Thanksgiving Day 7

Sadie's been having a really really really hard time teething these past few days. I'm sad for her. We keep thinking since it's so bad, we must be nearing the end. I mean, it's been bad the entire time, but it's been especially bad these last few days. She's in so much pain and she just can't get any relief.

Yesterday afternoon she fell asleep while Brian was holding her. Usually naps like this last 3-17 minutes. This one lasted for more than 30 before Brian decided he had to go to the bathroom too badly to continue sitting there. So, we woke her up. That's not a bad thing. She needed a clean diaper and to eat dinner and stuff. But once her diaper was changed, we set her in her chillout chair and the next time I looked at her, she was back asleep!!!

You have to understand that my child doesn't just fall asleep when she's tired. She's never been that kid who will sleep in the car, or close her eyes in the stroller, there usually has to be active putting-her-to-sleep. Sometimes that's rocking in the chillout chair, sometimes that's holding her and giving her the pacifier (which you have to hold in her mouth because she has a weak suck), and sometimes it means laying down with her (and holding the paci in her mouth) in bed until she's out. She never just falls asleep.

The other thing is that her ears are so super-sonic that the smallest noise or motion will wake her up. If she falls asleep while you're holding her, a deep breath might wake her up, or moving your leg. In her room, if one of us lays down with her at night, getting out of the bed without waking her is the hardest part. But last night, she sat in that chair for 3 hours while we talked, turned on a football game, cooked dinner, ate dinner, and did the dishes...and we purposefully were NOT quiet about any of that. She hardly stirred. She was so tired that I carried her into her room and, had I not had to change her diaper, she wouldn't have even woken up.

But she was sure wide awake this morning at 3:00am. And her teeth hurt.

Today I'm thankful for her feeding tube. If we didn't have that thing, last night would have been screamy and sad. But with the tube, we were able to hook her up, give her some formula, give her some water, GIVE HER HER MEDICINES, all while she sat hunched over in her chillout chair, dead asleep. And today, with her mouth so painful, she wouldn't eat. I didn't even try, there was too much screaming and I was too tired. I just used the tube.

Sometimes it feels so sad that she gets a lot of her nutrition through a tube, but on days like today, and I'm sure there will be days in the future, I am glad we have it so she can not only get the sleep she needs, but she can get the food she needs...and she can grow up to be big and strong!!