumbo seat comes with her. I have learned to first lift her legs out of the leg holes, and then lift her out. This can not be comfortable for her though.

One mom's review of the Bumbo seat || Gracefulmommy.com

Best for?

According to their website, the Bumbo is best for babies 3-9 months. Once babies can sit up on their own, I’m not too sure that they would like sitting in the Bumbo. Gracie is at that stage where she can sit by herself, but topples over- so the Bumbo is perfect right now!

One mom's review of the Bumbo seat || Gracefulmommy.com

Where? 

We got the Bumbo from Buy Buy Baby!

One mom's review of the Bumbo seat || Gracefulmommy.com

Overall?

This chair works great for babies unable to sit by themselves. I love using the Bumbo for feeding Gracie solids. It’s super easy to clean and I can put it away when I’m done using it. The Bumbo is only safe to use if you watch your baby while they are in it (like all baby contraptions!).

One mom's review of the Bumbo seat || Gracefulmommy.com

One mom's review of the Bumbo seat || Gracefulmommy.com

My vote?

I wouldn’t necessarily say this is a MUST HAVE, but I love having ours. It has come in handy several times. My vote: NICE TO HAVE 🙂

One mom's review of the Bumbo seat || Gracefulmommy.com

Read my review of the Solly Baby Wrap next.