Teething in babies can occur as early as 3 months or as late as 12 months, though the first teeth typically appear between 6-9 months. Interestingly enough, teeth don’t actually cut through the gums, but instead, are allowed to poke through when the body releases chemicals that cause some gum cells to die and separate.
Symptoms of teething usually begin 3 to 5 days before the tooth actually shows, and disappear as soon as the tooth breaks skin. Common symptoms include drooling, fussiness, crying, restless nights, refusal to eat or drink, and elevated temperatures.
I noticed Caitlyn first tooth beginning to show when she turned 9 months just a few days ago. This would probably explain her change in behavior and habits. Multiply her usual fussiness by about two or three and add in a hearty helping of tossing and turning turning sleep time, and it’s no wonder the wife was nearly at her breaking point this weekend from taking care of the baby.
With her energy and patience all sapped away, I should have known to pick my words around her more carefully, but foresight is not exactly my strong suit. Had I done so, I probably wouldn’t have been unceremoniously shooed out the door like I was Sunday afternoon. I decided to use this time to give the wife a break and took the baby with me to do some shopping at the local hypermarket.
When I told the wife I was leaving with Caitlyn, she just scoffed and didn’t believe I had the balls to take the baby out by myself. After all, this would be my first attempt to actually take the baby anywhere in the car by myself for an extended period of time. Who knew what kind of nightmarish hell she could wreak without the wife there to lend a helping hand. Well, the joke was on her because this guy’s got balls the size of grapefruits!
Not only did I manage to get Caitlyn into her car seat without a peep (no small feat), I was able to drive to the hypermarket without her crying (an even bigger feat), put her in the baby carrier without a sound (just as big a feat), walk around the store without any whining (am I dreaming?), put her back in the car seat with a fuss (I must be dreaming), and brought her home safe and sound.
That’s two entire hours without a single whine, cry, or sound from her. Two hours, people! I'm not sure you guys really understand exactly how big a deal this is, but it's probably right up there with Columbus discovering America.
To our baby, two hours without making a single sound is like eternity times a million. She deserves some sort of award or recognition for this feat. When I went home and proudly told the wife about this monumental achievement, she just ignored me, probably because she was still a bit annoyed at me. But inside, I’m sure she was secretly jealous and wondering why she couldn’t take the baby anywhere without crying or fussing. The answer’s quite simple, actually. There can be only one baby expert in a family.
I noticed the other day that it seems other teeth are about to pop up soon, so this fussing and restlessness could carry on a bit longer. Having all 20 teeth come in doesn’t occur until several years later. Does that mean we have to endure this for another 3 or 4 years? If so, I might need to glue my mouth shut to keep myself out of trouble with the wife.
Symptoms of teething usually begin 3 to 5 days before the tooth actually shows, and disappear as soon as the tooth breaks skin. Common symptoms include drooling, fussiness, crying, restless nights, refusal to eat or drink, and elevated temperatures.
I noticed Caitlyn first tooth beginning to show when she turned 9 months just a few days ago. This would probably explain her change in behavior and habits. Multiply her usual fussiness by about two or three and add in a hearty helping of tossing and turning turning sleep time, and it’s no wonder the wife was nearly at her breaking point this weekend from taking care of the baby.
With her energy and patience all sapped away, I should have known to pick my words around her more carefully, but foresight is not exactly my strong suit. Had I done so, I probably wouldn’t have been unceremoniously shooed out the door like I was Sunday afternoon. I decided to use this time to give the wife a break and took the baby with me to do some shopping at the local hypermarket.
When I told the wife I was leaving with Caitlyn, she just scoffed and didn’t believe I had the balls to take the baby out by myself. After all, this would be my first attempt to actually take the baby anywhere in the car by myself for an extended period of time. Who knew what kind of nightmarish hell she could wreak without the wife there to lend a helping hand. Well, the joke was on her because this guy’s got balls the size of grapefruits!
Not only did I manage to get Caitlyn into her car seat without a peep (no small feat), I was able to drive to the hypermarket without her crying (an even bigger feat), put her in the baby carrier without a sound (just as big a feat), walk around the store without any whining (am I dreaming?), put her back in the car seat with a fuss (I must be dreaming), and brought her home safe and sound.
That’s two entire hours without a single whine, cry, or sound from her. Two hours, people! I'm not sure you guys really understand exactly how big a deal this is, but it's probably right up there with Columbus discovering America.
To our baby, two hours without making a single sound is like eternity times a million. She deserves some sort of award or recognition for this feat. When I went home and proudly told the wife about this monumental achievement, she just ignored me, probably because she was still a bit annoyed at me. But inside, I’m sure she was secretly jealous and wondering why she couldn’t take the baby anywhere without crying or fussing. The answer’s quite simple, actually. There can be only one baby expert in a family.
I noticed the other day that it seems other teeth are about to pop up soon, so this fussing and restlessness could carry on a bit longer. Having all 20 teeth come in doesn’t occur until several years later. Does that mean we have to endure this for another 3 or 4 years? If so, I might need to glue my mouth shut to keep myself out of trouble with the wife.
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