One of the great things about parenting is that things are always changing, and one of the worst things about parenting is....things are ALWAYS CHANGING!!! So last week Ben slept through the night twice without needing to get up and eat. This week he has been getting up 3-5 times a night needing his pacifier and then when we decided to let him cry it out last night, he cried so hard that he vomited and started choking and could barely breathe. So there we were, holding our shaking, sobbing little boy, all of us smeared in puke, quivering with panic and adrenaline from watching him choke and swearing to never try THAT again.....at least until we are sleep deprived enough to give it another go. I tell you what, this parenting thing is not for wimps.
One of the great things that we can always count on, though, is that no matter how horrific the night was, Ben always wakes with a smile and will grin with delight upon seeing us in the morning. Weeping may last for a night, but joy does come in the morning! They are such gifts from God, that little toothless grin and chubby cheeks...because otherwise, the sleeplessness, the fussies, the whining and crying....it would be just so much harder to take. But how can you not melt and watch the frustration disappear when he grins from ear to ear and giggles with bubbly joy?! Oh how I love that little boy!
Well, among all these adventures, we have discovered a new villain amongst our midst. You have heard about Gas Vader, the Invader of Abdomens (Ben's nemesis in his early months).....well, a new predator has entered our world, and he has been dubbed, Teething the Terrible. He sneaks into homes and surreptitiously replaces small children with new models whose "whine setting" is stuck on maximum output. Under his spell, happy, toothless gums, previously content with simply sucking and smiling are morphed into zones of agony, dripping in drool, compelled to chomp and chew and gnaw on anything in sight. He steals sleep and smiles and causes parents to look into the future arrival of 20 baby teeth and 32 permanent teeth with despair and dread. The Tooth Fairy may be all bright and cute and happy as she takes the teeth away, but the deliverer of teeth is a whole other story. Infant Tylenol and teething rings barely take the edge off....where is a good super hero when you need one?
Despite the teething, the sleeplessness, and whatever else may hit in a day, Ben is still our delight and joy. Here are a few recent pictures that keep making us smile:
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