Seamus's First Tooth

You can just see the little clear spot on his gums where his first tooth came through last Thursday (it's just inside his lip, bottom-left, just to the right of the shadow).  He looks happy in these photos, but Derek looked at him one day last week after Seamus had been wailing about something that didn't really require a wail, raised an eyebrow and asked, "Who are you and what did you do with my sweet baby?"  Teething is hard work.  For everyone.

Now that Seamus is pulling himself up to standing in the crib, the top bar is at the perfect height for chewing.  These teeth marks aren't his though.  Luke enjoyed a similar past time not all that long ago!

We celebrate baby's first tooth like it's this miraculous thing, when the truth is:  there's way more work to be done, and this is not really a unique experience!  (We will, however, celebrate the fact that perhaps we can get a good night's sleep at last! maybe?)  In an average person's lifetime, we push 52 teeth through our gums.  20 in early childhood, and 32 in young adulthood.  Most kids at Seamus's age have already got six or eight teeth.  He's a little behind the curve on this one.  In two weeks, Seamus will be one year old. We are proud of all the effort he puts into growing, and this shiny little translucent tip of a tooth is going to be photographed lots more as it becomes less shy.  Good work Seamus!  Pace yourself!  One down, fifty-one to go.