Bye Bye Swaddle

X is a couple of days shy of 4 months and we have officially retired the swaddle.

For so many months, he has relied on the swaddle to sleep.

2 nights ago, he threw up on his swaddle.

The other one was still drying on the rack.

So, left without a choice, we decided to suck it up and let him sleep without a swaddle.

I was prepared for a holy fuss and a big fight for the rest of the night.

But alas, he proved to be more resilient than I gave him credit for.

He fell asleep all on his own without the swaddle.

And slept no different from the other nights.

It's not like he slept through the night without the swaddle,

but we have seen a couple of longer 4-5 hour stretches this past 2 days.

Overall, success!

I bought him an amber teething necklace.

It looks like this:

It's pretty isn't it?

Wondering what it's for?

Many people believe that the use of Baltic Amber to sooth a baby's teething pain is something new. In actual fact, Amber necklaces have been used for hundreds of years in some European  countries. In Austria, Switzerland and Germany, Amber teething necklaces are often sold in local pharmacies, where it is a widely excepted fact, that Amber soothes teething pains.

Baltic Amber, also known as Succinite or Succinate, contains high levels of Succinic acid. When Amber is warmed against our bodies, it releases natural oils that have been locked in the resin for millions of years. These oils are absorbed through our skin, and contain high levels of succinic acid.

Recent scientific research has proved that Succinic Acid has a beneficial affect on the human body: by stimulating the thyroid glands to help reduce drooling and soothe red inflamed cheeks as well as having calmative, analgesic (Pain relief), antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, and febrifuge (anti-fever) functions.

The effects of wearing a Baltic amber necklace grow stronger with time, as the succinic acid accumulates in the body. 

Succinic acid was analysed (1886) by the pioneer of modern bacteriology, Nobel-prize winner Robert Koch. Robert Koch confirmed its positive influence, discovering that there is no risk of the accumulation of surplus amounts of succinic acid in the human organism, even after the introduction of considerable amounts into the body.

As Baltic Amber is a fossil resin, not a mineral stone, it is lightweight, warm and comfortable to wear.

In Rudolf Steiner philosophy, amber is said to help strengthen the life force of a child.

Natural Baltic Amber is high in Succinic Acid, containing as much as 8 percent by weight. Succinic Acid is also a natural constituent of plant and animal tissues.

Baltic amber differs from other amber types, by the amount of succinic acid it contains. Other types of amber contail little or no succinic acid.

Succinic acid is very important to your body. It is used in the Krebs Cycle which is involved in the intermediary metabolic process. (Another name for the Krebs Cycle is the Citric Acid Cycle).

Succinic acid is a powerful anti oxidant that helps fight toxic free radicals and disruptions of the cardiac rhythm. Succinic acid has been shown to stimulate neural system recovery and bolster the immune system, and helps compensate for energy drain in the body and brain by boosting awareness, concentration and reflexes, and reducing stress.

European scientists and military doctors lead the way in following up on the ancient knowledge. They found that it would help improve a persons immune system after exposure to radiation from industrial accidents.

It has also been found to help the immune system combat infections.

It helps cure hangovers and work against toxins in general.

Recent Research at the University of Hamburg, Germany confirms the safe and positive effects of succinic and fumaric acids in cellular metabolism.

Succinic acid is now being produced commercially. And it is approved for use by the United States Food and Drug Administration.

Dr. Veniamin Khazanov of the RAS' Institute of Pharmacology at the Tomsk Scientific Center says "For aged people, succinic acid has proved to be indispensable. It is capable of restoring the energy balance at the cellular level, which is often upset as the years go by, and helps the patient regain his youthful energy." He says also that it has proven the equal or better of many commercial drugs and is significantly less expensive.

And once again following up on what the Europeans have known from their use of amber for centuries, science has found that it helps cure a hangover by helping the body rid itself of the toxins that cause the hangover.  

We are surrounded by all sorts of electrical devices: radios, television sets, microwave ovens, hair-driers, shavers, computers and mobile phones, which affect our bodies in a negative way. Modern research proves that wearing protective amber jewelry, necklaces, bracelets, brooches, rings or pendants, or carrying a raw amber figurine or nugget in our pocket is beneficial. When warming up, amber changes ionization, positively influencing our frame of mind and rebuilding the disturbed electrostatic field. We will be happy and full of energy once again.

Obviously there are safety concerns with a necklace being worn by a tiny baby.

But there are precautions... I only let him wear it when he's awake and supervised.

Plus, each teething necklace is strung on natural silk cord which is one of the strongest natural fibres available. 

A knot is tied between each bead. 

This reduces the risk of choking or lost amber in the unlikely event of the necklace breaking. 

As an added precaution, the teething necklaces are fastened by a sterling silver parrot clasp and safety ring. 

The safety ring is designed to open under pressure. 

So if baby becomes caught on anything, the ring will simply open and the teething necklace will fall off, preserving life & teething necklace.

I figure, no harm right?

If it works, great.

No need to medicate him as much with medicine and chemicals.

If it doesn't, well, at least it's pretty ;)

We suspect he is beginning to teeth.

Early early stages with the drool, the discomfort, the ear swatting and hair pulling...

And I'm here to try and help him get through it.

If I can't take away the pain for him completely,

at least I can try and provide some relief for him.

Hopefully this works ;)

He's got a couple of new gadgets/toys too.

One is the Evenflo Mega Farmyard Exersaucer.

Saw it in the store here for about $260, got it secondhand off eBay for $50.

Great condition cos it was a grandma who bought it for her grandson to play with when he visited,

which means it wasn't used very much.

So far, X seems to love it.

He loves that he's upright and not lying on his back or leaning back on his rocker.

The pictures were taken with all the toys attached,

but in truth I only leave 2 or 3 of the toys on there at each time,

to make sure he doesn't get overstimulated and also so that I can switch out the toys regularly so he doesn't get bored with them.

We will also be collecting another item that we got off eBay.

Hopefully this weekend.

The Fisher Price Rainforest Jumperoo.

RRP $199, got it of eBay secondhand for $65.

Funny story why we decided to get this too.

We were at Target last weekend and saw it on display.

Took it off the shelf and stuck X in it.

He stood back and just watched him.

He absolutely loved it.

His daddy decided we should get it.

He was even prepared to pay the full $199 price for it!

Can't wait to get it :)

Our little apartment is gradually being overtaken by the kid's barang barang.

:p

I kinda like it that way.

Although his daddy may beg to differ :p

ok more to blog about but later :p