Molarball
October 02, 2006
Noah's first birthday was a day full of joy and wonder and balloons and wrapping paper and big toothy baby smiles.
HA HA HA.
HA!
Sometime between Friday night, when we drove up to Pennsylvania to my parents' house, and his party Saturday afternoon, Noah came down with all of the following:
1) A cold
2) A fever
3) Diarrhea
4) Diaper rash
5) A possible ear infection
6) One molar
7) Another molar
8) Hey, anybody want a couple more molars?
Photos from his party are very...moist-looking, to say the least, and feature shots of me wiping his nose and checking his butt, all while looking like hot exhausted ass. Noah, being the brave little toaster that he is, still seemed to enjoy himself, or else he merely chose to reserve his rage and misery for our own personal enjoyment between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m.
(His gums are black and blue, people. BLACK AND BLUE.)
We've traveled with Noah multiple times over the past year, and multiple times I have dutifully packed up every possible baby necessity into clearly-labeled Ziploc baggies. Nose bulb, infant Tylenol, infant Motrin, Hyland's teething tablets, Desitin, burb cloths, extra outfits and 17 million diapers.
This weekend I decided to streamline. We ran out of diapers by Saturday afternoon. We had no Tylenol or Pedialyte or even diaper rash cream. I washed the same cotton romper three times. We made four trips to the drugstore, one trip for each new symptom. The possibility of new teeth never occurred to me until Saturday night and I caught sight of Noah's bruised and swollen gums by accident while he was screaming his head off on my lap.
At least I always have the Corbett Family Parenting Brain Trust to depend on:
Amy's Mom (mother of four, step-mother of three, general knower of all): I thought babies didn't get molars until they were two?
Amy (mother of one, professional obsessive): No, I know they get one set around a year old, but why are his gums all black?
Amy & Amy's Mom: *baffled confusedness*
Amy's Sister (mother of one 18-year-old and one six-month-old): No, I read that some kids get bruising from molars.
Amy: But he still doesn't have his eye teeth? I thought he'd get those next?
Amy & Amy's Mom & Amy's Sister: *baffled confusedness*
So for anyone else out there who may be wondering, please benefit from the wisdom I have since gleaned from the Internet: Babies get their first molars BEFORE their canines, and sometimes the gums appear bruised. Some babies, particularly those named Noah Corbin Storch, get all four molars at once! Joy!
Oh, and you may also be happy to know that, according to the Texas Children's Pediatric Associates's website, "teething does not cause fever, sleep problems, diarrhea, diaper rash, or lowered resistance to any infection. It probably doesn't cause crying."
GOOD TO KNOW! We've just hit on a remarkable string of coincidences, then.
Fuck off, Internet Research.
Anyway, Jason is home sick today with Noah's cold, and I'm kind of scratchy and blechy.
We're going to need more chocolate birthday cupcakes. STAT.
PS: Oh commenter-type people, thank you so very much for all your lovely birthday messages to Noah. I can't tell you how much they mean to me. I mean, I could try, but the entry would probably be very very long and very very mushy, and things around here are mushy enough, what with all the mucus, you know?
PPS: Also, a big thank you to Unexplored Territory, who gave Noah's birthday entry a Perfect Post award for September. Dude! So it's a good thing I went back and fixed all teh typoz thenn.
PPPS: What's that? You want to see more disgusting pictures of my child with chocolate cake smushed all over his face? OH, FINE, IF YOU INSIST.
(I made it myself, by the way.)
(Well, okay, I used a mix, but I still VERY LOVINGLY broke the eggs and measured the oil and water.)
(And canned frosting just plain kicks ass, especially if Mama gets to eat the leftovers with a spoon.)
So sorry to hear about the molar-pains-ness, but very happy to hear (and see) about the lovely-birthday-with-cupcakes-ness!
P.S. You totally deserved that award for that last entry, by the way. Made me sob like a little sissy girl.
P.P.S. Another Happy Happy Birthday to the bestest, blondest boy around!
P.P.S.S. there's no way I'm really one of the first comments here, is there?
I think I have to go eat a cupcake RIGHT NOW.
Yay! Chocolate cake and a baby. Perfect mix.
Don't you just hate teething? And a cold? Ugh..that's just pure misery..for the whole family!
I gave your post an award too, but it was only in my mind, so you had no way of knowing about it, except like now when I am telling you, so...Yay, you!
and I love Noah's face in that last pic. He looks very bored and French and very, "Eh? Molarrz? Zeh diareeah? I spit on you for coming on my day of birth, pah!"
Yeah, I love the way the doctors always tell you that teething causes none of those things. Then how come they always seem to show up at the EXACT SAME TIME?!
Teeth are the bane of my existence. Yours too, I'm sure. Hang in there.
Nolan is delicious, moreso than the cake, I'm sure. Happy Birthday to him. :)
Apparently getting names right is also the bane of my existence.
~blushing profusely~
I was thinking Noah. I typed Nolan, as I was just reading another blog about a boy named Nolan. My apologies.
Slinking off now...
Yummy chocolately goodness smushed on sweet baby face - could there be anything cuter? Happy belated Birthday Noah! Sorry to hear about the molars dude.
Noah looks completed satiated in that last photo. Or did you drug those cupcakes? Now Noah's gums are black and blue and chocolaty. A definite improvement.
Hope you all are feeling better!
Amy,
My oldest daughter had roseola on her first birthday. Fever, rash, grouchy-ass baby.
My youngest actually had open gaping wounds/holes in her gums when her teeth poked through. I was ready to take her to the emergency room and my family was ready to have me committed.
Dude, I look exactly like that on my birthday.
That research on teething always irritates me. Its not just an old wives tale that teething causes all of those listed symptom. Beaux got a lot of teeth at one time as well and the silver lining is that at least its over!
My girl got 3 molars on her B-day as well. I am so sorry I feel your pain girl. Baby motrin is the best thing ever, I now keep it in my purse at all times. I hope all the gunk is gone soon!
Ya know, I have that SAME look on my face, as Noah does in that very last photo, when I eat chocolate.
It's that combination "chocolatecrack fix" mixed with "touch-my-chocolatecrack-and-you-die" look.
Yup. Know it well.
Happy Birthday Big Noah!! I have some nice doggy chew toys I could send your way...help get those molars in!!
I am already dreading the teeth coming in pain. At six months I expected my child to have all of his teeth, be forming complete sentences, and using the potty. That lady's kid down the street was doing it.
dude. you were in town and could have saved me from my inlaws.
Yeah. I know. weird blogger girl at your son's 1st b-day party but still.
My in-laws.......
:)
Yeah, I love how the doctors tell you that teething doesn't cause fever, yet every single time my boys were cutting teeth they had a fever, and damned if baby tylenol didn't relieve the suffering (mine more than theirs). I can tell in those pics that he had one, by the little red-rimmed eyes; that's always a giveaway.
And mine also broke multiple, simultaneous teeth. With bonus bleeding! In retrospect, I really thought it was better that way: having an episode over in one fell swoop rather than doing it for individual teeth. Of course, wine in the afternoon helped, too.
The Dr. told me the same thing - that teething does not cause diarhea or anything else. But I quickly learned they were just wrong. When the new pediatric resident moved in to the house behind ours I told her that I didn't care what she had been told in med school - that teething DOES cause all that stuff!
Oh - by the way - the 2 year molars are FAR FAR worse. My DS started getting them around 17 months. Pure hell I tell you.
Aww poor Noah and poor you. He still looks totally gorgeous though, despite all his symptoms. I could just eat him up!
xx
Mmmmmm. Cake. I believe I hold an Official Blog Record for the number of times I myself have mentioned cake in the last three weeks. Which is why you should be glad I didn't get invited to Noah's party. I probably would not have been able to restrain myself from licking it off his face.
Wait, that sounded totally creepy.
Happy Birthday Noah!
Oh God, the teething 'statistics' that the doctors toss out irritate me so. Our first got all of his teeth--including molars--before his first birthday. His pediatrician kept saying, "Well that's unusual," and I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying "No shit, Sherlock."
Then our second got his teeth in the "usual" schedule---so naturally we thought he was delayed or lagging behind when he hadn't popped his first tooth at 3 1/2 months, like his brother. Poor kid.
Happy Birthday to Noah--and yes, canned frosting rocks the house. Way better than homemade.
Yeah, I have to say that for a kid with all those ailments and bruised gums, he looks pretty damn good-natured. Must be the cake. Also, bruised gums? I had no idea babies could get bruised gums. That is very sad. Poor kid.
Happy birthday to him. Your last post also made me teary and fairly anxious to meet my own offspring!
And Noah finds out on his very first birthday that 1)Getting older sucks (always a new body-related problem with every passing year), and 2)Eating chocolate in an attempt to feel better really isn't ever a bad idea.
Sorry he was sick/teething. I hope the weekend otherwise rocked, and at least you had your mom to lean on. Moms (and chocolate) sometimes make everything better.
loved the brave little toaster reference!
Amalah-every baby I know, including mine and those in my playgoup for all 4 molars at once, a week before their first b-day. It's a lie, big lie, that they come in in stages. And my little one had the same symptoms as Noah. My ped said well, at least you only have to do this once. I'm so not looking forward to 2 year old molars.
Glad the party was a success!
Forget the spoon - scoop that frosting out with pretzels. You'll thank me.
Awww, poor thing gettin all those molars on his birthday. But, he's still just a little doll!! Happy 1st Birthday to Noah!
There is a good side to Noah getting molars all at once -- it's over with faster. Our daughter pulled the same trick and after the hellish ear infections and respitory distress, I was glad it was over. Hope you can get some sleep soon! He's so lovely, especially with the chocolate cake face.
I remember Emily's first birthday and the pedialyte in the sippy cup from the bout of diarrhea she was sporting. It wasn't until her 4th bday that she finally was healthy for her birthday. I was beginning to get pissy about it all.
He looks none too worse for the wear in those pics. Adorable as always!
I'm so sorry Noah's first birthday wasn't a happy-happy funfest. But I did learn something about molars. You've saved me a frantic trip to the emergency room at the first sight of black and blue gums.
That Texas Children's Pediatric Associates's website is a joke right? From what I've seen, just about every malady inflicted upon a baby or toddler can be attributed to teething.
Poor Noah! He still looks totally adorable, though! He is every bit as sweet as that cake! :)
Ohh...molars and birthdays are not a good combination...ugh!! Hey, we had a raging virus with a 104 degree fever on Landon's b-day a month ago...so I can totally relate!
Just wanted to add that my Pediatrician told me that YES, teething DOES cause fever, runny nose, and diarrhea (she didn't believe it until she had her OWN child though), so THERE damn internet! :)
Love the pics...even through all of the pain and sickness, it looks like he had a blast! :)
Just delurking to pass on some information. Have you ever heard of the Pillsbury bake off? Well the person that won the Grand Prize $1 million dollars has a Blog called Cookie Madness and guess who is listed on her side bar? You are!!! I was watching Food TV the other night and she mentioned her Blog so I looked it up. I just thought you might want to know that in case you didn’t. Anna Ginsberg the winner was also on the Oprah Winfrey show “The Big Idea That Made Millions”. She seems like a very sweet and down to earth lady. Also I loved your tribute to Noah, I cried too.
For a sick baby chick, he sure is enjoying the choco-goodness! Here's to the hope that when you look back on the pics, all you remember is the chocolate cupcakes.
Home from some dental work, myself, today. My mouth hurts! A lot! I can't imagine how much worse it is for the teething babies out there.
Of course, he still looks adorable!
goodness if you get this far in comments noah must be eating more cupcakes! eamon got all 4 of his molars and upper/lower eye teeth at the same time. and um, damn if he didn't have all the same symptoms as noah... hope you all feel better soon.
Have people been telling you to put whiskey on his gums? I have no babies, but that's got to be the awesomest advice ever. Chocolate cupcakes and whiskey would surely do all of the Storchs a lot of good today.
My daughter just finished up with her first-year molars. She also had a fever and diarrhea and super-bad ass rash at the same time. I know those sites say this is just some sort of evil coincidence, but as they say, the proof is in teh diaper.
caaaaaaaaaaaake.
I had a birthday not long ago and I think Noah is enjoying that cake far more than I enjoyed mine.
Does that mean I get a birthday cake doover, whereupon i can smash it all over my face and be all "hands offa my cake, foos'?"
I just love Noah and his whimsical family. Yummy, cake!
Every time my son (almost 18 months) gets a tooth, we never seem to figure it out until he is a fair bit through the process. It reminds me of when he was a newborn, when there was only three things - tired, wet or hungry - and we would still brilliantly forget one of the three when trying to figure out what his deal was. Now there are 100 variables for your toddler's mood, so it isn't any wonder that we can all be kind of clueless when crying strikes. For the record, my kid always gets a runny nose, fever and an upset stomach for at least a few days while the teeth are invading his mouth, so I am a second to the flipping off of internet research. (Also, happy birthday Noah!)
I don't know WHY all the docs and internet sites insist on saying there's no confirmed link between teething and diarrhea when I, like you, confirmed it simply by looking in the baby's mouth and then in his diaper.
No rocket scientist needed.
Great pics!!
Even when sickly, he's too cute for words.
The internet research is full of hooey, in my professional opinion. My daughter gets diaper rash at least 2 days before she cuts a tooth. Every. Single. Time. It's to the point now that when she starts up with the diaper rash, I know to start watching her mouth for another tooth.
I also love it when the doctors insist that teething isn't particularly painful. I don't know about you, but I don't remember getting my first teeth, so I'm not sure how they know it doesn't hurt. Emily sure cries like it hurts. And hard, sharp things growing through tender gums seems like it would hurt A LOT to me... but, I'm just a mom, what do I know? :) I hope Noah feels better soon.
PS: I highly recommend Calmoseptine ointment for diaper rash - works REALLY well!
The last picture? He is WASTED on chocolate, dude...
For my baby boy's first birthday, we kept remarking how rosy his cheeks were and how beautiful the pictures were going to turn out...umm, rosy cheeks? 104 fever. Ear infection.
I'm off to accept my Lifetime Achievement Award for Dumbest.Mom.Ever.
When it was time for us to start talking about having a second child the only thing I wasn't looking forward to was teething. My son was already 2.5 and I thought, "Shit! We just finished UP with all of this!! Do I want to do this all over again?!"
awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I hope he is feelnig ebtter no!!! happy 1st birthday! my son turned one on sept 22nd!! :) hehe loev the cupcake all over the face to cutE!
HA! HAHAHA! I'm SO sorry for laughing, but I go to one of the Texas Children's Pediatric Associates' offices, and HA! That website is deadly wrong.
My god, the molars. the MOLARS. Are awful. Also caused much pain and fever and diarrhea in this household, and the actual doctor didn't think that was unusual. (apparently he didn't write the blurb on the website). (Pain for everyone in the family, fever and diarrhea were left for the little one alone.)
Seriously, warnings should be given when you birth the child: "Beware of Molars. Molars = bad." I guess we're worrying about too many other things at that time that we don't want to think of worries a year in advance...
My DD luckily decided to get all 4 of hers the week after her birthday, and even more luckily didn't get black and blue gums, so I feel for you.
Here's hoping they pop through quickly.
"Teething probably doesn't cause crying"? Even I know that's complete bullshit, and I know nothign about teething.
Noah obviously loves cake mix cupcakes and store brought frosting, and really, who doesn't? This weekend my husband only half jokingly requested "something chocolatey, maybe a can of frosting" when I was headed to the grocery store.