It does. Suck, I mean. Not because I'm going through it, of course, but because Grace is. And not just in a routine sort of way. She's got TWO molars coming in at the top of her mouth at the same time. The doc says that's not all that normal. Not rare, but not usual. And the poor thing has been unhappy for a couple weeks about it.
To validate what the doc said I consulted BabyCenter, which says that molars are usually the last teeth to come in and that it generally doesn't occur until age 2 or so. So Grace is just a YEAR early then. Either that or BabyCenter is wrong. On the one hand I can say my child is an early developer. On the other I can say she's in pain.
Anyway Grace is cranky more than normal. She cries more when she's tired because she can't deal with the discomfort. She wakes up earlier than she normally does. She's harder to put to sleep. She's more finicky about eating. And she wants to chew on stuff she's not supposed to chew on. Oh, and she produces some serious messes in her diaper which we usually discover when we pick her up out of her crib in the morning.
The latter is worth spending a moment on, whether you like to hear about it or not, because it's an interesting subject of debate among the so-called "baby experts." Most would debate the idea that teething causes diarrhea. My opinion? The baby experts are either not experts or have never had babies. Because Grace and Audrey have both gone through the same thing and have exhibited the same symptom.
And we're not merely talking about "mushy" poop or anything. It leaks through the sides of her diaper and leaks onto her footsie-pajamas and rides up her back. And it smells worse than normal. It's no big deal to us - we're her parents and we'll do anything for her - but that must be so uncomfortable for little Grace. If only she'd do it during the day and we could address things before the leakage and such occurred.
We change her as quickly as we can but it's not just an exercise in changing a diaper. Her entire outfit requires changing. And she often needs a bath. And when you're in a hurry in the morning that puts some time pressure on things. To mitigate the situation a friend suggested moving up a diaper size. Not a bad idea but the same sh*t happens (pun intended).
Yes, getting two molars at the same time is a powerful thing. At least the rest of her teeth will be a breeze.
