Baby Bugga is getting teeth. Not the front teeth, mind you, but the canines. (Isn’t that what you call them?) I told S. that I must’ve watched too much Buffy while Ryan was brand-new, and now I have a vampire.

We went ’round and ’round with Justin when he was teething. We had him on Tylenol every four hours for so long I was worried I was doing irreparable damage to his liver. He got his first tooth and 3 1/2 months, and teethed for the next two straight years. When he saw the tube of Baby Oragel coming, he would lean forward in his crib and open his mouth. He’s not a stupid kid - he knew where the comfort came from.

So now, we’re off and running with Ryan. Teething is an interesting experience - screams of pain come when you least expect it. At first we couldn’t figure it out. We felt his front gums - no big lumps or anything. We thought it was gas, or a tummyache, or some unknown change in the moon’s cycle. But then when we noticed he was nearly chewing his fingers off on the right side of his mouth, we felt around, and there they were! Little bumps of searing pain for my kid.

I’ve actually heard, by the way, that if adults had to go through the experience of getting new teeth, they’d be bedridden and on Vicadin. Huh.

So, nonparents, dance a jig at the fact that you are still childless and not experiencing the ear-piercing shrieks of teething. And you parents, send some sympathy my way, would ya? We could use it.

Oragel forever,
michelle