Two Life Savers...

Since Olivia was in the hospital (when she was born) I've been trying to get her to take a binky. Yes, it's true. I know a lot of people are worried that if they don't establish good eating habits before introducing a pacifier they'll have trouble. Well, I wasn't too worried. She ate just fine (she's in the 95th percentile, so obviously she's a good eater) and she seemed to even be taking a binky. Although she 's always been interested in the binky, she could never keep it in her mouth for very long. After coming to accept the fact that maybe her "cute" pacifiers weren't the right shape for her, I reluctantly tried many others. But none of them seemed to be much better. She'd suck on them for a few seconds, but they'd eventually fall out or she'd knock them out with her hands while rubbing her eyes. Despite all my efforts to get her to take a binky, it didn't seem to be working. And while she does like to suck on her hands, and even her thumb, it's never been enough to help soothe her to sleep. So, I really wanted her to take a binky!

Although I had tried nearly every brand available, there was one that I hadn't tried. So, out of pure desperation I decided to try it. You see, Olivia is a very good baby, and always has been--I've been very lucky that way. However, since she started teething she no longer sleeps through the night. In fact, she often wakes up every hour. She'll usually go back to sleep but she needs a little help. The binky would always help, but it would eventually fall out of her mouth. So, I was hoping that this last brand of binky would stay put long enough for her to fall back asleep.

Well, I must say, this binky is a LIFE SAVER! It worked! She can keep this binky in her mouth for a long time. And she loves it. This one has a silicone nipple that is textured. She likes to gum it sometimes, which I think must feel good on her gums. What binky is it? The MAM brand. I should have tried it a long time ago.

The other life saving product I found is a little miracle drug called "Teething Tablets." They are tiny little medicine tablets that dissolve instantly in her mouth. I think they must numb her mouth. Sometimes she is so tired but I know that the pain from her teeth is keeping her awake, or even worse, waking her up in the middle of the night. I can give her a couple of these tablets and within seconds she is back asleep. I am not joking... it only takes seconds! She'll be crying in her sleep and not even me rocking her will soothe her to sleep. But, these tablets do it within seconds! They're a LIFE SAVER! And today she took her first hour long nap since she started teething. Ahhhh... the power of sleep!

Her are a few pictures Olivia with her new binky.


And this is her, sleeping peacefully this afternoon... thanks to the MAM pacifier and teething tablets!

And for any of you interested in the teething tablets, I found them at Babies 'R' Us by the Baby Orajel. And, just for the record, I did try the Orajel and it doesn't work like the tablets. Tylenol doesn't even work as well.