the tooth hurts.

I have no memory of what it feels like to have a tooth poke through my gums, or to be incapable of expressing my discomfort with words. I can only imagine it hurt like hell and I probably drove my own parents near-insane with my tears and shrill screaming in the middle of the night and through most of the daytime hours. 

Mia's behaviour this past week had both David and I worried that something was terribly wrong (sickness? constipation? bad parenting?) It was at its worst Friday and Saturday nights with her waking every 1.5 to 2 hours. She would eat, but not finish. She was squirmy, but would not settle when I tried to soothe her by cuddling and rocking her in the rocking chair. She'd wail and push David away when he tried to calm her as he normally does when she wakes between night feedings, and she'd reach for me instead. She was a clingy, drooly, runny-nosed, cranky mess and we were cranky, walking zombies.

A friend suggested on Sunday that it was her teeth. She's 6 months old now, so I had figured we wouldn't see any for a couple months yet since that seems to be the "norm" (or so I'd read). Oh, stupid, naive Gillian.  Anyway, long story made short; I stuck my finger in her mouth yesterday afternoon and felt this:

All that nastiness for that wee thing? Needless to say we're happy it's here, but are fearful now for its neighbour (and the rest of the clan's inevitable appearances!)

Poor wee thing. She's lucky she's so dang cute.