change

Change may be the only constant, but Silas isn't really a fan of it.

We've been having a trying 10 days here. Last week Silas had some big teething issues. His little gums were seriously swollen, but the swelling lasted only about 24-36 hours. I'm not really sure if his tooth has completely emerged or not, but if it hasn't it's close. It seems like the four top front teeth are all coming in at once. So, while he didn't really seem to be bothered by those 2 lower teeth he's got, the upper ones are irritating him.

He's had a bit of trouble sleeping lately. Thus far we've been blessed by an absolutely wonderful sleeping-through-the-night-since-three-months-old baby (with the occasional exception when he's sick). But last week & especially over the weekend his sleeping progressively worsened - to the point that Dad & I were up what seemed like most of the night Sunday & Monday nights.

Tuesday I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out what could have changed to make my absurdly happy sleep-through-the-night boy SO cranky & so up-all-night. Then I realized that when Jason lowered his mattress Saturday, he removed Silas's mobile & he didn't put it back on. Could that possibly be causing all this waking in the middle of the night?!

No! That is just silly...

But, it wouldn't hurt to put it back up & just see...

WHAM! Wednesday morning I wake up & realize that it's morning & Silas slept through the night again!!! Today? The same!

So, it seems that Silas doesn't like change very much. That's just fine with me! Mobile is staying up!

I guess with so many other constantly changing parts of his life, Silas just couldn't handle waking up in the middle of the night & not seeing his mobile. I continue to be amazed by how much the little guy grows every day. He still has his wonky little crawl, but it's getting faster & getting him further & further every day. He's pulling up on things more & more.

He has a posse at school now too. Jack, Sophia, & Silas are nearly inseparable. I never imagined that infants would have friends. Yesterday when we got to school I sat Silas down to play. Jack crawled full speed over to Silas & didn't stop until he had tackled him & started kissing him. Sophia & Silas seem pretty attached at the hip whenever I'm around.

Every new milestone for Silas is something new for Jason & I too. His fussy week was hard on me & not just because I was short on sleep. He wasn't responding to my former tried & true soothing methods (& now I know it was because of his interrupted sleep & not just the teeth). So I felt like he wasn't only growing up, but growing away from me.

I think this is a constant struggle for parents & maybe even more for moms - at least it seems to be a bigger worry for me than for Jason. Right now it is normal for me to go to feed him once a day. But I won't be nursing him forever & right now I can't even fathom going a whole day without seeing him.

I'm the only parent (of 8 babies) in Silas's class that visits every day (or at all). All these babies have lives that their parents know nothing about. I've never even talked to Jack's parents. I don't think they could pick Silas out of a line-up, but Silas & Jack are best buddies! I know the quirks of every baby in that class (maybe not all of the quirks, but at least some for every baby) & the babies know me.

Sophia & Jack jump, squeal, & "run/crawl" to me when I enter their room. They used to tackle me before I could even get to Silas. But now that he's crawling he races them. But it's not like this with the other moms & dads. When I'm not nursing Silas what parts of his life will I miss? Will I not know who his friends are? Should I? Am I not supposed to be there? Ah the woes of a working-away-from-home mom!