Our Little Beaver

For the last week or two, our little man has turned into a beaver! That's right...those furry little creatures who like to gnaw on wood. His molars have been working on coming in for a few months now. His gums will get black and blue in an area, and then they will go back to being normal. He will wake up in the middle of the night just screaming, due to the pain of teething. It makes sense that it would be pretty painful. We have done all we can to try and help ease the pain. We give him teething tablets, frozen fruit, and even Ibuprofen when needed.

Of all the things we thought we would have to do to help him through his teething, I never imagined we would have to cover parts of his crib to keep him from chewing on it! It turns out, that in his pain, he would try and chew on the railing of the crib. He has chewed so much that he is peeling off the paint. I first noticed tiny little nicks in the wood months and months ago. A friend of mine asked me if I had noticed bite marks in the crib, and at first I didn't know what she was talking about. I figured the tiny little nicks were just wear and tear on the crib, but then I started to notice there were indeed teeth marks on the crib. Well, if I ever doubted that he is chewing on the crib, I don't doubt it anymore! We would come to get him in the mornings, or after a nap and he was covered in paint chips! Then huge sections of paint disappeared on the railings of the crib. You can see a picture of his handy beaver work, to the left. 

Anyway, I really didn't know what to do about it. I didn't like the idea of him gnawing on the beautiful crib Scott's parents purchased for us, and I also didn't like the idea of him eating paint chips or possibly getting splinters. So, I started researching what to do online. Luckily, I found an awesome solution! They actually make a "Teething Crib Rail Cover." I found one on amazon.com, but decided to go to Buy Buy Baby and use my coupon so I could get it faster. It just drove me crazy to think of him chewing on the crib every day. The picture to the left is this great invention, that I am glad someone else thought of, so I didn't have to! You will notice there are little spots to attach teething rings and toys, so that they are more motivated to chew on those things, than the crib. They attach to the crib by velcro, and the pad also attaches by velcro. At first, I wasn't sure how effective it would really be, because some moms claimed their kids would just move the rail cover and start chewing. The velcro is super nice because it allows you to give it a really secure fit. I made sure to attach the velcro spots to the outside, so he can't pull them off. And the toys can flip around to the inside. The only down side is the color. I know! I am silly! I just wish they made more color options. These are also great though, because you can wash them in the washing machine. If you are looking for an even cheaper option, to help out your little beaver, I did see that some people decided to wrap the rails with blankets or sheets. I just preferred using something that was intended for it's purpose, and not having to use sheets or blankets that I would constantly need to wash and reattach. This attaches so easily and can still be washed while he isn't napping. 

Since purchasing this for his crib, I couldn't be happier! He hasn't been chewing on the crib since! They do also make covers for the side rails of the crib, but luckily, we haven't had any problems with those yet. I just thought that a few of you moms out there might have little beavers too! So if you are struggling with the same problem, I recommend investing on one of these. Here is a link to where you can buy one on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Leachco-Teether-Convertible-Cover-Ivory/dp/B001D20K40/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1349371410&sr=8-3&keywords=teething+rail+for+crib I really couldn't be more pleased with my purchase! It is nice to have found a solution that works, and also helps my little beaver deal with the ultimate problem: his aching gums.

Well, that's all for now! Tune in next time for some fun at the Petting Zoo :)