And Now We Shall Teethe
Babies are funny. You hear people talk about baby phases. In my head, I thought phases were gradual. But nope. When Beanie decides that he is going to start a new phase, its like he wakes up one morning and announces, “AND FOR MY NEXT TRICK…”
This past weekend, Beanie decided he had had enough and he announced, “Today, I shall teethe.”
And then he proceeded to gnaw his way through my entire house. He chewed on everything and what he didn’t chew on, he drooled on. It was a mess. He would suck on his hands and get those all good and gooey and then he’d reach out and grab whatever he could get his slimy little paws on, drenching everything within a two-foot radius of him.
I seriously considered giving him one of the dog’s rawhides.
And you know that thing they say about teething babies being fussy? That’s no joke, people. Poor Beanie. You could tell he wanted to be happy, but his little gums were driving him crazy. So, my mom and I took a trip to Babies R Us and strolled through the whole teething aisle looking for solutions.
We found some things that seem to make Beanie’s life so much better.
First was the infant Tylenol. I was really hesitant to use it, but once I realized how much it helped Beanie feel better, I didn’t mind quite so much. I only give it to him at night to help him sleep because that’s when his teeth seem to bother him more.
And then we found the Orajel and my life changed.
The only problem with the Orajel is that its hard to get on Beanie’s gums. I can get my finger in the general area of his gums, but the gel really goes all over the place. Which means that for about 15 minutes after I put it on him, Beanie has trouble keeping his binkie in his mouth because his lips and tongue are numb, too. Its pretty hysterical to watch actually.
You know. If you’re the kind that laughs at your children.
And everyone has the gummy gel teething keys. Put these puppies in the fridge and Beanie is in heaven. The cold sort of freaks him out and he can’t really hold them well enough to get them into his mouth, but if I helped him out he really liked them.
But the mother of them all was this:
Looks innocent enough, doesn’t it? Just a rubber bunch of grapes.
NOT TRUE.
These are vibrating grapes. That’s right. Beanie has his very own vibrator.
Wait, let me rethink that wording….
Beanie has his very own vibrating teether. That’s much better.
When he chews on the end of the grapes, they vibrate against his gums. Again, he still can’t really get them into his mouth by himself yet, so I have to sit there and hold it while he gnaws away. But it makes him so happy. So, so happy. And that makes me happy.
Teething seems like its going to be our next adventure. But I feel prepared. I’m armed with my Orajel and vibraters.
Goodness, there are so many things wrong with that last sentence. I better just stop right there…
27 Comments
TeamHaynes
Haha! You make me laugh. This is the first I’ve heard of vibrating teethers! Pretty nifty! They should make some of those for kids getting their wisdom teeth. I would have loved that. I happened to be at Disneyland when they hit. All those would have come in handy. Maybe not the keys because I would have looked crazy…
Sarah Reed
Hahahahahahaha! That made me laugh out loud a lot. LOLAL.
Liz
Oh, Bruce loved his vibrating teether!!
Rory hasn’t started teething yet.. But she has started biting… Me… While nursing. Ouch!
Sarah H.
ooo I don’t know anything about teething except that the first tooth usually happens between 4-7 months…so this was informational to read 🙂 I’m glad you seem to have this “phase” covered!
Heather
vibrating teethers…now that’s one I’ve never heard before.
Be careful with that oragel and try to give it to him AFTER he’s fed- otherwise if it numbs his gag reflex he could end up inhaling his milk instead of swallowing it.
Also, I hate to say it, but if he’s teething, prepare for him to get sick again. There’s just something about the combination of all that drool (a breeding ground for bacteria) and the fact that they are putting their hands and everything else in their mouth so much more that just makes it inevitable with so many kids.
It sounds like you are hanging in there thus far… a teething baby can be exhausting!
Rebecca M.
Our doctor told us absolutely do not use the Orajel. Put it on your gums and see how it feels…it burns and is not pleasant at all. And it can cause his airway to go numb and he can stop breathing. He’s still in peak timeframe for SIDS.
Sandy
What will they think of next? I’ll keep reading your blog to find out!
Christina
So totally the kind that laughs at my children…
for example…last night (and there is a convoluted and ridiculous story behind the fact that my child was sleeping on the couch, but that will be for another time, eh?) my youngest (age 2) was sleeping on our couch in the living room. I had a cushion propped on the floor next to the sofa, and I was on the computer in the next room. I heard a thump. I quickly went in to see her lying face down, with knees pulled up, bootie sticking in the air, face on the floor, still asleep. I couldn’t believe it, because this is the non-sleeping child of the universe. I started to go over to get her up, when she opened her eyes, popped up, and said at the same time,”Stand up?” which comes out like,”Bee-bup?” Oh, yes, I was laughing the whole time. Am I really going to leave this comment? I think I will. I kind of feel as though I ought to apologize.
Christina
By the way, very funny as usual. 🙂 You have a gift for telling these stories!
Kristin
Oh how I remember those days!
Just something that might make your life a little easier with the Orajel. They make it in these Qtip looking things that make it SOOOO much easier to put on their gums!!!
I loved them when my girls were little!!!
Good luck on the teething:)
Lisa
LOL! So many wrong things in this post but I’m glad you’ve found solutions to make him feel better. I am probably the type to laugh at my kids…when I eventually have them…I laugh at my cats all the time when they do silly stuff so I’m sure that will carry over to my kids too.
Amy V
You crack me up!
Poor Beanie. Although, I can’t wait to see pictures of him once his new teeth poke through. 🙂
Heather
i hadn’t heard of that – will have to try it next time. K bear just got 4 of her top teeth in during the same week. poor thing. good luck with bean!
Tina
Man, I wish I had one of those for my girls when they were teething! Maybe Ill get one for the next time!
Great story, funny as always:-)
Hope all those things help Beanie get through this stage.
Amanda
A vibrating teether????? Who knew???
If you want to try something other than tylenol, Hylands teething tablets seem to work for all my friends. I’ve only used them once, with great results. Just an FYI for ya.
Lindsay
Haaaaa, hilarious. Gotta get my kiddo her own vibrator! Oh so wrong.
naomi
okay. so I think I have to stop reading your blog at work because those last few lines made me laugh at out loud.
Christina
Aw teething IS hard on babies. May I make a suggestion? Hylands Teething Tablets. They are homeopathic and have always really helped my babies!
http://www.hylands.com/products/teething.php You can find them in just about any store that sells baby stuff (CVS, Walmart, etc).
Nona
I will make sure my next grandchild gets a vibrating teether from Nona right away! Thanks for the info!
And there was nothing wrong with the sentences because you were talking in context but a somewhat funny too! Thanks for the smile! Hug the bean for me!!
Kayla
Maybe my parents raised me too “old country,” but my parents would just dip their finger in whiskey and rub that on my gums. Not only did the alcohol numb the gums, but it kind of …. how shall I say this… made me too “drunk” to feel it anyways. They had a success nonetheless and would do it about once a day until it didn’t bother me anymore, about three weeks or so (I can’t remember how long they said). But the numbing Orajel sounds like it’d be super fun to watch Bean afterwords!
Amber
Those are all great ideas. The best things we have found are actually letting our baby chew on the bulb on the top of the Tylenol bottle and we have a contraption that looks like a binky but in place of the sucky part there is a net. It is made so you can give your baby fresh foods without them choking but we fill it with ice and our baby loves it! check out my blog if you want to see a pictue. Love the bean, he is so cute.
Brooke
Another fun thing about oragel is that you can put some on someones beer or drink when they are not looking. Then watch them figure out why their lips are going numb. Funny stuff!! You have to have some fun during the teething process 🙂
Jen D
I second the Hyland teething tabs! Also, check this little gem out….http://www.amazon.com/Razbaby-Raz-Berry-Silicone-Teether-Light/dp/B001Q9BM9W/ref=pd_sbs_ba_1
Joe LOVED the Razbaby tethers. They are amazing. They have a big handle for them to hang on to and stay all puffed up like the bulbs of the tylenol bottles do. And you can throw them in the freezer. Awesome. Hope your man feels better soon. It takes a while but once they finally break through your nice child will be back
phoebe
Aw, poor Bean! But he’s moving on up… which is still ultimate coolness. Speaking of coolness, if you can get a munchkin safe-feeder (it’s a pacifier looking thing with replaceable mesh food bags) you can give him frozen carrot sticks! It gets further back on his gums then a chilled teething ring can get, so watch him with it… or a warm washcloth for him to chew on, if he isn’t fond of chilly things in his mouth. Both worked awesome for all the teething kids I’ve watched. I know how you feel about the Tylenol, I hate it too… I always freak out that I’m going to do it wrong, so I don’t use it unless there is a fever or an immunization coming.
Morgan
This makes me smile.
Casey
I never saw those vibrating teethers before. I found that all that stuff you buy never seems to really help, around here we freeze a wet washcloth, seems to soothe quite a bit.
Keiko
OMG the vibrating teether!! It is the best invention ever… when it comes to teething 🙂 By the way… I am glad I wasn’t reading this at work… considering my boss sits across from me.. thanks for the laugh