Feeling a Bit Like a Hippie

Yup, I just might be a bit of a hippie. Or wait, are there still “hippies” or are they called “hipsters” now? I’m certainly NOT a hipster…

Let’s stick with hippie or maybe just a hopeful (possibly naive) mommy.

When we went for Jack’s 18 month checkup, the doctor said how most children start sprouting their 2 year molars anywhere between 18 months to two years. Then, she reminded me that since Jack was born two months early, he most likely won’t have to go through the ouchyness of molars for quite a few more months.

Then, she stuck her hand in his mouth.
And found that he has ALL FOUR molars trying to break through at once.

Yeah, that’s right. My kid is in the middle of some horrific teething and I kind of didn’t notice until the doctor pointed it out. I mean, he was a bit more slobbery than normal… and whiny too. But isn’t that kind of the norm for a 1 ½ year old kid?

Well, once we realized that Jack was probably suffering from a 24-hour ache while those teeth slowly pushed into place it was like HE realized it too. A slight whine turned into sticking EVERYTHING he could find into his mouth and giving me a sad pitiful look. And OH the tears. The kid hurts.

I’d really prefer not to dose him with pain reliever medicine all day long and the teething tabs are no longer enough to take care of the pain. So, I rustled around in his drawer and found the Baltic Amber teething necklace that I had purchased about a year ago.

The theory behind the necklace is that the amber contains succinic acid, which is a natural pain reliever, anti-inflammatory, and central nervous system calmer. It is supposed to ease teething pain with no drugs and no side effects. The necklace is made to be worn against your child’s skin (it’s short so they can’t easily grab or chew it) and is meant to break if pulled too tight. Also, each bead is individually knotted so that they don’t break free from the necklace and become a choking hazard.

So when we used the necklace a year ago, did it work?
I have no idea.

Will it work now?
Who knows, but we’re sure as heck going to try it out!

amber necklace picI put the necklace on Jack a couple days ago. When I have my eyes on him, it goes around his neck and I tuck it under his shirt. When I leave him with someone else, I wrap the necklace twice around his ankle. You’re supposed to leave it on your kid all day and night, but I take it off while he’s sleeping.

I do feel a bit like a hippie. But frankly, if it helps my kid feel better I will have the “he’s not a girl, it’s a teething pain necklace” conversation 10,000 times.

If you’ve tried one of the amber teething necklaces, do you think it worked? Or is it just a bunch of superstitious malarkey that I paid too much money for?

9/10/13 Update: So I’ve left the necklace around Jack’s ankle (wrapped twice) for the past couple weeks — even during sleep, the ocean and baths — and I SWEAR it’s working! His top two molars cut through during the last week and he wasn’t even any crankier than normal. Actually, he hasn’t been very cranky at all lately and FINALLY went back to going right to sleep when I put him down at night. So YAY for teething necklaces! Now I need to go and knock on the biggest piece of wood I can find because I think I just jinxed myself and he’s going to fight me for 3 hours when I try to put him to bed tonight…

Friends Wanted

My kid needs friends. Yes, I know he’s only 1 ½ years old and if he were actually around another tiny human he’d probably end up either ignoring them or catching some kind of cold/flu/plague. However, we need to work past this and actually have him within a 10 foot radius of other toddlers a bit more.

Why?

jack and big bird
Adorable, happy and awesome kid seeks friends. Loves all people and animals, even big birds with airplanes.

Well, after visiting the park this weekend I realized that Jack is the weird dude that just stares at other kids. Yup, I’ve got the GIANT child (he really is, my 18 month old son is larger than most 2 year olds) who is silently watching kids half his size run/jump/cartwheel/breakdance around him.

He’s pretty darn cute though.
And gives awesome hugs.
And kisses… which only sometimes include tongue.

I’d love to be able to take advantage of the free kiddie events held at my local library, but apparently those are for parents who don’t work full-time. Really, there are like 10 events on weekday mornings and only ONE on the weekend right in the middle of Jack’s normal nap. I might have to do it anyways though, since my options are quite limited.

I’ve looked for toddler activities through our community college and came up empty. The nearest Gymboree is about 45 minutes away from our house.  I’ve googled playgroups in my area and haven’t come up with much.

My pediatrician suggested we try out the toddler music classes at a local place… but $200 for 10 weeks of music class for an 18 month old seems a little bit extreme. Right? That’s $2.25 per MINUTE of activity. I don’t even pay that when I splurge for a full body massage!

So help me please and give me some advice!  Where do I find friends for my son?

The Moment

You know when you’re watching a juggler and they’re just juggling away with their bowling pins, plates, chainsaws or whatever?

Then, as part of their trick, someone from the audience throws in another item for them to add into the cycle. In that moment of time, as that extra thing is flying through the air towards the juggler, the entire audience holds their breath with anticipation. Will the juggler catch it and continue seamlessly juggling to the crowds roaring applause? Or will that one added item be just enough to throw them off their fluidity – instead of applause there’s a gasp as everything crashes spectacularly to the floor.

As a working mom, my life is a lot like a juggler’s act. In the beginning it took me awhile to get into the swing of our routine with our revolving childcare, long days (and nights) at work with little sleep, and the ever challenging needs of our baby.

Once that act was perfected, it seemed imperative to keep adding more – DIY at home, extra projects at work, some new opportunities on my blog, and freelance graphic design jobs. Adding each item to my constant juggle took a moment to get my balance, but it worked pretty seamlessly.

It’s never enough though, is it?

For some reason I can never just be happy with what my life has already brought me… as I stand there juggling everything high overhead with an air of superiority.

So then we added a new dog. And my son decided to add in his own little gift in the form of toddler tantrums.

Right now, I admit that I’m a bit shaken.

Instead of being fluid and seamless, I’m stumbling… unsure if I can get back into my easy rhythm.

The audience is watching… unsure whether to gasp or clap.

And I keep juggling.