I am Getting Sucked into a Teething Vortex (and other Problems)

So, I REALLY wanted to post an update at least for james 8 month birthday and also post his 7 month one which I never did. But I haven't had time/energy. Why?

Crawling and pulling up and teething AND hand foot n mouth disease. Not to mention a bunch of other things. Which maybe would be fine, but . . .

My house is a baby death trap! Not really but we have four cats and there is fur and hair floating everywhere (not to mention animal bits that go unfound, ehhh), I have always sucked at cleaning (esp vacuuming/sweeping/mopping--th​ough I'm getting better fast) . . . not to mention that James is ripping up the floor in the kitchen, so there are bits of linoleum and god knows what else scattered everywhere . . . basically, I can't let james in hardly any spaces by himself because he is CRAWLING FAST and pulling up on EVERYTHING.

I finally MOSTLY baby-proofed my porch, so we are good out there and I can watch him there from the kitchen or laundry room, but I really want to make more of the house accessible to him so that I don't have to watch him every second. The living room is sort of okay, and our bedroom is nearly baby-proofed, but the rest of the house needs to be done.

Another problem is that he's been super fussy from teething, and he gets up SO early, awake by 5:30/6, I put him down for his first nap now (by going on a walk) before 8 am, and then he hasn't been falling asleep until like . . . 9 some nights? I feel like I have no time to myself, he's nursing so much in the middle of the night lately, I'm just exhausted.

So, even when he's napping, I'm too tired to babyproof or clean half the time. Siiigh. And when he's awake, well, I just have to watch him 24/7 because my house is a deathtrap, as I mentioned. And I won't even go into the fact that he's CONSTANTLY falling and hitting his head (with all the pulling up). I feel like an awful mother. Gah!!!

AND I also haven't had time to do any of the things that make me feel like me--blogging, going on IV, taking pictures, I just feel overwhelmed. :(

Teething

Yep, I'm serious. I'm pretty certain that my 3.5 month old baby is teething.

He has been COMPULSIVELY chewing on his hands, and soaking a bib in 15 mins with drool, for at least a month. I know that these sort of signs can show up at this age, and then months and months can go by before any REAL teething starts, so I didn't think much of this, even though I COULD see the two bottom teeth below his gums.

But then in the last few days . . . firstly he's been acting funny while nursing--lots of pulling off and then latching back on. Then Monday night he would NOT fall asleep and just seemed really uncomfortable and wouldn't settle. Trying to get him down for a last nap turned into trying to get him down for the night, and he FINALLY fell asleep after being awake for like FOUR HOURS (usually he only is awake for an hour and half tops).

Tuesday, we went out to lunch with my Mother-in-law, and she was touching his gums and he started CRYING VERY inconsolably, which is totally unlike him!

And then Tuesday night, he was again seeming very uncomfortable and wouldn't go down for a last nap. Finally I told James to give him Tylenol because at this point, I was suspecting the teething . . . within 10 mins he was fast asleep, and then when he woke up he was HAPPY AS A CLAM, nursed normally, and then fell asleep for the night with no problem.

And then today I was checking out his gums and the bottom teeth are now not only visible under the gums but they are little raised bumps! Soooo, I guess he's teething! I just hope these first two pop out quick so I can get my interminably happy baby back!