Teeth and tears

I'm trying to imagine what this teething business feels like. And why it doesn't seem to bother him much during the day but stops him wanting to go to bed and wakes him up in the middle of the night. Obviously there are plenty of distractions during the day, but surely that suggests it can't be that bad.

Today he has been running around the park at Penwortham Gala trying to get in the way of the swings, climb the giant rope web climbing frame thingy, pick up random pieces of litter and generally stop mummy sitting down on the grass in the shade of a tree for two minutes.

Tonight, he went to bed fine. I settled down with a glass of wine and some pizza to watch Robin Hood. Twenty minutes in he woke up. I brought him down to watch the rest with me, following my usual parenting rule that the easiest method must be the right method. Then I started to really notice how violent Robin Hood is. For a Saturday evening.

I then read him some books (little man, not Robin Hood) and tried to cuddle him back to sleep (little man, but if Robin Hood fancies it...), but that boy can really resist being cuddled when he realises the ulterior motive. He has already had paracetamol, ibuprofen, Bonjela and baby crack (teething powder). So I gave him some more milk. I think he might actually have had about 17oz of milk since teatime. Considering that I used to despair of getting him to have 'enough' this is quite something. I put him gently back in his cot, he turned on his tummy and all was quiet. For about three minutes. I have now rocked him back to sleep and put him back in bed for the third time tonight and, fingers crossed, all is quiet.

On another note, he has started signing all sorts of things I didn't realise he had really learnt. Like baby and cow and teddy and mouse. So maybe he's unsettled because he's going through a developmental phase. Still doesn't tell me when he wants food or a drink though.

So what does teething feel like? All I know is that having mouth ulcers makes you feel pretty miserable.