The answer is... teeth

The question is... what emerges in a baby's mouth starting around 6 months of age? Baby M is pushing 12 months old and only has 2 teeth! What the heck?! Flippity didn't get a single tooth until he was 10 months old, but when he started getting them they all came very quickly. Baby M got 2 teeth at 7 months and here we are. No real evidence that there are more on the way either. We keep blaming his heightened crabbiness on teething, but then again we've been blaming his crabbiness on teething for the past 8 months. I refuse to believe that I have kid with a crabby personality. It just won't work.

On the topic of Flippity, he has been jumping over hurdles in life like a champ. He is 5 years old. He has recently learned how to tie his shoes, and ride a 2 wheeled bike! Tonight during karate he was invited to test for his blue belt. The belt rank is white, yellow, orange, purple, blue, etc. You must demonstrate that you know certain things at each belt level. It took him almost 1 year to reach purple belt from orange. He has only had the purple for 1 month! They said he's the first ever in the 'tot' class to move up to blue belt that quickly. It is because he has a great memory and can recite the complex combinations so well.

Are we there yet?

I. Am. Tired.

I am ready to do the cry-til-you-fall-asleep thing with baby M. Perhaps he's getting more teeth. Perhaps another ear infection. Whatever it is that disturbs his little soul at all hours of the night, is making me insane. For awhile I thought we were on the right track. We were both getting sleep, albeit in his bed, but we were both sleeping. I am so tired of being kicked in the stomach and punched in the eyes by flailing hands for hours on end. During the day he's like a baby koala. He clings to me all the time. He must be picked up, then he must be put down (repeat). He can't seem to do anything alone. I can't walk to the bathroom by myself or he has a major meltdown. If anyone has had a child like this, when does it change?