[Sidenote: I am not complaining; I am simply making light of this current phase of my life…]
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| Okay, cruel to take a picture of your crying baby, I know. But I was trying to get a shot of his teeth coming in. This is an old picture, they are officially in and sharper than puppy teeth. |
The pterodactyl has found his way back into the Cooley household once again. While I thought this stage in my son’s life was long gone, it has returned…in full force.
My son is a babywise baby (“On Becoming Babywise” by Gary Ezzo – look it up. It was life-changing for us!) – which means I let him CIO (Cry It Out for those who aren’t familiar with the borderline-controversial method in the current “Attachment Parenting” era). It also means I have an excellent napper, a smiley baby 99.9999% of the time, and he sleeps through the night (mostly) at 2.5-3 months old.
Okay, so anyways, back to the reason I mentioned babywise. He is such a happy, content baby – which is characteristic of most babies who follow this method (babywise).
Pterodactyl baby was pre-babywise.
I thought I would never have to deal with this side of him again. In fact, the sound of this baby dino brings anxiety to me…my shoulders tense up…my heart starts beating quickly…I clinch my jaw… No bueno.
So post-babywise, I love my happy, smiley, laughy, predictable baby.
Until, teething.
I still love my baby, but I don’t like the pterodactyl cries that are now 7 billion times louder than when he was a newborn. I now have permanently tense shoulders, my heart is beating on overdrive, and my jaw aches.
So, how have I survived this? I have a few techniques:
One)
Post on facebook “teething is no joke…[insert baby name] and I are both crying” and wait for every single mother on facebook to offer her advice – it is awesome! I didn’t have to google a thing.
Seriously, look:
Seriously, I love how much mom’s come together and help each other out…what would I do without y’all.
Two)
Texts to husband for sympathy… This text reminded him that I didn’t have time for my normal responsibilities like dishes, laundry, or even showering…and a plus, I protested making dinner and so he brought home In n’ Out.
Three)
Go places where other people will hold your baby and think his crying is cute i.e. church, moms groups with older moms without babies, grandma and grandpa’s house, invite grandma and grandpa over, aunts and uncle’s houses, friend’s house’s without babies, the grocery store (kidding…sorta), etc. etc. etc.
I can’t tell you how many times people have saved the day by holding my son. I show up flustered with my hair disheveled and my makeup smeared by the tears, and these ladies (and sometimes men) know the look in my eyes. Take the baby before I lose it completely. I love my
church! If you are interested in joining, I’d be glad to accompany you on a Sunday or to our mom’s group.
Four)
I’m not much of a drinker…of alcohol, but coffee…..
Coffee, coffee, coffee… more specifically, Peets Coffee. There isn’t one close to my house. The closest is really 15 minutes away without traffic. But, on hard days where the pterodactyl will not calm down, we take a drive to my good friend Peet’s and grab a cup of joe. And on really bad days, I spill it everywhere and my husband offers to give me his. That’s love.
(and apparently, I spill coffee often and am a klutz 😉 )
Five)
Cry. Ugly Cry. Sob. Tear up. “I’ve got something in my eye.” Laugh-cry (Bachelor watchers? anyone…Ashley I? Anyone…anyone?…okay, only me). However you want to put it, just cry.
It really does help. Well, it doesn’t help your teething, crying baby, but it does help you.
It’s amazing how when I am done crying, I go from thinking the world is going to end to feeling like I can tackle whatever comes my way. Teething, no problem… Diaper blow out, I got this (P.S. happened this morning…on my favorite sweatshirt…insert crying emoji here…see, crying helps)…
Six)
Target. I was gonna add it to number three, but it deserves its own category.
I have been to target 5 times in the last 3 weeks. I try to avoid target at all possible because…Hello…$100 exit fee… But, there’s something relaxing about walking around and looking at things you can’t buy (and some you can, and many I do) while other moms walk around with toddlers and kids who are throwing tantrums while your kid is crying because he’s teething. I know, one day my kid is going to be the tantrum throwing kid (hopefully not, but probably because I wrote about it and totally judged them…can you say jinxed?). For now, there is a valid reason behind the pterodactyl crying.
Seven)
And, finally, at the end of the day, remember that one day, they are going to lose all the teeth they worked so hard to get. And then one day, because your son is an avid thumb sucker, he will need braces as everyone so kindly reminds me of. Soon, you’ll get to be the tooth fairy and reward him for all that hard work.
Your journey with teeth is far from over, but this stage of life is so much fun, too. 6 months is, so far, the best age. He is sweet and funny. He is curious and inquisitive. He is alert. He loves people. He is loving.
With all the hard moments (and weeks, lately…), I wouldn’t trade one of them for the world. This journey is amazing. And rewarding. And a blessing beyond what I could have ever hoped. God sure knows how to give good gifts. So at the end of the day, I am thankful for teething because that means I have my baby boy.
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