Tooth Be Told

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About 3 weeks ago, my normally happy little started acting different. She was fighting nighttime sleep, fighting naps, and fussing. As new parents, Justin and I went back and forth.... do you think it’s gas? When was the last time she did “business”? Is she hungry? Sleepy? Swaddle? No swaddle? Too hot? Too cold? Sick? Was it her 4 month shots? Will that affect her like this? Is it a leap? A sleep regression? A growth spurt? 

In case you don’t know, growth spurts are the things that turn your sweet angelic baby into a ravenous sleep deprived little monster.  Unless, of course, you were blessed with a unicorn child and in that case - congratulations! You have no idea how lucky you are! 

But this... this was no growth spurt... this was teething.  low and behold, a little jagged white line appeared in her bottom gums. 

And in case you were wondering, teething is the thing that turns your happy-go-lucky baby into a hungry, but can’t eat; sleepy, but can’t sleep; all the Tylenol in the world couldn’t take away the pain of a tooth piercing through those delicate baby gums... or at least that’s how I feel ðŸ˜†

I’ve cried more than I’d like to admit, in this season, and when you reach your breaking point, it’s not always possible to pass off your baby to someone else (like in a pandemic). So, I’m going to share a few things you can do to hold onto that little bit of sanity you have left!

Pray.
This requires no book or device. You can pray anywhere at anytime.

Read your Bible. 
I use my phone a lot to read from the Bible app. My bible is kind of bulky and I’m not always able to have it right there with me. But if I can get her nursing or at least settled, I can pull up the Bible on my phone and read a couple chapters. If you don’t know where to start, try Psalms (for encouragment, Job (to remind you to be thankful), or 1 John (to remind you our joy is complete in Christ alone).

Call a friend or parent.
Sometimes you just need a good vent sesh. Or maybe some advice! For me, sometimes it’s just nice to know I’m not alone in what I’m going through, which the devil likes us to believe. So get your phone out, and reach out to those around you! 

Give yourself grace.
I picked “grace” as my word this year and, what’s funny is it’s the one thing I can’t give myself. This mom stuff is hard. And every time I think I’ve got it figured out, Tink switches it up on me. It seems like every time we get in a routine and I’m patting myself on the back for being a “good mom”, something new happens and I’m back at the drawing board trying to figure out how to parent again. But that’s where grace should step in. That’s where I should realize I’m not a bad mom for not knowing how to soothe my baby now, or understand why she’s crying. I’m just a mom, like all the other mamas, learning how to mother a child that’s developing at a rapid pace. So please mama, do yourself a huge favor, go easy on yourself. Give yourself grace. You are doing all you can and I promise God made you that baby’s mama, because he knew you were everything that baby needed. 

The Lord has given me so much life through this verse ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12:9-10‬ : 

“Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

It’s ok to be weak, as long as you let Christ be strong. Only through Christ can we be all he designed us to be. We were never meant to do this without Him. 

You got this mama. I’m here for you. God is here for you and know that I’m always praying for you! 

xo, A

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