Now, about those frozen bananas...

The girls have certainly taken their good old time with this teething business. The first pearly white to make an appearance, in Evie's mouth for anyone who's interested, didn't show up 'til just before their first birthday. Camie's first tooth finally came in when she was 14-months-old. And to date, they only have four teeth each--two up and two down, right up front.

I guess it's not uncommon, my brother was late to get his teeth, too, and our wonderful pediatrician, Dr. I., assures us he's never had to send a child to kindergarten with dentures, so I'm really not concerned. But when they do have a bout of teething, it seems like I'm always taken off guard. It takes a day or two of tracking symptoms, soothing crabby babies and wiping runny noses and drooly chins before I put two and two together and realize I'd better figure out a way to help them feel better. Mom of the Year, I know.

So, after dealing with the saddest babies in Loveland for the past three days, it finally dawned on me last night that there are some big teeth on the way. Camie seems to be having the toughest time with it, and woke up at 1:30 a.m. after her baby ibuprofen had worn off. Thankfully, she settled back down without too much fuss, but the whole situation reignited my search for a teething remedy that doesn't require medication. Meds certainly have their place and are a wonderful option when the girls are really hurting, but I've tried my best to keep things "natural" during these first 18 months and I'm always on the lookout for new, homemade/homeopathic ideas and alternatives.

Dr. I. has recommended wetting and freezing baby washcloths for them to chew on in order to numb their raw little gums, which is a great idea, but all I could think of was how cold their hands would get and how quickly they'd lose interest in chewing on flavorless cotton. So, after some hard thinking and a few test runs in the kitchen, I think I've zeroed in on a solution--frozen bananas.

It's a pretty straightforward process, all you'll need are some bananas and a mesh baby feeder, these are the kind we have: http://nuby.com/products/tableware/5360.aspx.

• First, I cut the bananas into pieces that will fit into the mesh baggies length-wise.

• Then, I separate the pieces into thirds by pushing my finger into the top of each piece and pulling apart the banana's three natural segments.

• Finally, put the pieces in the freezer.

I know, it's an extremely complicated process, I'll try to keep it simpler in the future. :-) Once the bananas are frozen solid, I put a piece in each of their Nibblers--thereby eliminating any choking concerns and keeping their little hands toasty warm--and let them go to town. Just refill the feeder as necessary. This morning was our first run with these banana pops and, as you can see from the pictures, they were a huge success.

I'm sure you can freeze whatever kind of fruit your baby likes the best, I'm going to experiment with clementines later today. If something unexpected happens, I'll let you know.

Well, I guess that's all I've got. If you have a teething soother idea, please feel free to share it below. In the meantime, I'm off to play with the Peanuts! Hope you have a great weekend!