ringing it in with a brand new tooth













  We rang in the new year with a teething, feverish baby. Instead of partying, we took her home, put her to bed, and looked at pictures on the internet of Nic Cage as Everyone (go here!) and watched Spy Kids, which had randomly turned up in our netflix queue (it was a lot better than I thought it would be).

Later, long after our new year's bedtime, I got up to rock her while she bawled in her sleep.

And the day after that, we tried watching a movie with Christopher's sisters before they left town. But baby girl didn't want to, so she screamed nonstop for half an hour until we just gave up and went home.

Conclusion: Teething is a terrible idea.

I know lots of you have great advice (which you're welcome to leave in the comments). In return, I'll pass on the best advice I've ever received, which my sister-in-law's boyfriend said teasingly, and which helped me not take myself so seriously: "You know that every time a baby cries, it reflects poor parenting. You should take her screaming very personally."

Oh, I had. I had even worried we had ruined her somehow. I asked Christopher, "Is she normal? What did we do to make her scream like this all day long?"

We didn't do anything. Her tooth did—at least for a few days. And now that it's popped through the top gum, she's back to her adorable self. She even woke up from a nap happy yesterday instead of screaming—a thing she had not done for at least a week.

A happy new year, indeed.

6 comments:

meg said...

haha--i seem so anxious to give advice. well i probably am. take these tips for what they're worth--advice is funny because the same thing doesn't work for everyone. here's a few things that have worked for us.
*put an ice cube in a munchkin mesh strainer (by the bottles and eating stuff at target. the strainer is awesome--you can give your baby solid foods and they eat them through the strainer and never get a big piece of food.)
let her gum a metal spoon--something smooth, but hard. it helps the tooth push through. i thought this sounded too old school but it helped grey.
teething tablets seem to help sometimes too.
she's darling--i love those blue eyes.

luvmymunchkins said...

So sad and frustrating for you guys! After 3 kids I still don't have the secret on that. My neighbor swears by essential oils so I'll be dashing her way if it gets bad the 4th time around.

Mr. Christopher said...

Movies don't just "appear" on Netflix. I added Spy Kids because I'm a huge nerd.

Thanks for covering for me, though.

And I think it's Antonio Banderas's greatest performance.

Unknown said...

That was a fantastically insultive comment from him!
I won't give advice because I have yet to have a child, thank goodness. I'm useless in that area.
Maybe the cold air and warm souls of Flagstaff would make her happy, and seeing me would make her extra extra happy :D

Love you guys!!

Emily said...

Spy Kids starts out pretty awesome. I love the story of the "two spies who fell in love." Those thumb dudes are scary and the whole movie is pretty bizarre.

Poor Mom & Dad! All that crying is probably just driving ya nuts! Unfortunately, more of these little fits are gonna happen...for years!

Interchange a dose of Tylenol/Motrin every 4 hrs (check with a ped of course) but should keep baby more comfy!

Bryson and Tara said...

Great advice, Kath! Thanks for sharing.

Glad that she's back to her happy self! It's never fun to have your baby cry from pain (or anything). We've just used Baby Oralgel (?), Tylenol, and cold teething rings for Sophie. Best of luck...