Orajel and Coffee

Yesterday Sophia cut her first tooth, well, maybe teeth: it feels like it could be two coming in at once. As you can imagine, she was rather uncomfortable yesterday and fussy as a result. At first, before I figured out what was causing the fussiness, I was a little annoyed. I though she was over-tired and couldn't understand why she wouldn't just sleep. Usually Sophia is incredibly good natured, calm and rarely fusses; and for the most part I know what she needs when she needs it, as I've finally gotten good at reading her cues. Yesterday afternoon I felt the same frustration and confusion I did in the first few days after we brought her home: that "OMG! I'm so helpless to understand what you need!?!" kind of feeling. When I finally decided to stick my finger in her mouth and feel around, my heart immediately softened when I felt the two sharp (my gosh! they are sharp!) little teeth pushing through her gums. Poor little baby!

When my husband got home from work his compassion for his hurting daughter was overwhelming: "Can you imagine?!?Having BONE protruding through your skin!?!" he announced. "It would be like if my radius suddenly popped through my arm," he said as he made a dramatic wrenching motion with his forearm, to simulate what he had just described. "And it's happening with your gums (!!), no less, probably THEE most sensitive skin you have in your ENTIRE BODY!" He swooped her up and started smothering her with compassionate kisses, making me feel like a total jerk for ever feeling annoyed with her fussing.

I'm glad that we've figured out what the problem is, but it doesn't change the fact that the last two nights I really haven't gotten any sleep. First she wakes up hungry (I think along with cutting teeth we're experiencing a growth spurt), then she wakes up crying from the pain of having "BONE protruding through her skin(!?!)." This does not bode well for my level of preparedness for Saturday's race, despite the Orajel and Coffee--with which we have been self-medicating. Pea-sized Orajel for Sophia and a plethora of coffee for me. (Yes, I know what a plethora is...)