Dear Lucas (36 Weeks),

Today unless you have been eating, sleeping, or being held while I walk you have been pretty much been crying. I'm not taking it personal because I know you are teething. You somehow manage to shove all four fingers on your hand into your mouth and chomp down like you are trying to chew your own hand off (well at least you fingers). It has been hard to distract you to cheer you up (even when I stuck my own hand in my mouth to understand how it is possible to fit that many fingers into one mouth you didn't bat an eye). Even when your Dad came home you only momentarily flashed your smile at him until you went right back to your regularly scheduled crying. Sitting you down at your 5-in-1 gym which always gets smiles from you didn't distract you... it only seemed to remind you that I was not holding you. You kept giving me this look like "woman do you not understand that these little white things are ripping through my sweet little baby gums?"

When I feel your gums I feel one sharp little tooth poking through and two others soon to follow. It is almost as if your first tooth slowed down to wait for his friends so that three teeth could all poke through at once. I still haven't "seen" your teeth coming through. Every time I try to look in your mouth to see what is going on in there you thrust your tongue forward like a little lizard.

I kept trying to "trick" you to open wide by holding a Cheerio in front of your mouth but you would get frustrated with me and snap it closed before I would get close enough to see. You were really starting to get mad at me for using your baby crack Cheerios against you so I had to give up on getting to peek inside your mouth. I guess I'll see your baby teeth eventually... like when you realize the tooth fairy will bring you money for them when you put them under your pillow. At least you have been sleeping pretty decently... you still wake up every now and then because your teeth hurt but every since you started sleeping on your belly you've been out like a light as soon as your head touches the mattress.

To cheer you up I decided to take you to the park so you could swing. I don't know what it is about that swing that makes you happy... because you HATE to swing in your baby swing at the house. Maybe you love being outside in the fresh air and sunshine. I guess I don't blame you. I don't mind taking you to the park at all especially because of the way you laugh while you are swing through the air. I even took your little feet warmers off (what we call your socks for some reason) so you could happily wiggle your toes in the air.

You would swing all day if you could. I used to be worried you might fall through the holes if you didn't hang on but I guess you are fine because today you got tired of holding on to the swing chain and just laid back in the swing and relaxed. It was the cutest thing.

The only reason we stopped swinging today is I could tell your teeth were still bothering you so you started gnawing on the swing and I could just imagine all of the gross stuff that was on the swing. I may have relaxed on somethings but I am not ready for you to chew on public things like swings, shopping cart handles, or restaurant high chairs.

I hope your teeth stop bothering you soon but I promise I'll take you to swing to cheer you up I'll take you swinging as much as you want anyway... even though you STILL haven't said MAMA. (I swear you are even talking to Jadie. When you see her it sounds like you are saying "Hi Jadie" except it comes out as "Hee di di!") I love you to the moon and back!!!

Ma Ma