Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth

In typical fashion, the week after we returned from traveling was horrendous. But this time it wasn't just from the change in routine. After a several month hiatus, Jack is finally cutting some more teeth. They are not molars, they are not canines, in fact, his gums aren't even red or swollen and he doesn't have a fever. But apparently it is the end of the world for my little man, who refuses to leave my side for the better part of the day. He constantly wants "up." Surprisingly, this is not as difficult as I had pictured when I first found out I was pregnant. Once I get over the initial strain of leaning over and lifting the little guy, my growing bump seems to provide a nifty little ledge to prop him up on. In fact, it has made sitting with him a little easier. Since he's so long, the extra inches provided by my belly make it easier for him to put his head on Mommy's shoulder without having to double up at the waist. How convenient. At least for now...

When Jack wants "up", he wants "up!" He's very dramatic about it. He'll walk over to your legs, look up at you and thrust his hands straight into the air with the force of a rocket taking off. Then he'll keep them there, straight and still, until you notice him. If you pretend not to notice him, he'll continue to keep his hands in the air, still as straight as an arrow, but will then add a little dance with his feet. If you still happen to not notice him, he'll add a whine.

Ah, the whine. It's been getting more pronounced with each passing week. And he's recently added to his portfolio the temper tantrum. "What?" you say. "That beautiful baby boy with the stunning blue eyes throws tantrums?" Alas, it is so. I have to admit, he's still kinda cute when he's in a fit. But, Mommy looks Jack in the eye, "that's not allowed in this house!" That's Jon's and my new line. I don't know if it's effective or not. I like that it's a bit more developed than "no", but I'm wondering if it's too far beyond the mind of a not-quite-15-month-old.

This week we had a particularly bad meltdown. In fact, the entire day was just plain bad on so many levels, most having to do with job stuff. But we won't complain about that. After relaying all the horrible events of the day to my husband on his way home from work, I realized that the only reason the day was so bad was because the majority of my days are pretty good. I'm choosing not to dwell on one bad apple. So enough about that.

Anyway back to the aforementioned meltdown, since returning from PA Jack has been especially attached to his Monkey and pacifier. Monkey is cute and can stay, but I should have cut the pacifier out months ago. Then again, I value a full night's sleep too much. We're pretty good about restricting paci use to only the crib, although I do keep one in the diaper bag in case he gets fussy when we're out. Other than that, I don't like him sucking on it for kicks. Well, we went upstairs so Jack could play in his room and he noticed the paci sitting in his crib next to Monkey. He pointed at it and started yelling "me, me (high voice)? meee (loud voice)!!" which I think means "I want that!" I said "no" and he kept yelling and pointing. Then he tried to break into his crib but couldn't reach that far. I stuck to my guns. The yelling and "meeing" got louder and more piercing. Finally, I picked him up, carried him out of the room and shut the door. He ran to the door pounding his fists on it yelling, "Mee!! Mee!!" This lasted for a short eternity until I found something else to distract him i.e. Jon's back scratcher. Thankfully, kids have short memories. Three minutes later he completely forgot about the paci and didn't even notice when I hid it from view. Apparently I need to add two more things to my New Year's goal list - wean Jack from paci and curb further emotional meltdowns.

Other than the intense clinginess, incessant whining, puddle of drool, and child who walks around with his two fingers pulling on the sides of his mouth - teething isn't too bad. Oh, there was the one night when Jack hardly slept. At. All. We had a hard time putting him to bed, and then he was up again around midnight. We snuggled for a long time, I rather enjoyed it except for the fact that I was having a hard time staying awake. And then, according to Jon, he was up again from 1-4am. I had no clue until the following morning. That was a definite first. I'm so glad Jon and Jack are getting this extra bonding time in to prepare for Baby #2's arrival. :) Since then he's been up almost every other night this week for cuddles and Tylenol, I ended up spending part of the night with my pillow on the floor by his bed, waiting for him to fall back to sleep. It's amazing how out of practice I am with night wakings. It hasn't been that long, but I'm seriously delirious when I walk into his room. It always takes me a few minutes to figure out where I am and what's going on. I just keep telling myself it's only temporary, at least until April. And then I try not to think about the fact that Jack will more than likely still be cutting teeth long after the new baby arrives. I think we'll add that scenario to the growing list of "cross that bridge when we come to it" items. Seriously, see how much more laid back motherhood is making me? See? Seeee!?!?

Well one positive is that the new pearly whites have not affected Jack's knack for kissing. His newest thing is to grab my face with both hands and turn my head so he can give me a big smackeroo on the cheek. He's also learned how to give Eskimo kisses. Although his version is not nearly as gentle as the original. He turns his head back and forth so fast I'm afraid he's going to break my nose! Nevertheless, I will be extremely grateful when these new toothers make their full appearance. I'd like my sweet, happy boy back ... as well as my undisturbed sleep!