#1 Goes to the Dentist

Although our paediatrician had recommended taking our kids to the dentist starting at age 3, I had put it off for a little over a year. I knew we would be moving to the suburbs, so why start with one dentist only to switch within a year? Also the sale of our condo and the birth of #3 were very time consuming…so I waited.

Just a few weeks ago, I was walking through a local mall with the older Girls when I came across a dental clinic. I would not have noticed it were it not for the kids playing in the waiting room. I approached the receptionist and inquired: Yes, they do have paediatric dentists. And only a few kilometres from our new home! I was able to get an appointment within a few weeks. And so it was that this last Tuesday, #1 and I headed to the dentist for her very first visit. #2 was napping, and #3 was in the trusty hands of Grandma.

I tried to prepare our daughter for her first appointment, and she did not seem too apprehensive. The waiting room included a kid's corner with crayons, colouring books, and picture books all about going to the dentist. We read one together. She must have really liked it as she requested that I read it over and over again.

Her name was called promptly at 14h, and we followed the dental hygienist to the office. The dentist was young, cool, and very nice. #1 seemed mesmerized. First they counted her teeth. Then she donned a pair of very cool pink sunglasses so that the bright overhead light wouldn't bother her. Next up, her teeth were cleaned, and she was shown how to floss. They attempted to take some x-rays, but they did not turn out to well due to motion artifact.

The dentist recommended we start a fluoride-based toothpaste twice a day, and floss once a day, neither of which we had been doing. Finally, the appointment over, our daughter picked out a sticker and received a new toothbrush.

Every day since her appointment she announces multiple times a day: I want to brush my teeth…Who would have guessed!

Showing off her smile and new toothbrush!

The Thumb Sucker

I have no doubt that #2 was a thumb sucker in-utero. For the moment she made her appearance, she started sucking her fingers. She was a very calm baby, rarely complaining. She often sucked her thumb, and I never saw a reason to stop this self-soothing practice...

Until recently. She will be two in two months, and the thumb sucking hasn't decreased in frequency nor duration (apparently most thumb-suckers do slow down around 12 months). And we have noticed that her upper central incisors, especially the left one (as she exclusively sucks her left thumb) were starting to angle upwards.

At a recent dental appointment, I asked my dentist for suggestions, and whether or not there would be any permanent damage...He suggested a bad-tasting nail polish, and said that to avoid permanent damage, she would have to stop by age four.

So I researched bad-tasting nail-polish geared at thumb-suckers, and found one that was highly rated. However, it wasn't recommended under age 3. Not because it was toxic , but because "taste buds are not yet fully developed under age two, and toddlers may actually enjoy the taste".

In the end, I decided to order the product, but wait until I tried some behavioral modifications...

First, I ran my daughter's index finger along her teeth so that she could feel her incisors. I explained the her teeth would be "crooked" if she sucked her thumb. Much help that did! #2 is in an "opposite" phase at the moment. So not only does she continue to suck her thumb, she goes so more vigorously, and sometimes sucks both simultaneously, with a sly smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye.

Next, I tried to keep her hands busy...and even taught to use her right hand play with her thumb instead is sucking it. That lasted less than a minute!

I tried to observe her thumb sucking... perhaps if I discovered the trigger, I could avoid the need for thumb sucking. While she often sucks herself to sleep for a few minutes, she quickly removes her thumb and she sleeps well without additional thumb sucking. However, during the day, she often resorts to thumb sucking when she is upset. Unfortunately this happens very often. For instance, last week we were out for a walk in sub-zero weather. While in the stroller, she decided to remove her hat, mittens, and her boots. When I tried to explain the need for those items, she says "NOOO", cried, and sucked her thumb. She is very contrary at the moment, and this type of incident occurs at least a dozen times a day...

After a few weeks of unsuccessful behavioral modification, I decided to try the nail polish. At first I painted just a small portion of her left nail. It made absolutely no difference! Next, I painted her entire nail. I explained to her that it would be "yucky" and that she should not suck her thumb. So, of course, she sucked her thumb. She made a funny face, and her eyes watered. She sucked her thumb a little less for a few minutes. But within a few hours, she was back at it, and in fact sucking more than ever.

After a few re-applications, I gave up in the nail-polish. The directions said to re-apply every 2 days, but how could I when the polish seemed to wear off after only a few hours...

Finally, my daughter found a solution: she asked me for a bandage, and applied it to her mouth:

A few minutes later, she had removed it. 

Then, we tried some fun-coloured gloves:

Also short-lived.

I offered her a pacifier with Oscar the Grouch on it. She seemed interested for about half a day, then she wanted nothing to do with it!

In the end, perhaps she will eventually give up this habit if I simply continue to insist on her stopping???

9 months old

Chasing the camera

Oh how time flies!
Baby #2
Turned 9 months old on November 11
Weighs almost 10kg
Wears 12-18 month clothing
Has 6 teeth, with two more on the way
Babbles regularly, mostly Mamama
Claps her hands when you sing a song
Waves goodbye if she sees you head for the door
Can stand for a few seconds at a time
Loves her big sister, and puts up with a lot of abuse (mostly slaps and the occasional kick)
Wakes up laughing
Even though it's 5AM, and she does not understand what daylight savings time is!

7 Months Old

meal time

Turned 7 months old on September 11th
Weighs 9 kg, only 3 kg less than her big sister
Dislikes diaper changes, and tries to get away
Eats three solid meals a day, and gets very messy in the process
Can move forward on all fours, but I wouldn't yet call it crawling
Has gotten really attached to her mommy, and dislikes it when she leaves the room
Takes three naps per day, between 30 and 90 minutes each
Sprouted two more teeth, for a total of four, and will gladly bite your finger
Still hasn't figured out how to sleep through the night...

Two Little Teeth

Yummy toes!

Our youngest sprouted two little teeth two weeks ago. I was initially relieved. She had been teething since three months of age, as evidenced by hyper-salivation and crankiness. A little after reaching four months of age, our baby started waking up more often, which I also attributed in part to the teething process. A respite from the aforementioned was welcome!

My relief quickly dissipated. Not only does she still frequently wake up, but she has started using me as a teething device. Several times over this last week, while nursing, she decided to take a bite...Who would have thought two little teeth could hurt so much? I screamed on each occasion, whereupon my sweet daughter stopped nursing, looked up at me, and smiled! It's a good thing she smiled, because the pain was enough to consider switching to bottle feeding...

Using her sister's bouncer!

5 Months Old!

First Solid Meal

Turned 5 months old this week
Can roll back-to-front and front-to-back
Two bottom central incisors appeared 1 week ago
Has already started biting her mama while nursing
Just started solids, and loves oat cereal mixed with breast milk
Mama fed her solids before 6 months of age because for a few weeks, she had been waking up more often to feed
Loves solids, but is still waking up every few hours to feed!

Using her sister's new highchair