Hit me with your best shot

It appears my advanced child has moved directly from being a newborn into teething. Yes, he exhibits many of the classic signs: excess(ive) drooling, chewing on hand, irritability, sleeplessness, lack of appetite, and constant want to be cuddled. Oh for him to be advanced for his age in something else, like math.

Instead, he is not happy and is whining constantly to let me know. So, right this minute he sits in the baby bjorn while I type. We'll see how long this lasts. Sometimes, he loves the many versions of baby carriers we have; sometimes, not so much....

So we moved from the baby carrier to the bouncy chair after just a few minutes because there was too much resistance to the former. Now he is still whining but is getting quieter as he bounces, a good sign that sleep may be imminent. He also is smiling randomly, since he's learned to smile and loves to do it but hasn't quite worked out the emotional state for which smiles are appropriate. Generally, though, he's pouting, stereotypical bottom lip and all. When he learned to do this, I can't imagine, but he pouts like a champ lately. It's very sad for him that I find the pouting almost too comical to handle, so I don't think it's having the effect he might hope for on me.

Teething is rough but made rougher still when the infant is too young to hold or use a teething ring or even successfully guide his own hand into his own mouth. I have spent the whole day carrying Jacob, since all he wants to do is be cuddled until he falls asleep and then sleep for 45 minutes maybe, eat something small, spit up most of it, and then start the cycle all over again. Even the magic swing isn't working today, and the husband is working the swing shift, so he won't be here until 10pm, which is sad, since he is the best one for walking Jacob into slumber.

So the day has progressed since I started this post, and we have finally, at 8:58pm, resorted to baby Tylenol, and he is at last sleeping in the swing. I have no idea how much he's eaten since he's been fitfully nursing all day long so who knows how long he'll sleep but I'm happy he's down at all.

Sigh. Make that bone-weary sigh. Some days it's just tough.