You can’t handle the tooth!

The gummy grin that I love so much is now less gummy: Edith got her first tooth this week.

Her bottom right tooth popped through after a night of her waking every hour. She had been drooling, chewing and putting everything in her mouth for months but had ramped up the teething routine a few weeks ago. Now we know why!

Boy, is that sucker sharp. I noticed it as she was gnawing on my knuckles like usual. I peeked inside her mouth and sure enough, there was the tip of a tooth poking through swollen and sore-looking gums.

The discovery was exciting: My darling reached a huge milestone! Plus it’s gratifying that she finally has something to show for all the drool-soaked bibs and ferociously attacked teething toys.

On the other hand, this new stage is terrifying. Lately she has been biting me while breastfeeding. Last week it became so bad that I threatened to wean her early as I cried against the side of her crib.

I’m grateful that I haven’t felt that sharp point on my nipples yet. It’s probably only a matter of time, but in the meantime I sigh in relief after each successful feeding.

“When does the teething pain let up?” I asked a friend today. Now that the tooth has made an appearance, I was hoping for an end date to the erratic sleeping and evening fussiness.

“Never!” she replied. She was joking—sort of. At least she laughed. From what I gather, Edie will be dealing with a sore mouth until she gets her braces off around age 16.

Even though I’m a little—or a lot—afraid of the damage her piranha mouth, I’m proud of her first tooth. She’s working on a cute grill, one tiny tooth at a time.