::cue slow, eerie music:: It was a dark stormy night… okay, more like a mildly breezy, little bit of rain, still pretty freaking hot (but hey, this is TEXAS) for October day. I was rocking the demon….er… I mean my sweet fussy pants baby to sleep. It seemed that the long lost colicky behavior we thought we’d kicked in the pants a couple months ago was returning. His mouth kept feverishly switching back and forth from sucking on my boob and then his finger, and every now and then he’d try to cram in a fist full of blanket. When none of those options satisfied him, he would sqwak with disapproval. I had read of this terrifying behavior before. I was beginning to worry that the same malady was taking over my baby’s body. I was afraid, but I knew what I had to do. I wiped off my pointer finger, pried open his pursed lips and glided it across his top and the bottom gums. It was then that I confirmed my fear… there on his bottom gum was a swollen nub… the beginnings of…. A TOOTH!!!! AHAHAAAGGGHGHGHGAAAHGHGHGAGH!! Is it possible for breasts to wince?
Now, who knows how long it will take this sucker to actually come in. Right now the tooth is just chillin’ under the surface, waiting for the perfect time to break through, and causing my newly happy most of time baby to regress to his fussy ways of the days of colic. Of course, nothing within his reach is safe from his slobbering chompers. This includes a small blanket with a teddy bear head attached to it (much like I would imagine a teddy bear ghost to look like, actually). He, for lack of a better description, has taken to making out with the tiny teddy bear head, sucking/gnawing on it’s protruding nose and mouth. Comical, yes, but so far the most effective way to soothe him.
In a, what some would think but still haven’t said to my face (okay… my sister said it), desperate move to prevent complete teething meltdown, I have adorned my son in a beautiful necklace – an amber teething necklace. Despite the image the name conjures, this is not something he actually chews on. Instead, the beads are supposed to have some sort of magical pain relieving powers (something about oils seeping into the skin… you can imagine how uncomfortable this whole idea makes my husband). Apparently, it’s quite popular across the pond, and it was relatively inexpensive so I figured why not? I told you… I’m bordering desperate.
Here he is, sporting his new bling on his first trip to the park –
To be honest, I can’t tell if it’s working or not. After posting this picture online it was pointed out to me that it would probably work better if it was resting inside of his shirt and against his skin (derrr…), so I’ve tried to do that all day today. However, I am more than a little apprehensive putting a necklace on a baby. Oh… think of the hazards! (Even though this one is supposedly “safe” for babies when supervised.) So I feel like I have to watch him constantly and I have to carefully manuever it off of him every time he falls asleep. I’m thinking it’s more trouble than it’s worth. But, it does look quite charming on him in a tiny surfer dude way, I think.
So now I wait… In a way I really want this tooth to just hurry up and come through already. I hate to see him so uncomfortable and out of sorts. But at the same time all I can think of is the horror of breastfeeding a baby with teeth!! He is not a gentle eater either. I’m afraid there will be blood.
5 months and 4 days old
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3 comments
Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!! Teeth! Ryan’s came at THREE months, Megan’s at 13 months. Weird.
He’s so freaking cute, though. I want to nom nom nom on those rolls.
Wow, he’s a cutie!!! And so big! Especially considering he’s not on formula. Good job, Momma!
OMG! He is too cute!!! Look at those rolls! Brock has an amber teething necklace and I can really tell a difference in his behavior when he has it on. However, he doesn’t currently have a tooth trying to stab its way through his gums either.