We’re just happy to be done with teething. For now.

She has also discovered that walking isn’t just something you have to do when Mommy and Daddy make you walk between them, and she is now taking up to 4 or 5 steps away from furniture to get to toys or to get around her siblings.

Today we had an adventure. We have a trumpet in a case on the edge of our tub in our room. It’s pretty secure there, but today Rachel was trying to pull it down. I was worried she’d hurt herself, so I tried to move it. But when I picked up the case, it opened (it’s broken) and the trumpet fell out.

Right on her face.

She has a little cut below one eye, which might also develop into a black eye. This is what I get for trying to keep my child from hurting herself: I get to hurt her instead. Great.

Par for the course in a pretty crappy day. The older two begin every other sentence with “Mom.” Mom mom MOM mOM MoM mOM Mom mom MOM mOM MoM. “Mom, can I have some milk?”

“It’s right by Dad.”

“Oh. . . . Mom, could I have some milk?”

“No.”

weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth

In fact, the one who probably needs me the most is least demanding:

I told them today to stop saying my name. Unfortunately, this didn’t end the requests, though Hayden did “take out the ‘mom.’”

Thanks, son.

What do you think? Is this something they outgrow, or can I work on them with this?

Some time in the last two weeks, I saw something white on Hayden’s gums in the back of his mouth. I tried to touch it and thought I brushed it away.

But then Ryan brought Hayden to me this morning, pointing out the same white thing in the back of his mouth—a molar. I felt his gums on the other side; there was another.

There you can see the first one. You can see almost all of his teeth here other than one on the bottom and the other molar. You can also see his top lateral incisor, which I think might also be chipped (and much worse than the other one).

No wonder he’s been so grumpy. This also explains how he’s been able to chew things better lately.

Why are we always the last to know? Guess it’s a little late to put these teething tips to use…

Ahh!! A huge giant mouth!! Ahh!!!

Okay, seriously, this is to show that Hayden has chipped a tooth. (The one on the upper right/his upper left: inside bottom corner.) He’s only had that tooth for 5 months. At least it’s just a little chip. (It looks bigger when it’s in focus…)

Not sure how that happened. He likes to fall off stairs, chairs and couches… Don’t know.

[tags]wordless wednesday[/tags]

It seems like a lot of moms, myself included, are at a loss when it comes to teething. It may be one of those times that you just can’t make everything all better, but there are more than a few ways to help ease your child’s pain. I’ve scoured the Internet for everything from the mundane to the unusual in teething tips, and now, for your gnawing pleasure, “The Giant Compendium of Teething Tips!”

Old Standbys

1. Massaging baby’s gums (if s/he will let you!)
2. Teething biscuits
3. Zwieback
4. Acetaminophen (Tylenol, paracetamol)
5. Ibuprofen (Motrin; better than Tylenol because it also relieves inflamation, the underlying cause of teething pain) Note that you can stagger these two medicines and administer every 2-3 hours, alternating which medicine you give
6. Teething rings (freezing them is old school; refridgerating them may be better)
7. Damp rag, frozen
8. Baby gum numbing gel
9. Cold or frozen foods (including ice) in a mesh feeder
10. Hard objects s/he can’t choke on
11. Ice chips (small enough not to choke on)

Slightly More Unconventional

12. Small dampened stuffed animal, frozen
13. Homeopathic teething tablets (yes, homeopathy is slightly unconventional to me)
14. Homeopathic teething liquid
15. Apples, Asian pears, celery, cucumbers, carrots, etc., preferably cold or frozen (small enough not to choke on)
16. Frozen bagel (small enough not to choke on)
17. A toothbrush
18. Carabiner
19. Music, specifically baby disco (strange only because I’ve never heard of that as a remedy for teething)
20. Frozen flax bean bags (I suppose rice bags could work, too)
21. Clove oil
22. Spoons, especially dipped in cold water or stored in the fridge
23. Frozen corn syrup gel pack
24. Frozen applesauce or other baby food, slushy consistency
25. Magnets

Downright Strange (and Not Recommended)

26. Pen

Or you could always do what I did last night: mysteriously lose hearing in your right ear and sleep on your left side to muffle the sound of his cries. (I’m kidding—I can’t sleep on my left side.)

Got more? Leave a comment or e-mail me at jordan (at) mamablogga.com !

For more tips to make your life easier, visit Rocks in My Dryer, one of the 30 most Popular Parent Blogs, for Works-for-me Wednesday.

[tags]teeth, teething, parenthacks[/tags]

And as I picked Hayden up from the gym day care, I happened to look in his mouth—and he has another new tooth. I think it must’ve come in yesterday. We missed it partially because we were expecting his next tooth to come in on the top. But no, it’s his bottom left lateral incisor. Surprises all ’round!

Happy birthday to me!

Last night I almost cried because his teeth are coming in. His whole life I’ve been wanting him to grow up faster, to go from an unresponsive lump of baby to the giggly, smiley cuteness he is now. I love him the way he is now (of course I loved him before, too)—but he’s not stopping here. He’s going to keep growing.

It’s a mixed blessing. He’ll grow out of waking up during the night. (Yes, he still does that. Sigh.) But he’ll grow out of his sweet, toothless grin. He’ll be able to tell me, “I love you, Mama” in words. But he won’t laugh or arch his back and screech in delight when I come in the room.

And as he gets older, it means I’ll have to get serious about this whole parenting thing. I’ll need to teach him more than his name and the colors of the rainbow and the alphabet and counting. He’ll need more than that to become the person which I hope he’ll be. I worry about his college and serving a mission when he’s 19 and getting his Eagle Scout (if he chooses). How can we ever save enough and teach him enough and pray for him enough?

But I can’t worry about the future and mourn the passage of time all the time. I know that I have to appreciate and enjoy the present. When Hayden’s upset, it’s easier to wish he were older and could tell me what’s wrong and I could comfort him better. But when Hayden’s happy, enjoying time with him is the easiest thing in the world to do.

I guess they’re right. They always grow up too fast.

But today, he only has one tooth.

As my sisters sang at my wedding (and we’ll sing at Jaime’s in a few months):

A million tomorrows shall all pass away
Ere I forget all the joy that is mine today.