Teething Woes

"Savour the moments" they say.

It's true that our little ones grow up quickly, actually more like, blink and a year has whizzed by. And yes, I want to savour many moments, breathe my girls in, sit back and watch them as they learn, discover, grow, and transform into amazing little human beings. However, there are many many moments that I don't desire to savour or remember and if I can be totally truthful, can hurry up and leave.

One of these moments is, duh duh duh duh....the teething period. The teething period is bitter sweet really. It's filled with snuggly, cuddly little ones who just want to be wrapped in mommy's arms. That part is sweet. But it's also filled with tear, fevers, and many a sleepless night. That part is not so sweet.

The teething stage is something that can easily be forgotten between kids. You remember that it wasn't fun, but was it really that bad? And then the next kid starts this stage and you sit back and go "oooohhhh right." Kinda like labour lol.

While my first daughter wasn't one of those that just magically popped teeth without a flinch or whimper, her teething wasn't really that bad. She wasn't up all night, just a bit irritable. Then came along my second daughter. She didn't fare with the teething woes quite as nicely. She was extremely irritable, uncomfortable and woke up crying often in the night. I was counting the moments till it was over. Let's just say, I was so thankful for my homeopathic teething tablets and teething oils. It got us through and lessened the severity of the time.

Now fast forward two more years and my third beautiful girl has been bounding and smiling her way through life the past 8 months. The teething ordeal was lost in the recesses of my mommy brain and I had a glimmer of hope that perhaps we would shuffle along nicely with this one...until that fateful moment she started chomping down, and whining commenced.

From there we entered the downward spiral of fever, sleepless nights, restlessness, and much sleep deprevity (on my part). There were many applications of oils and teething tabs, cuddles and nursing, and being kicked continually by a restless and tossing child, who woke up crying what seemed to be every 10 minutes. They were moments I didn't savour at all. In fact, I was praying they would be swiftly ceasing, almost begging God actually. It's one of those hard times as a mama, where you feel so helpless as your sweet little one cries for what seems like hours on end, are in so much pain, and are so uncomfortable, and you find yourself sitting on the side of your bed at 3am with tears streaming down your face due to utter exhaustion and just wanting sleep, for you and baby, and for this to be over. Those can seem like dark, lonely, bitter hours. But no matter how long the night is, the sun rises on a new day. And incredibly, all it seems to take is one smile from that sweet, little face to melt away the frustration of the previous night and remind you that this moment will pass, it won't last forever, and right now your bebe needs you, wants you, and pines for you, and it will not always be so. We are able to dig in and find new strength, by the grace of God, to make it one day at a time.

And thus we then realize that, whether we wanted to or not, no matter how hard and awful they may seem, we do savour those moments, because not only are they a piece of our kids childhood, but they are the moments that define us as parents. Moments that show our children the true love that resides deep within us for them. Moments that prove that we can do it, even when we think we can't. We stick it through and come out stronger, though much more weary, on the other side. I may not remember in full detail the past couple weeks of tossing, lost sleep and constant crying from my fevered, teething little girl, but I will remember her tiny arms enveloping my neck, her face nuzzled in, her head on my chest, her desiring to be close to me and within arms length at all times. And those are truly the moment's to savour.

Breathe them in mama,

you're doing awesome

~Aryn