The wooden piece on the left is a purchase that my husband will never let me live down. He proceeds to tell anyone who visits our home that I paid $20 for a tiny hunk of wood for our son to slobber over. I am quick to point out that:
a.) it's a handcrafted, heirloom-to-be from an organic, non-pesticide sprayed tree that lived in the yard of some hardworking American family.
b.) our son gnaws on it every single day (or at least he did until about the third day when the novelty wore off).
c.) it is not just a "tiny hunk of wood," as it has been hollowed out and filled with dried lentils or something like that. Thus, it is a teether and a rattle. Take that, dear husband!
Next to the treasured piece of wood is a teether (clutch toy, I think they call it) from Haba. The only time our son touches this one is to toss it out of his way as he crawls across the room.
The bunny teething blanket is from Under the Nile. It's organic cotton and has knotted ends to chew on. I bought it for Rascal after I noticed that he seemed to prefer gumming cloth items (his sleeves, my shirt collar when I would hold him to burp after feeding, etc.). I was hoping it would become his "lovey" of sorts. I really wanted him to like this teether. Our daughter never attached to a portable, inanimate object when she was a baby. *I* was her lovey! :) And I was ever so happy to fulfill that role. But, since Rascal is such a high-needs infant, I thought it would be nice to have a backup lovey, for when I can't be right there. It was a nice thought. And it's not for lack of trying on my part. I push that bunny into his hands/mouth every time Rascal fusses. No dice. You might be saying that maybe my son feels pressured by me to accept the bunny. Let me clarify: I don't really "push" it, as I wrote above. I "offer" it until he has no choice but to hold it himself. Oh, I jest! This boy is as stubborn as they come and he knows what he likes. Bunny isn't it.
The item on the far right is known as Sophie the Giraffe. I had heard many, many good things about Sophie from my attachment parenting group and on Amazon.com. Buying it was a no-brainer. Surely, 116 favorable customer reviews couldn't steer me wrong. Right? Well, let's just say that Rascal's 3 1/2 year old sister Roo enjoys having a giraffe join her for tea parties. The only time Sophie sees the light of day is when Roo plucks her out of the heap of unused teethers.
So what, you might ask, does Rascal chew on? Check out Exhibit B, below:
That's a measuring cup from the dollar store and a plastic syringe from Roo's doctor kit.
From now on, I'll just skip the pricey, recommended "must haves" and shop at the dollar store for any cheap, Made in China plastic I can find. Again, I jest. If I keep offering him that bunny, he's bound to accept sooner or later!
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