pearly whites

For a while now, we've been in "teething mode" at our house. Poor Grayson has been very uncomfortable. He's been such a good sport about the whole thing though. He doesn't really fuss a whole lot. But you can tell when he's really hurting. In the last few days, he has been trying to put anything he can into his mouth to get relief. Yesterday, he had his three middle fingers in his mouth (pinky and thumb out). It was so sweet. But you can tell he was hurting. I have no doubt that those three fingers in there were grabbing onto his sore gums.

To keep him comfortable, we rub Infant's Tylenol or a little bit of Baby Orajel on his gums 10-15 minutes before he eats. Otherwise, he wouldn't eat very much. It hurts to bad. We have several teething rings we keep refrigerated. We also freeze wet wash cloths for him to chew on. I ran across that wash cloth idea on the internet. He loves it! And our doctor says that is a great thing to do.

Yesterday, I checked in with the nurse just to double check a few things re: teething. During our phone conversation, she actually gave me what I call a "fun fact". Drooling is not related to teething. Drooling (excessive salivation) is a body's way of preparing to swallow and digest food. It just so happens that teething takes place at the same time! I didn't know that! As a matter of fact, I think most people don't know that. Isn't it interesting?!

The nurse added that she has no doubt Grayson is teething based on how swollen his gums are, things he's doing, etc. She thinks his first tooth (or teeth - since they usually come in pairs) will be poking through before too long. She reminded me that teething is an ongoing process that goes on for several years (I think that's when I sighed and sarcastically said, "Great"). ;)

Teething definitely isn't fun - for Grayson or us. But it isn't a real big inconvenience to us. We just feel so bad for him. It hurts, and needless to say, he doesn't understand what is going on. But the nurse did say that there's a pretty good chance that each tooth coming in will be easier than the one before. I hope that is the case.

When I tell people Grayson is teething, they often give us sympathy (well deserved). :) They say, "Poor Grayson", "I hate that he is hurting", or "I hope those ole teeth come through soon". And then there are people like my Paw! When I told him Grayson is teething, he laughed and said, "That little booger is something else! He's really growing! You better watch out - before long, he'll be bitin' ya!" :)

~T