Big day, big day! Last night Blake was completely inconsolable. Nothing worked: singing, rocking, walking, nursing, books, jumping, conversation. He wasn't too hot (we took off his outfit to be sure). He wasn't too cold (if we could get him in one place, he started to sweat). He wasn't hungry. He certainly wasn't bored. He wouldn't nap in the afternoon even though he was clearly tired. He was just intractable.

At 9 o'clock, the Boy (who'd been uncharacteristically frustrated with the boo) started poking about in the baby's gums. Fanfare! It was a tiny razor of bone that was causing all the trouble. Cue theme from "Jaws."

We gave him some Tempra, a gnaw on a cold spoon, and a nurse. Soon he was sleeping like the dead.

Hooray for tooth! This is just the first step on a journey that'll end in aggressive attacks on other kindergarten kids and a penchant for hanging out with people who wear capes. Not to mention that the wee tooth fairy will have to fight Stacy for dominance, although my money's on Stacy. Bigger boots, y'see.

(Sorry about that last paragraph – I can't snooze through nursing anymore, so I'm a bit sleep depped.)

And in case you're wondering, no, I'm not tempted to give up nursing. I can definitely feel his little tooth, but he has yet to bite me. And armed as I am with LLL tips, he'd have to be a persistent biter indeed to wear me down.

The whole thing has put me in such a nice mood that I didn't even mind the dingbat advice from my visiting grandmother. She got to feed Blake a bowl of rice cereal today, and she took issue with the portions (too small) and the mix (too thin, in need of formula or cow's milk). Today it all rolled off my back. I started to think about the day when she would be gone, and I wondered what I'd tell Blake about her. I wonder if I'll have the courage to be generous with her memory, or if I'll carry a grudge beyond the grave.

Maybe I'll just tell him how pleased she was when he got his first tooth, and how much she enjoyed feeding him his bowl full of mush.

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- Rocketbride's adventure of 5/21/2004 09:20:00 p.m.