Visiting the familay in Ioway

Our first visit to Iowa is in the books. Traveling with a baby is so much different than before. We left in the late afternoon so that we would be driving during part of Gideon's nighttime. It paid off, because he slept through the second half of the drive. It reminded me of being in college and leaving after classes. Only this time, I had to get up at 6am when Gideon woke up. Life has definitely changed.

Gideon christened just about everyone with a little spit up...they're officially part of the club now! ;) We visited grandma and Bri at their schools, went to Niabi Zoo (where a petting zoo goat bit my finger!), walked at the Discovery Center, and spent a lot of time playing.

Here are a few of our favorite pictures from the trip (we haven't even uploaded our phone pictures yet, so there are a few missing):

Visiting a very proud grandma at work

Meeting great grandpa for the very first time!

Sleepy baby with Bri

Doing what boys do - watching sports with grandpa

Hanging out with great aunt Alice :)

It's so hard to leave when we are having so much fun, grandma!

We can't wait for our next visit with the family. In the meantime, we are so very grateful for Skype!

Love,

the George family

Clove oil for teething

Gideon cut his first tooth a few weeks ago, just in time for our long drive to Iowa! It seems like he was teething forever, and yet I can't believe that our baby has a tooth! For some reason, he seems like such a big boy with his (two!) little teeth peeking through.

 So cute with his two bottom teeth!

With all of the teething remedies to choose from, I was a little overwhelmed when making my choice. I've used Hyland's gel, and although I think it works well, the most effective remedy I've found is clove essential oil, a natural analgesic. I've discovered the wonder of essential oils over the past several months, and I must say, they are lovely!

Essential oils are very potent, so you only need a couple of drops per tablespoon of coconut or olive oil. I used coconut oil because it tastes better. It was so easy to make my own, and I've been able to use it for weeks! I just melted one tablespoon of coconut oil, added two or three drops of clove essential oil, and put them into a dropper bottle. (I tested the oil solution on myself to ensure that it was potent, but not too strong for baby.) It does harden, so I just fill the sink with hot water and sit the bottle of oil in the sink for a couple of minutes. (In hindsight, I should have poured it into a small container with a screw top lid, so that I could rub a little onto a finger. I will do that next time so that it won't have to be melted every time I use it.)

Sidenote: Whenever using essential oils, make sure they are pure essential oils from a reputable company like doTERRA or Young Living.