Tag Archives: baby

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

DIY Baby Handprint Ornament

handprint ornament tutorial || Gracefulmommy.com

handprint ornament tutorial || Gracefulmommy.com

Recently, I posted a bucket list for baby’s first Christmas. One of the activities on the list is to make a homemade ornament. This is such a fun way to create memories during Christmas time. Gracie is 5 months old, so I wanted a way to capture how little and cute her hand is right now.

Handprint Ornament Tutorial || Gracefulmommy.com

When I taught first grade, I loved doing handprint crafts with my students. They turn out so adorable! I sort of went into this with the same expectation. It’s gonna be easy, right? Oh my- was I wrong!!!!

Here’s what happened. We got a plaster handprint kit from hobby lobby. Basically all you do is mix the white powder, paint, and water. Easy so far. Then, pour the plaster into the mold that they give you. Easy… Next step: put hand in plaster for ONE MINUTE. Wait, what? A minute? How am I going to hold Gracie’s hand in there for a minute? I decide 5 seconds should be good enough. So I put Gracie’s hand down and she grabs the plaster. Haha! Digs her nails in all the way down and grabs a huge chunk. I knew right then that this was not going to work! It looked nothing like a hand. Then, because I only held it in for a second, it kind of all flattened out in the end. Hm…. definitely looks like Gracie made it. Hehe.

After that fiasco… we thought it may be easier to do her foot. Wrong again. I think this project is made more for like a 5 YEAR old not 5 MONTH old. We definitely laughed and had fun, though. That’s all that matters anyways. I consider this a Pinterest fail but a memory win.

Handprint Ornament fail || gracefulmommy.com

I still wanted to have an actual handprint ornament craft… so we started over. Back to hobby lobby for supplies! Spoiler: this one actually turns out cute!

Handprint Ornament Tutorial || Gracefulmommy.com Handprint Ornament Tutorial || Gracefulmommy.com

Materials You Need

Plain ornaments (Hobby Lobby has both frosted and regular- we did frosted!)

Elmers glue

Glitter

Spray Adhesive

Ribbon

Marker

Steps

Put elmer’s glue all over baby’s hand. I used a brush at first, but it was actually easier just to spread it around with my fingers.

Next, place the ornament in baby’s hand. This craft actually works cause Gracie just tried to grab the ornament, which put her handprint on it perfectly!

Then, wash baby’s hand before she eats glue.

Next, fix up the handprint a bit with q tips or your finger. I made three of these and each one I had to touch up just a little. One of the ornament handprints only had 4 fingers. One of her fingers must not have pressed down, so I just made one with glue and a q-tip.

Handprint Ornament Tutorial || Gracefulmommy.com

Then, sprinkle the glue handprint with glitter. And shake off the excess. Let it dry for about 10 minutes. After, I sprayed the ornaments with a spray adhesive so that the glitter wouldn’t get everywhere. Honestly, I’m not sure that this is even necessary.

After the spray dries, write a little message on it with your marker! Add a little ribbon and voila! Cute craft completed! Mine didn’t end up perfect but I think the little mistakes make it more charming!

Handprint Ornament Tutorial || Gracefulmommy.com

Give both a try and let me know if you have better luck with the plaster handprint one. Maybe i’ll attempt that again next year? Or, maybe not.

Handprint Ornament Tutorial || Gracefulmommy.com

UPDATE: Month 5

5 month old baby update! Gracefulmommy.com

5 month old baby update! Gracefulmommy.com

Gracie is officially a 5 month old baby! I can’t even believe it! Here is an update on what she’s been doing.

Height/Weight

We haven’t gone to the doctors for an official check up. A couple of weeks ago, though, we went to get something looked at, and she weighed 14 lbs 3 oz!

5 month old baby update! Gracefulmommy.com

Routine

For the most part, Gracie follows a routine each day. Exact times do not exist with Gracie. I can not say that she naps from 2pm-4pm. But she does follow the same pattern each day. She wakes up around 7:30am most mornings and eats right away. I put her on her tummy to play while I make coffee (WOO!) and make the bed. We play for a little, and then she is usually ready for a nap around 9am. During this nap- I shower and eat breakfast. Once Gracie wakes up I’ll feed her again, then I play with Gracie either on her tummy or in her Bumbo chair. I also like to take her outside a little to get some fresh air. After a while, she’s ready for another nap! After giving Gracie a million kisses before she falls asleep, I usually blog, watch youTube, sleep, or do housework. During the rest of our day we will either go visit one of the grandmas + grandpas, run errands, take a walk, do laundry, or cook! Daddy comes home from work and gets to spend time with Gracie. Then she takes a mini cat-nap. And around 7-8 she starts getting tired for bed! The day is full of lots of other little things plus a million diaper changes.

5 month old baby update! Gracefulmommy.com

5 month old baby update! Gracefulmommy.com

Sleeping

Gracie is totally back and forth when it comes to sleeping at night. She is still waking up at least 2 to 3 times to eat. Although she’ll surprise me with a 5 hour stretch of sleep sometimes. During the day she usually takes around 3 naps. I’m kind of looking forward to the day she can sleep through the night… but then again- I cherish these moments with her, even if I am totally sleep deprived when I wake up. I never want to take for granted nursing my baby (even in the middle of the night) I know one day I will totally miss those moments. She’s only this little once.

5 month old baby update! Gracefulmommy.com

Eating/Feeding

Still exclusively breastfeeding! Thinking about starting solids soon. I’m trying to stick with the guideline to wait until 6 months, but it’s hard not to! I’m so excited to start feeding her some bananas! Stay tuned.

5 month old baby update! Gracefulmommy.com

Sizes

Gracie is now mostly wearing size 3-6 months. Some 3 month clothes still fit, and some 6 month  clothes fit too! AH!

5 month old baby update! Gracefulmommy.com

Milestones 

Gracie is now rolling over! She rolls from her back to her belly, but not yet from her belly to back. It’s so fun to watch her! She’s really starting to move around. She loves being on her tummy! No other big milestones yet – besides being adorable every second of the day.

5 month old baby update! Gracefulmommy.com

5 month old baby update! Gracefulmommy.com

How I feel

Awesome! I love being Gracie’s mommy. Feeding is easier than ever- it’s like second nature to me. I can’t remember what life was like before Gracie. My husband Dave and I are completely in love with our precious angel.

For Gracie’s 5 month celebration, my mother-in-law made a Christmas tree cake + cupcakes! YUM! Any excuse to eat cake, right??

5 month old baby update! Gracefulmommy.com

5 month old baby update! Gracefulmommy.com

Happy 5 months Gracie!

5 month old baby update! Gracefulmommy.com

Check out Gracie’s 4 month update!