"Ooooh....I think he's teething," said my parents after he fussed through our overnight weekend last October.
"Ahh....he must be teething!" said the nursery worker after he spent an entire morning gnawing on an unfortunate toy.
"Surely he's teething," I said through that pitiful Christmas Day fever.
"Looks like you'll be seeing some teeth soon!" said the pediatric nurse when I called about that same fever.
"Please, kid! A tooth! Something to explain why you're being such a Cranky McWhineypants!" I say on any particularly difficult day.
But here we are, nine months later, with not a tooth in sight. As with everything in child development, the normal range of the first tooth runs a pretty wide curve. Considering that I am still nursing (teeth + boob = yikes!) and that my kid has a ridiculously adorable gummy grin, I am perfectly content to fall on the later edge of that curve. And after all this anticipation, it wouldn't surprise me at all if Riggins is one of those kids that just wakes up one day with a pearly white, without any warning at all.
Let's just say that I am over trying to assign teething as the cause of every whiney morning, warm forehead, wet-chested outfit, or drool-coated toy. Let the Tooth Fairy come when she may, but I'm done placing my bets!
(Just for fun...those cute little gummers fresh from the oven! This is one of the only shots I have--and not even a good one--of his little "gum dimple," as we call it. He's got a significant dip in the center of his top gum line and I will cry a river the day that I can no longer see it between his teeth! One of my favorite little details about my boy.)
8 comments:
avery has that too is is seriosuly the cutest thing!!!
haha, we had the same thing too. always thinking it was teeth coming in. Sean didn't get his first tooth till about 14/15 months (but being 2 months premature I'm sure that throw's things off) We were even worried for a while he'd have to have his gums cut! I didn't realize they did such a thing. And I don't mean to scare you, I'm sure little Riggs will bust a tooth out sooner than you want him to!
Oh, and we're still playing the "maybe its a tooth" game when he gets fussy. He only has four now. It is sad though seeing that gummy smile leave. Soon he'll be in college, boohoohoo. I'm going to go look at baby pictures of Sean now...
you know they say the later they get teeth the more healthy their teeth will be over the span of their lifetime...that's what "they" say at least
Love that gummy pic! Cub was ten months old before a tooth ever popped up (which our pediatrician pointed out to me--I hadn't noticed it yet ... two points for mom!) and Naomi is still gummy at eight months. I like to think that Melissa is right, ha ha!! :)
I miss my son's gummy smile. Of course, he's three now, so I guess that would be bad if he still had no teeth ;). I hate that everyone blames everything on teething. Especially in daycare. I don't know how many times I've overheard other mother's say, "I gave him motrin for a temp. I'm sure he's teething". And then every other child comes down with the flu aka "teething".
Same for my little lady. No teeth until 10 months when two popped up without a fuss! I think our kids are just keeping us on our toes or something. ;)
No teeth while nursing is a blessing. But even when they do come through (which will probably happen by tomorrow since you made a comment about it) it still works. That was the one part of nursing I was so afraid of. But somehow, it still works. They choose when to start biting if they want, it's not the teeth's fault.
I just love reading your blog, Les.
...and not that you asked me to add to your thoughts on teething, but Jude's gums swell to high heaven when he's teething so it's always been pretty obvious for him.
...and I agree: gummy smiles are adorable. :)
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