Teething. Enough Said?

My blog went from having upwards of 250 views some days to 37 after my post about offence... I guess offence isn't really a hot topic. Anyway, today was pretty normal day other than our sweet Ethan teething and being overtired. He was pretty good most of the day, but when he woke up from his afternoon nap after not sleeping long enough, boy was he grumpy. I don't remember Josiah being taking teething so hard.

Believe it or not, Josiah was seventeen months before he had even ONE tooth. He got his first tooth just before we took him to a paediatric dentist. He was two weeks from eighteen months. Being a late to get his teeth, however, was a huge blessing. According to his dentist, the longer they stay under the gums, the longer they are protected. Josiah was so proud when he finally got to brush his own teeth. And Ben and I were so relieved. Although he could eat most things anyway, but it's nice to have teeth, right?. I remember children almost a year younger than him having teeth, and parents asking me, "How many does Josiah have?" "None," I would reply. "I thought that's what I saw," one parent responded.

But hey, he's got great teeth now. And, being older, I suppose, made teething a breeze for him. Ethan on the other hand got his first tooth at 7 months. He now has 8, and has gone on strike from food, he pretty much wants liquids. Smoothie it is! We usually have one at breakfast time anyway, but I'm making sure of it for tomorrow. Is he grumpy because his gums hurt or grumpy because he won't eat because his gums hurt? All of the above, I think. Be encouraged if you have a late teether, it is very rare for a child to not have teeth pop up. Other health care professionals showed concern for Josiah having no teeth at fifteen months, but no concerns for his diet whatsoever (we even saw a nutritionalist, but that was for his tongue tie, but thankfully we didn't have to have it clipped). This is something all parents I think learn over and over again. Don't stress, it will come, and don't let other people stress you out. His teeth came in beautifully, and even though some told us to get his tongue tie clipped, that was unnecessary too. Some advice is great, and there's a lot of it for new parents. Don't shut out all the advice, but take, pray about it, research, do your due diligence and then make a decision with your spouse that's right for your child.