Teething tyke

We've entered a new phase with our little one--teething! Perhaps Henry's been teething for a while now--the copious amounts of drool and incessant chewing would seem to indicate this--but it's only now that we have some proof. A sharp little protrusion on his lower gums. It's difficult to actually see the tooth at this point, but my rather intimate relationship with his gums allowed me to be the second to know. Henry knew first, of course. He gave us some hints by fussing and crying somewhat inexplicably. Plus, Henry often chews on my fingers, and I felt a little something poking up yesterday when he bit down. That would explain some of the increased night-waking as well, I think. Since this weekend the sleeping has been settling back to normal. Henry's pretty much been going down at his usual 7:30 and waking up sometime between 4 and 6 for a brief feeding and then back down until around 7. I'm relieved that it appears we're making our way back to quality nighttime sleep. And daytime sleep...let me tell you, that has taken a wonderful turn for the better. The past week, Henry's been taking longer and longer naps, and going down for them without a fight. Yesterday I even had time to: read a book (Anna Karenina! smart, huh?); make a pie (apple. it only came out so-so); prepare lots of home made baby food (yams, broccoli, pears, and peas. a veritable garden extravaganza); clean up all of my kitchen messes; and even take a nap myself (which felt quite delicious). I could get used to this napping routine. Especially considering the torment that previously constituted Henry's napping. Until this week, naps had been inconsistent, brief, and often required my presence (co-napping). Keep up the good work, Henry!

I think Henry was feeling camera shy today. Maybe a little uncertain about allowing me to capture a glimpse at his shiny new speck of a tooth.

His little duck often bears the brunt of Henry's teething angst.

Here he is, apparently surprised to find me standing there with a camera all of a sudden. Naturally, he was chewing on his gate.