Activities for the little one

Summer is here and who wants to stay indoors?!?! If you are tired of taking walks, here are some suggestions for summertime fun:

* DC Ducks tour

* Baltimore Aquarium

* Playseum

* Pick your own strawberries

* Crayola Factory

* Sesame Place

Stay out of the sweltering heat!

Teethers

Teething is a tough stage to endure. Teeth mean more sleepless nights, temperatures, fussiness, clinging, gas from crying...did I miss anything?!?!? Well, there is hope! Teeth do break thru and allow for some parental relief. Here are a few tips for baby:

* put ice cube or frozen food cube in the mesh fresh food popsicle looking gadget to allow baby to suck on

* give gripe water at night to ease fussiness

* use the thimble infant toothbrush to rub gums

* freeze a washcloth and rub on gums

* use q-tip swab to rub oragel on gums

And when all else fails, aid the baby in taking a nap to forget about the pain.

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1st Foods

If your baby has been fussy, you probably have already tried to give them rice cereal in their bottles at night or perhaps even during the day! But rice cereal, not oatmeal cereal, should be reserved for infants 4 1/2 months of age. We often tend to rush the food process but think: it took 9 months for your baby to develop inside the womb and then we want to think that they are insta-ready for food. Their digestive systems cannot handle anything more then milk too soon.

Tips for introducing food:

* Start slow - start with spoon feeding rice cereal mixed with breastmilk or formula

* One a week - introduce one new food per week to ensure that if allergies are present, you are able to easily identify the allergy

* Easily digested foods - star with foods that are easily digestible such as bananas, apples, avocado, peas, carrots, frozen mixed veggies

NOTE: Avoid citrus fruits at all costs

Lastly, take the time to invest in a food processor or blender to make your child's food. It fast and easy to boil down the food and blend to know exactly what's going in your baby's mouth. Liquid vitamin C is sold in stores to add to fruits. Freeze food for longer use.