Isabella got her first tooth pretty early on. In fact she got her bottom two front teeth at the same time, at four months old. Thankfully she simply woke up one day with two teeth! No fuss, no pain, just a few days of some really solid drooling. She has a Sophie the Giraffe teething toy that she loves, almost all babies love this Sophie. She goes through phases with wanting her Sophie and not wanting it. Then once we started giving her baby food and solid food, it seemed to help with the ongoing teething too. Her next few teeth cut through at about five and half months, while we were in Thailand- oh joy, add that to jetlag! Again, it wasn't too much of a struggle. She drooled a lot on the days leading up to the teeth coming in. But she didn't appear to be in too much pain or discomfort.
As she continued getting more teeth, she has 8 now, she would drool and want to chew on more things. I started looking around for non-toxic teething toys. She was gravitating to things that were cold, so we tried the teething rings that you put in the fridge for a while, but she wasn't interested in those. So then we tried freezing breastmilk in small popsicles. She only wanted to hold the frozen milk and then scream because it was so cold, haha! She was not interested in putting it in her mouth at all. Then she started wanting to chew on metal. Bangle bracelets, measuring spoons, jewelry, spoons, and keys. Keys are so dirty and sharp there was no way I was going to give them to her! So I began my online search (living in a small mountain town all our shopping is done online), looking for a safe metal teether. I came across a stainless steel set of keys that were shaped like animals. Not only were they non-toxic, but they looked and sounded similar to keys. They are called Kleynimals (www.kleynimals.com). So, I didn’t hesitate and get a set right away. Her eyes lit up when I gave them to her. These "keys" are so smooth. I don't have to worry about sharp edges or rough spots. They have beads in between each animal key to separate them and add to the effect of sounding like clinking keys when jiggled. I can easily throw them in my purse just like I would with my real keys, and then pull them out for her to play with. She loves putting them into a bag like it is her own purse and keys.
The more independent she becomes, the more things she wants to do herself. Just like putting her Klynimals in her own bag she wants to choose what she is eating and feed herself too. And Izzy LOVES food! She is constantly signing for "more food". It is so fun to watch her eat and enjoy food. Lately she has really been into teething rusks, which are basically a large cracker that dissolves quickly in their mouths. But she goes through them very fast now. So I started thinking about what she can eat that will also help with teething. We often give her celery to chew on. It's cold, she can sink her teeth into it, and it takes a long time to get through it. Celery is especially great when we are out at a restaurant. We just ask for a few sticks of celery in a bowl, and she is occupied while also getting some nutrients. But kids can get bored with certain types of foods if they have them too often, so you have to switch it up.
Savory Teething Biscuits
Makes 18
198 grams (2 cups) organic rolled oats (or gluten free oats which is what I have at our house)
1 large organic banana (or 2 small)
2 tablespoons organic coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon organic rosemary (dried)
1 tablespoon organic shredded parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
pinch of fine sea salt
Method Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
I choose to use a blender for this dough but you can use a food processor too. Begin by pureeing the dry oats until they create a flour.
Once you have an oat flour, add the Rosemary, Parmesan, and cinnamon and blend. Then add the coconut oil and banana. As soon as it comes together as a dough dump, it into a bowl. Knead the dough just a bit so that the banana is completely combined and there are no chunks of any kind.
Roll out dough so it’s about 1/4-inch thick, and use a 3-inch cookie cutter (I used a flower cutter). Or you can make small dough balls and shape them to your liking. Just make sure the shape is large and long enough for your little one to hold easily but not too narrow, otherwise they can bite off large pieces that could be a choking hazard. Place the cut out cookies on the cookie sheets, spacing them 1-inch apart.
Bake at 350 degrees for 11 to 13 minutes or until golden brown.
Store them in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
High Altitude - Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Did you make this recipe? Make sure to tag @dessertdorganic on Instagram!