I’ve always took pride in the fact that both my boys are laid back little angels. They were great babies, barely fussed and always smiling. A few weeks ago, my littlest angel turned into one giant monster. I admit almost going to tears, not just because nothing could make him feel better but because I couldn’t sleep and my arms and back were sore from the only thing that would console him at least a little bit. He barely ate, barely slept, and didn’t want to play. It was a miserable week for the both of us.

What could possibly make your angelic little baby turn like this? My mommy gut said this little guy was teething. My father and husband looked at me like I was insane, he’s too young for that they said. I mentioned it to my mother, and she agreed with me. My mother doesn’t agree with anyone for the sake of agreeing, which means she thought so too. Magically he stopped one day, and I could finally breathe. Then I saw it, a bump under his gums getting ready for its appearance. My first instinct probably should’ve been “he’s growing so fast!”. It wasn’t though. My first response was “I told you! I was right”.

On Sunday, it was confirmed. The tooth is almost officially out, making my child an official pain in my butt. Milestones mean nothing to him, he wants to be a show off hotshot. I’m not concerned with that; I’m more happy that he’s no longer screaming bloody murder every second of the day. He’s back to being himself. A goofy looking version of himself, because they’re always goofy looking when you first see that gummy smile with a single lonely tooth on the bottom. Always adorable though.

I wonder if the fact that my boys were just quiet and laid back babies had nothing to do with genetics but because they were boys. I keep hearing horror stories about girls are the devil and are moody and temperamental babies. Back to the point, teething is a terrible time for everyone. I mean everyone within ear shot of the baby. They’re miserable and in pain, and if they aren’t happy no one is. (Hilariously, he has that written on one of his bibs. Doesn’t make it any less true.) The only thing you can remember is that patience is the key when it comes to children. The baby doesn’t know what’s going on; he just knows he’s in pain and he doesn’t like it. It’s your job to smile through your tired frustration and make sure he knows that you’re here to help him and love him. It may not feel like it, but that makes you both feel a lot better.