Teething Fun

Well it has been an interesting past couple days. Squiggle cut his first (and second!) tooth last Friday. Honestly, it wasn't that bad.

He was quite upset by the whole thing, but we figured out a couple tricks that made the unpleasantness much less unpleasant. Mostly it is just about cold.

1. Cold formula. Hot formula hurt his already inflamed gums.
2. Cold food. Cold applesauce and other fruity baby foods were a big hit.
3. Cold water. We gave him a bottle with ice water in it. He LOVED it!
4. Cold toys. Everything in the freezer or fridge. Rotate though and keep them clean.
5. Cold celery. We tried frozen and just cold and he seemed to like both. The frozen was a bit more messy so we just went with from the fridge.
6. Tylenol. The wonder drug strikes again. We really didn't need a lot, but a dose around lunch when he was particularly upset and once before bed and we didn't have any major issues.

Squiggle was definitely more prone to fussing, but a little play and a cold toy was enough to keep him in a good mood for most of it. Now that the teeth are out he is back to chewing on rice cakes and laughing at his fingers. It was only about three days of cranky.

Really, not that bad.

Stuff I Actually Use

To be clear, the Toys R'Us registry helper is almost completely populated by useless crap. You will also receive tons more useless crap as gifts, simply because you don't know any better. Here is a nice list of the stuff I actually use to take care of my 3 month old son.

Bag Balm/Petroleum Jelly (screw all those other butt balms, this works best)
Diapers
Wipes
Crib
Crib Mattress
Crib Sheets x2
Night Light (for you, not him. It's dark at 3:00 am.)
Simple Sound Monitor
Changing Table
Changing Pad
Diaper Stacker (optional really. Decorate your changing table however you want)
Tiny Trash Can (you do NOT want that much used diaper rotting in a larger can)
Tiny Trash Can Bags
Diaper Caddy for Downstairs (A lifesaver!)
Nail Clippers
Thermometer
Saline Solution
Bath Chair (tubs are useless and take up a ton of space)
Bath Soap
Bath Cup
Soft Hair Brush
Wash Rags x4 (I use one to keep him warm and one to scrub)
Hooded Towels (keeps baby's head warm afterwards)
Cute Outfits (received as gifts)
Warm, Fuzzy Outfits for Sleeping In x5+ (with footies. Remember: He doesn't get blankets so keep him warm at night)
Mittens (if your kid is a scratcher. Socks also work, but that's kind of lame)
Bottles x6+ (Avent 4 oz are the best)
NIPPLES (no one tells you that there are different nipples for different ages and formula types)
Bottle Warmer (the cheapy steam one works just fine. So does 15 seconds in the microwave)
Bottle Brush
Bottle Caddy for the Dishwasher
Arm and Hammer Free and Clear Laundry Detergent (Dreft is fucking expensive and not worth it.)
Burp Cloths (we use the square cloth diapers. Cheap and absorbent.)
Pacifiers (my son hated them so we didn't push them)
Baby Chair for Lounging
Car Seat (save money and don't get the matching stroller)
Spare Car Seat Base for Dad's Car (though the car seats are designed to be installed without one. Read the manual.)
Car Seat Cart (cheaper, smaller, and easier than the damn matching stroller)
A Stroller You Actually Like
Small Diaper Bag:
- Spare Bottle with Water
- Spare Diapers
- 1 1/2" Screw Together Stacking Bead Case with Extra Formula (from any craft store. Seriously, this is my stroke of brilliance. Each compartment holds two scoops of formula and the mouth is the perfect size to fit the bottles.)
- Spare Outfit
- Burp Cloths x2
- Blanket
- Doggy Poop Bags
- Travel Changing Pad
- Travel Wipes

It seems like a big list, but it's really not. You don't need fancy mirrors for your car (nothing your baby is doing is more important than you driving safely). You don't need the giant pack of grooming supplies, the huge first aid kit, the giant sterilizer, or the giant specialized diaper bins. Stay away from the fancy baby monitors. The motion sensor ones are either too sensitive or not sensitive enough. Either way you can't trust them. And the picture monitors are not good enough to show if your baby is breathing. You WILL be getting up every half hour to check on your newborn regardless, so save some money.

You will receive plenty of toys and blankets and outfits, so save your energy on buying those. The only thing you might need are the fuzzy PJ onesies. Save your money on creams, pastes, powders, and lotions. Vaseline works wonders for all of that. Don't buy bibs. Spit up rolls right off them. Cloth diapers work better by far and are easier to launder because they don't stick to everything. A big blanket on the floor works great for tummy time. You don't need a special play mat. I really don't use my Boppy pillow. Maybe I will once he can sit up better on his own.

But again, every baby is different. You do what's best for you.

Advice and Assholes: the sun shines on a dog's occasionally.

There are a lot of tips and tricks you'll hear when you have kids. Some are completely impractical for you and your situation, some just don't work, and some are more difficult to execute than they're worth. However, there are a few that I have found absolutely invaluable, and I shall share them with you in hopes of making your life easier.

1. Saline drops relieve stuffy noses. Just a couple drops in each nostril will loosen up the snot and help reduce swelling. My son actually smiles after he gets over the shock of having crap squirted up his nose.

2. Bag Balm and Vaseline fix and prevent diaper rash. We have not had a single occurrence since the bad rash I mentioned in a previous entry.

3. Routines are key. At 10 weeks old, my son now goes to bed with little fuss because it's just time. If we deviate from the routine, he gets super fussy until he's taken care of. Totally worth it for our evenings child-free. We do a bottle around 6:30, a bath around 7:30, and another 2 ounces of formula afterwards. He's usually baby-coma'ed half way though the second bottle, but the little extra bit is really helpful in getting him through the night. He sleeps from about 8:00 to 3:00 am, then from 3:30 to about 6:30. Again, 10 weeks old!

4. Warmer sleeping clothes. It is recommended that you keep a baby's bedroom cooler and have a fan on, but that doesn't mean the poor kid has to freeze. I have several thicker, warmer sleeper onesies that keep him nice and cozy without risking suffocation. He sleeps much better in the thicker outfits than in thinner ones.

5. Rose water cures hiccups. The books will tell you to try a bit of water when your kid has hiccups. Yeah, they really hate that. Adding a couple drops of rose water and some sugar makes a yummy treat out of it. My son still has issues swallowing the liquid if it's not in a bottle, but he's willing to actually try and doesn't scream afterwards. Plus, it makes him smell awesome! Seriously, even his poops are a bit more tolerable. My mother-in-law did it for all her kids, grand-kids, and other family babies and it works like a charm with no apparent ill effects.

6. Sign to your baby. This one is a bit weird, but I swear it works. There is a book about signing to your baby that has all kinds of different signs, from "alligator" to "saxophone", but it doesn't have to be that complicated. Currently we have one sign for food (your open and close your hand like you're milking a cow. It's technically the sign form milk, but it's an easy one for a baby to understand and even mimic back). My son will fuss and fuss when it is time to eat, but as soon as I ask him if he wants food and make the sign, he calms right down. The beauty is that he won't talk until he's two, but by six months he should be able to make the sign. Throw in "dirty" for the diaper, and "pain" and your kid can tell you what's wrong 18 months before he ever says his first word. I am quite excited about this idea.

That's all I have for now. I hope it helps!