Fighting Tooth and Nail: Living With a Teething Baby

So my little "angel"  is 6 months and teething.  And when I say teething, I mean gnaw-your-hand-off-or-whatever's-closest teething.  This may not be such a painful thing for some parents, but my baby is a breastfed teether, and let me tell you, those two things just don't go together.  Little man's breastfeeding days are definitely numbered!  He only has two teeth, but between those two teeth and his gums clamping down, it's like being caught in the locked jaws of a pitbull (just the thought of it makes me weep a little).  He knows exactly what he's doing, too.  At first glance into his innocent eyes you couldn't even imagine him to have any malicious, deviant behavior.....but a mother knows!  Any baby that takes a bite out of your chest hard enough to draw blood then looks up at you and smirks is definitely challenging you!  Then he'll get you in a kung fu grip and scratch you up with his little razorblade fingernails. I have to cut his fingernails almost everyday because they grow so fast...must be the breastmilk.  Some days it looks like I've been in a bar brawl from all the bite marks, scratches, and other war wounds on me.  Then after he's given me my lashing, he'll smile and give me kiss.  My mother says God makes babies so cute and precious so their parents won't leave them in the woods somewhere to fend for themselves.  Bless his heart!  Is anybody else going through this?  Can you call protective services on a baby?  People tell me he's so rough because he's a boy...who knew testosterone was so powerful so early in life!  Baby scissorhands, as his grandma so fondly refers to him, is the sweetest thing I've ever known, but he is definitely 100% boy!

Meet Me!

Hello and welcome to my blog!  Allow me to introduce myself to all of my prospective readers.  I'm a new mommy....make that a sleep-deprived, milk pumping, at times delirious new mommy. I write this blog to share how I've been surviving as a new mother so forgive me if the ramblings of my mind seem senseless at times...again, sleep-deprived.  Mommy blogs got me through my pregnancy, so this is my way of giving back to the next wave of new mommys out there.  Plus, today is my birthday so what better time to begin a new venture.

 I'm slowly easing into the age of web interaction.  I have both Facebook and Twitter accounts, both of which I am an inconsistent contributor.  But I decided that maybe writing specifically about something that impacts every waking second of my day would produce a better outcome.  Life thus far has been great, and as of July 2009, life has been a worldwind of change!  I'm referring to the day that my beautiful son made his grand entrance into the world.  I remember that day vividly.  All of the screaming, illy administered IVs, vomiting, low heart rate scares, and multiple epidurals pale in comparison to the first time I held him....or so I'm told, I was woozy from all the drama!  I'm just over 6 months in and feel as though I've been going through a brutal boot camp(I'm sure I'd be a prime candidate to undergo military torture at this point).  But the joys of motherhood and things as simple as his smile, laugh, and milestones more than make up for a little weariness.  As I continue to learn and experience new challenges, I hope that my journey is relatable, helpful, and maybe even a little entertaining.  I look forward to your contrbutions as well.  I have so much more to learn!  So stay tuned and we'll get this mommy thing right together!