I hate to begin my first "Mommy Moment" with words of frustration, but such is the moment and there is usually a lot to be learned from the frustrations of life . . .
Up til now teething hasn't been what I would call pleasant, but it hasn't been awful either. Well, we crossed over the line into the awful territory this past week.
My sister Virginia came into town this last week for a visit while MaKenzie was pushing through two top teeth. The midnight wake-up calls and the need to gnaw on things wasn't any different than the last teething moments; but the fits, the constant crying, and the attitude were definitely new elements. One morning she cried for almost two hours straight over the silliest things. If I picked her up when she didn't want to be picked up, put her down when she didn't want to be put down, fed her when she wanted to feed herself I was informed of MaKenzie's displeasure with a full red in the face, arch of the back temper tantrum that often ended in her hitting her head on something which increased the volume of the crying (which I didn't think she could be any louder at that point as it was!) She wouldn't let my poor sister near her all week and she wouldn't let me out of her sight. My least favorite moments had to be when my sister and I were in a restaurant and she would be perfectly happy one moment and then throwing food across the restaurant the next.
The good news is that we made it and that MaKenzie is back to her regular non-tantrum self, and in the process I have even learned a few lessons:
1. When your baby has been crying for so long and you have done EVERYTHING in your power to offer comfort and relief, it is OKAY to set them in the crib and separate yourself from your child for a little while. It offered me a lot of relief to just not have a screaming baby in my arms, say a little prayer, shed a few tears if needed, and then get myself back into action. At the time I felt awful just letting my baby who in obvious pain role in her crib while screaming - but those moments that I had to just wash my face and get ready for the day gave me the energy to get through the rest of the tantrums with more patience and love.
2. Don't stay cooped up in the house. Every mom is different I think on this one - but I am so grateful that my sister was out here for the week because we got out and did things that served as the best distraction for Kenzie's irritability. I felt bad that my sister had to deal with the tears and midnight tantrums - but she saved my sanity by being here and just giving me company and something to do! Don't just stay home! Do something to get out and ease your frustration and the babies!
And finally, here are my teething tips that worked for MaKenzie. While every child is different I would like to have this on record in case I forget for future children:
1. MaKenzie would never have anything to do with a teething ring or toy, but she loved sucking on a damp wash cloth that I had placed in the freezer for a few moments. Sometimes I would even pour apple juice on the wash cloth when she wouldn't take it at first. While this usually only worked for about twenty minutes - lets be honest, twenty minutes is twenty minutes.
2. Like I said before, offer distraction with a walk around the block or a new book or toy. While their attitude may not indicate a desire to be outdoors, the outdoors can serve as a distraction for a while. (Maybe stay close to home on your outings though so that if the tantrums begin you can get home quickly.)
3. Make sue you time the Children's Tylenol about 30 minutes before bedtime. This way once they are settling into bed the medicine has taken effect. Trust me - I learned the hard way the first few nights.
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