A Talk With My 4 Month Old About Teething

03/15/2014 R.C. Liley 6 Comments

Me: Hey Avery, what’s up cutie?

Avery: Oh, hiiiiii Dad, I’m just sitting in this nursery chair…

Me: I see, you look like something’s bothering you dear. Are you feeling okay?

Avery: Well, it’s just that the inside of my mouth has been bothering me lately and I can’t figure out what it is.

Me: Ahhhh, maybe you’re starting to have your teeth come in a little early. You are 4 months old today and it’s possible to have them start appearing. It will be a long, painful process, but mommy and I will help you get through it.

Avery: Really, you will? I’m scared of this teething, what does it even mean?

Me: Yep, we’ll do our best to help you out. We have the Baltic Amber necklace on you in hopes that it will help, but it’s likely you’ll still have pain. Teething is a process that babies go through when their teeth, like these white things in my mouth, start to come out of your gums. I can start as early as 2 months old and go all the way to 2 years old!

Avery: Hmmm, I’m going to grow teeth in here, huh? Why can’t I just not have teeth? I mean, what good are they if they just cause me to have pain?

Me: They are very good! So far, all you’ve had is mommy’s milk, which is good but there are so many good foods to enjoy in the world! Without teeth, you wouldn’t be able to experience these delicious foods and trust me, having to drink everything your whole life would be like me asking you if you are going to poop every 20 minutes. There are way too many foods I want to share with you and can’t wait until you have your teeth to do so! As for the pain, we can offer chilled teething toys, a soft brush on your gums, and even a cold drink to help.

Avery: Yay, can’t wait…… Will you move me? This chair has bad lumbar support.

Me: Yes, here we go, I’ll put you in your swing chair. All better?

Avery: Yes, but I’m still not happy about this pain and it possibly getting worse.

Me: Oh Avery, you’ll be fine. Don’t be such a baby!

Avery: Hey! I AM a baby! Plus, having those white things like you have poke through my perfectly fine gums is daunting! Is all of this food you speak of really worth it?

Me: Of course it is, there is so much food from all over the world I hope to share and enjoy with you! And none of it will come from some fast food joint selling chemicals in the form of food; more on that later. I just want to make sure my daughter gets the best nutrition to keep you looking like the beautiful girl you are.

Avery: Stop it, you’re just saying that! How can you say that when I’ve been drooling all over you as I cry non-stop?

Me: Well, it’s just a part of being a good parent, and both your mommy and I love you more than anything! Plus, like most parents, we can just put the blame for your fussiness on teething even if it really isn’t since you can’t talk and tell us otherwise. But most likely, it’s teething……or you’re gassy or have colic. Those last two are supposed to be a joke b/c they are always what adults say is wrong with a fussy baby.

Avery: Not laughing….

Me: Sorry, maybe you will one day….maybe. So, can you feel any teeth coming in yet?

Avery: Mmmmmmm, nope, nothing but soft gums. But they are a little sore.

Me: Well, your teeth will start coming in before you know it. Once your drooling, irritability, waking at night, and sucking start to increase, we’ll know something’s making its way through your gums. Just do your best to get through it and you’ll be chomping away on tasty things like carrots, apples, and Brussels sprouts.

Avery: Brussels sprouts? Those little green things you constantly eat and then bad smells seem to just appear around you every so often? I’ll pass..

Me: Ha ha, get it?! You’ll “pass”, as in pass gas? And yes, that’s what I do after eating those. Yes, those are the ones, but they are sooooo good and so good for you. I’ll have to work on you with those I guess.

Avery: You embarrass me.

Me: Yeah, that’s what dads are for dear, and it only gets worse. Wait until your first day of school!

Avery: Crap, not looking forward it…. Anyway, dad, if I’m going to get teeth like you have, won’t those be kind of big in my little mouth?

Me: Oh, yeah, your teeth will be much smaller than mine. You see, after you’ve grown your full set of teeth, you’ll eventually lose them and the whole thing happens again over a few years.

Avery: …………………….

Going Reviews

Going Review and Giveaway: Navitas Naturals Super Food Power Snacks and Chia Seeds

03/14/2014 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

Hey guys! Happy Friday!

Even as a stay-at-home parent I still look forward to Friday since that means I get at least 2 full days with my wife/partner in crime/Going Mom, Kelley! The rest of the work week can be difficult when it’s just Avery and me hanging around. If you don’t know yet, babies are demanding!

When the kind Mic from Navitas Naturals agreed to send me a bag of their chia seeds and a bag of their Cacao Goji Super Food Power Snacks, I was happy I’d have a quick, healthy snack for those stressful parts of the day. Avery isn’t a demon child or anything, far from, but as a baby, she has her moments……

Of course, I guess we all have our moments, huh?

Anyway, since the time I opened the package, I have been enjoying both products every day. The chia seeds are perfect in oatmeal, even overnight oats, to make the perfect, gooey deliciousness I crave. Add peanut butter and a banana and I’m set!

Speaking of bananas, I recently posted a recipe for Banana Chia Pudding using Navitas Naturals’ Chia Seeds. Have you tried this yet? If not, you’re missing out!

Here’s what Navitas Naturals lists about their chia seeds’ nutrition:

“Navitas Naturals Chia Seeds are an excellent source of healthy essential fatty acids – containing eight times more omega-3 fatty acids than salmon! Chia seeds are also one of the most digestible plant proteins, an excellent source of dietary fiber, and a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and free-radical fighting antioxidants.”

Another way to harvest the power of the chia is to make a quick chia jam with your favorite fruit. All you do is add chia seeds to your favorite pureed fruit, a little sweetener of choice and give it at least an hour to set. Voila! You have a thick, omega-3 rich jam that’s delicious on anything! Here’s a quick recipe:

Ingredients

•1 cup strawberries

•1 Tablespoon Navitas Naturals chia seeds

•1 Tablespoon water

•stevia, to taste (use honey or maple syrup if desired)

Instructions

1. Mash strawberries with a fork or blend them. I use my Vitamix to blend, but both methods work great. The blended version will be more like jelly and less like jam.

2. Mix in chia seeds, water and stevia. I usually use 2-3 drops of liquid stevia, but I don’t think the powder would be bad either. Be careful when adding, stevia can be very overpowering!

3. Cover the mixture and place in the fridge to thicken. 30-60 minutes should be all you need.

And for the Organic Raw Cacao Goji Super Food Power Snacks? YUM! These are loaded with wholesome ingredients and no refined sugars or artificial anything which is exactly what I look for! Apparently, so does Avery.

These were great to have before and after a run with Avery and while having coffee as I watched her sleep on the monitor. I still have these at work and use them for my emergency hunger attacks if my lunch was not enough. Try them, you won’t be sorry.

Navitas Naturals explains their nutrition best…

“Cacao is one of nature’s most complex superfoods. There are thousands of phytochemicals stored inside each little bean. A rich source of magnesium, cacao is also loaded with antioxidants and theobromine. Goji berries contain some rare compounds like germanium – an important mineral. The red chewy berry also provides protein, fiber, antioxidants and lots of beta carotene.”

So, does all of this sound good to you? Well, how about winning your own 8oz bag of these little power gems? Navitas Naturals has agreed to give away one bag to a lucky reader of Going Dad!

Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter and good luck! A winner will be chosen at the end of the day next Friday, March 21^st, and announced soon after.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Going Reviews

Going Review Update from Avery: The Art of Cure Baltic Amber Teething Necklace

03/13/2014 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

Hi there, it’s me, Avery! You know, the reason my daddy (Going Dad) stays home all day and does things like make us hunt for breast pads. Yeah, real cool, dad….

Anyway, since I’m the one wearing this Baltic Amber Teething Necklace from The Art of Cure, I wanted to share my thoughts. My dad first talked about it on this post.

The first day it came in the mail, my dad quickly put the necklace on me and stared as if I was supposed to do tricks. I don’t know any tricks, so I just gave an awkward smile to get him to stop staring.

Then he started trying to put it in my mouth for some reason, but it just fell out. Later that day dad told me he was wrong for doing this and that the necklace is NOT meant for chewing. He then went on to tell me about the proclaimed benefits of Baltic amber for teething babies. Exactly what these “teeth” are, I have no clue.

Most importantly, dad told me it has to be Baltic amber since it is the only type that contains succinic acid. Succinic acid is said to have a beneficial effect on our bodies by improving immunity, reducing inflammation, and act as a natural analgesic. These qualities make them popular for giant babies like daddy, he calls them adults, and normal babies like me.

Dad let me know that in order for these beneficial qualities to work, the amber needs to remain in contact with my skin. Apparently, it’s the warmth from my body that allows the Baltic amber to release the oils that contain succinic acid.

There are many imitation amber necklaces out there, but The Art of Cure has their Baltic amber certified as being genuine. Definitely good to know since I don’t like fakes! They even provide a certificate of authenticity to back their product 100%!

So, how do I like it after wearing it all the time for over a week now? Well, I still don’t have these teeth dad talks of, but it doesn’t really bother me having it on. Plus, I look pretty cute with it……no, I look pretty cute no matter what! So far, I’ve been like a regular baby with my fussy times and happy times, so I am undecided at this point.

These necklaces are very affordable and for what they claim, my dad says he’d get another one if mine broke. My mom isn’t too excited about it, and she took it off of me last night because she thinks I get uncomfortable while sleeping. Really, mom?! Maybe if dad didn’t put me in a straight jacket, er, swaddle, I would be more comfortable. I have been waking up earlier than the week before, but hey, I’m a baby, I do unpredictable things!

Yes, I see your hand above the camera.....wow.... — Yes, I see your hand above the camera…..wow….

My dad did let me know that The Art of Cure offers bracelets for anyone concerned with wearing a necklace. This sounded good to me as I think it would help complete my wardrobe! Maybe having both would help extra, who knows?

Anyway, the necklace is easy to wear and doesn’t bother me during the day. If it bothers me at night, no one will know since I can’t talk yet. But typing, as you can see, is much easier! Since I am only 4 months old, my dad says these teeth can still be months away, but he’ll be sure to post another update on the necklace once the time comes.

Goodbye and thanks for reading! Now I’m off to go feed the puppies under my crib.