If you're spending your money on this, you have too much money.

Poor little The Bean. He is getting so many teeth right now, and he really hurts. We've tried all of the remedies that we've heard about--teething rings, teething tablets, Orajel, baby pain-relievers, etc. Usually, at least one of those things would work, but tonight, The Bean could not be soothed.

We were making our weekly trek from M-Town to Our Current Address, and The Bean just cried and screamed and cried and screamed. Doug and I felt so bad for the little guy--he was obviously in so much pain, and there was nothing we could do. Eventually, after a stop at a neighborhood post office (it was the only thing open in the town we passed through), we resumed our trip, and Doug let The Bean pull his hair and bite down on his finger, which seemed to do the trick. That Doug's a trooper! Both Doug and Bean are sleeping peacefully now. I hope tomorrow is better!

But now, on to my rant. So I was online tonight and thought I'd check the Web for any teething tips I may have missed. As I googled teething, I found out a recall had been issued for these lovelies:



These, my friends, are sterling silver teething rings. Prior to the recall, you could purchase them at specialty stores everywhere for 50 to 120 bucks. And they're still available on the company's web site, so maybe the problem with them has been fixed.

I am so perplexed by this. Even if they're not a choking hazard, why on earth would a child need a sterling silver teething ring when a perfectly good cold rag or 99 cent Wal-Mart special will do the trick? Does sterling silver have magical properties? (Seriously, if anyone knows, I'd be interested.) Even if I was in loads of pain, I can't see where clamping down on a piece of hard metal would make me feel any better. (Maybe my pain would be diminished by the knowledge that I was so darned fashionable.) Also, you could buy a whole lot of perfectly acceptable teething rings (or maybe a crib or a small pony) for that kind of money. I just don't get it.

All I know is that The Bean has a lovely cheap, blue, plastic ring in the fridge ready for the taking, and that's the way we like it. If we hit the jackpot and decide to spring for a fancy-schmancy teething ring, I'll let you know how that works out.

Song of the Day: I realized I haven't put any U2 on here yet, so here's a little taste for you. This is a good one.