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.

Parenting

Learning to Count – A Breast Pad Scavenger Hunt

03/12/2014 R.C. Liley 5 Comments

She may not be able to walk, talk, crawl, or write yet, but it’s never too early to start the learning process! Being a stay-at-home parent at this stage, I can only do so much with Avery. We go on walks, runs, I read and show her pictures, but she still needs her motor and speech skills to develop. Despite this minor obstacle, I take every opportunity I can to teach new things to Avery.

While putting inserts in her cloth diapers, I’ll tell her the color of the diaper I’m currently stuffing. If we have more than one of the same color, I’ll tell her it’s 1 of 3 or however many we have. Same for when changing, I tell her the color of her new diaper and try to relate it to a season, holiday, or certain feeling. For example, bright yellow is reminiscent of Spring, a popular color for Easter, and symbolizes happiness.

Helping daddy put together cloth diapers

If she grabs the hair on my right arm, I let her know that’s my right arm. When she sneezes 3 times in a row, I tell her that was 3 sneezes. If she starts crying, I’ll count the time until she stops. “That’s 2 hours you’ve been crying while I sat here!” Okay, that last one is a joke, I would never do that!

So, after her morning nap the other day, I had a load of laundry to do and started gathering everything to wash. As I scavenged around the house for any last minute items, I kept finding breast pads scattered around, so I figured I could make learning game out of it!

I explained to Avery that we needed to go around the house and count how many of mommy’s breast pads we can find. She just gave me a “What the crap are you talking about, dad?” pity smile, and we started our breast pad scavenger hunt.

We began in our bedroom and found 2 there…

Then we headed to the living room and found 2 more. No, wait, there’s another one stuck in the couch. Good job Avery! That’s 3 in the living room and 5 total so far.

Maybe the animals know where some are hiding. Hi Abby and Lou, do you know where Kelley left any breast pads lying around?

Guess not, on we go. The guest room had plenty of cloth diaper inserts, but no breast pads.

The last places to look were the kitchen and Avery’s nursery. There was one in the kitchen, and, oh, look, 3 more in the nursery!

So, today we counted 8 breast pads across our house.

She may not fully understand, but things like this really do help to build her brain. Sure, it’s funny (to me at least), but I also feel good knowing it’s helping to expand our little girl’s knowledge.

Plus, I think she looks smarter as a result. What do you think?

Do you have any “fun” games you like to play or did play with your babies?

How do you feel about trying to teach a baby things at an early age? Beneficial or not worth it?

Parenting

Hanging With My Daughter in the Dad Cave

03/11/2014 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

For a Monday, Avery and I had a pretty good day. She wasn’t perfect (show me a baby that is!), but her afternoon fussiness was nothing new. I expect Mondays to be difficult for all of us because Going Mom has to go back to work and misses her after spending 2 days at home. It’s never a fun transition. Plus, Avery and I miss Going Mom and I know Avery doesn’t like going back to taking the bottle after 2 days of boob!

But, alas, we forge through it and look forward to the weekend ahead. Avery graced us with another long night in her crib and easily fell back asleep in our bed after feeding. I always fear she’ll just be restless and I’ll have to go to the recliner. And by fear, I mean kinda enjoy it since I know I can’t always hold her like that. Bittersweet.

Another positive for Monday was the improved weather! Sun shining, light wind, and warmth equals a great day to get out and move! So, after her lengthy morning nap, we took off for a stroller run around the neighborhood with Abby (our Golden) in tow.

I’m not sure how so many new parents gain weight when a sleeping baby is so cherished. Just take your baby out for a walk in a baby carrier like the Onya or Ergo or in a jogging stroller and start moving. If they fall asleep, you won’t want to stop for fear of them waking. It’s good for you (moving = exercise and being healthy), and good for them (more sleep = less fuss)!

Although babies are young and may not understand everything, it’s never too early to lead by example and show your child how to live a healthy, active life. I WILL NOT be a dad that just sits in front of the T.V. chewing on his shirt and waiting for someone to fix him a meal. Not that I know anyone like that…..

On the run, Avery never made a peep until around 6 miles, and phew, I was happy to call it quits at that point! Abby was exhausted and ready for water too! She just turned 7 and still acts like a tiny, energetic puppy. Good for her health, tiring for us!

Run is done and we're happy. — Run is done and we’re happy.

After the run, Avery was in a good mood so I decided we’d hang out in my Dad Cave (i.e. the garage) to enjoy the nice weather. Most people think media rooms and sound systems when a Dad/Man Cave is mentioned,but I prefer being active, so none of that for me.

I use my power rack for strength training while Avery is taking her morning nap and enjoy the challenge of lifting heavy. I’ve had pictures of a Ferrari and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles framed just sitting in the garage, so with the nice weather, Avery hung out with me while I hung them both.

Like most guys, I have my fancy exotic car obsession, and Ferrari is my top choice, but I’ll always be devoted to Subaru. Plus, the STi isn’t too shabby. I had one years ago, was stupid, and now I don’t….*sigh*

Anyway, I’m more excited about the Ninja Turtle picture. Can’t you tell?

Since Avery was still happy and wanted to “hang” out some more, we did just that. Yep, I made a corny use of words and I’m not ashamed. Just wait, one day I’ll share some good puns with you, they’re great!

After messing around long enough, Avery grew tired, hungry, fussy, and annoyed with me hanging on pull up bars. So, we headed inside for a food and nap time.

Going Mom made it home right as Avery woke up and was excited to see her little girl well rested and happy. It makes me happy when I can get Avery to be rested like this so she’s ready for Kelley and not worked up from being too tired.

We enjoyed the rest of our night and Avery went to sleep easily. Another Monday survived!

Dads out there, do you have a Man/Dad Cave?

Moms, do you have something for yourselves?