Can it possibly have been 9 whole freaking months since Charlotte was born? I think not. Yet here we are, July 2nd, and it appears that it has indeed been that long! Charlotte isan amazing baby, but let me tell you, the last couple of days have been a challenge and have made my question several times whether I am actually cut out for this job.
Charlotte's been working on her two front bottom teeth for the last week or so. Since she was about 4 months old, I've been convinced that her teeth would be coming in any minute--mostly because the child is a drooling machine, and she chews on anything she can get her pudgy little paws on. My dental detection skills are apparently lacking however, since it was only last week that these little bumps appeared under her gums right in the front. Since then she's been really sensitive about lettingme touch her mouth or her gums, but she hasn't been fussy. Well...that all changed last night, and let me tell you, all the bragging I've done about her easygoing nature has apparently come back to bite me in the ass! The first of the two teeth actually came through yesterday, and while I don't personally remember cutting my own teeth, I can't imagine that it's a pleasant experience.
To be honest though, the tooth doesn't seem to be bothering her all that much. If she has something to chew on, she seems ok. What seems to be really bothering her is that she has gotten this cold/sinusy congestion that's leaving her unable to breathe. She's drained about a gallon of junk out of her sinuses, and she can't drink her bottle or suck her thumb, which means she's having a horrible time going to slep. Last night was one of the longest nights I've had since she was first born. The only way she could go to sleep was in her swing, presumably because her sinuses could drain better when she was sitting up. Usually when she's asleep in her swing, I can move her to the crib easily, but last night...not so much. I tried two or three times, and she woke up and started crying, which she never does. So I'd move her back to the swing, and she'd fall back asleep.
Finally I just decided I'd sleep out here on the couch with the swing next to me...well, the swing makes this clicking noise when it's on, kind of like a clock ticking. Or a pendulum swinging. Very Poe. Anyway, so I thought I'd turn it off after she fell asleep, which usually doesn't wake her...again, not so much. She immediately woke up and gave me the most "wtf Mom" look she could muster. So...I spent last night on the couch, with poor Charlotte wimpering in her sleep beside me. Needless to say, I didn't sleep much. She slept most of the night, but not well.
Today was marginally better, though from the pictures you can see she's not in a great mood. We went to lunch with Tara and Chacea, then over to their house for a little while, where Charlotte played with Chacea and Kalle for a little while. I think she got pretty overwhelmed, mostly because she's just not used to that much action! Then we went to visit Grandma, stopped in for a quick hug from Papaw, and finally made it home for dinner.
Speaking of dinner, Charlotte is ALL kind of into "real" food now. She still eats baby food, but she also likes to feed herself, with things like Cheerios, and baby cheese puffs, and waffles, and all manner of fun things! Pretty soon she'll be eating all big-girl foods!
Anyway. I thought tonight was gong to be better; she fell asleep in her swing and I successfully moved her to the crib. For about an hour. Then she woke up, sobbing her eyes out. After I went to get her out of her crib, she promptly fell back asleep on my chest, and we facilitated a successful transfer to the swing. Seems like we'll be here again tonight. Hopefully she'll get some rest, and be feeling well enough in the morning to go to Miss Terri's so Mommy can get some much-needed sleep. I feel like a horrible Mommy because she seems so upset and I just don't know how to fix it! I've been getting very frustrated in the last couple of days, and I'll admit that it's difficult not to be frustrated with Charlotte. I know it's not her fault, and she doesn't understand why she doesn't feel good...but there it is, all the same. Which, in turn, makes me feel like an even worse Mommy, because I shouldn't be getting mad at my 9 month old baby. It's not her fault, but I don't know what to do! Shouldn't I like, instinctively know what to do? As the Mommy? Aren't I supposed to be the one with the answers here? Grr.
So...since I don't want to end on that depressing (depressed?) note...9 months. I think she's hitting a pretty big period of growth and transition, which probably isn't helping her mood any. In addition to her teeth, she's trying to work out the logistics of crawling, though she hasn't put all the pieces together yet. She can push up with her upper body, and she can get her knees under her...just not at the same time. I can't believe how much stuff she's doing! Check back soon for more updates on the new and exciting (and super cute!) things that Charlotte is learning!
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