Honesty.

Can I be entirely honest for a moment?

The last few weeks have been rough. Miles has teeth coming in - I can see them under the gums, but they just won't push through. They've been like that for almost three weeks. As a result, my happy-go-lucky boy is often fussy at the best of times, and flat out screams for hours at the worst. And I am afraid that I'm not handling it well. After bouts of crying that last for more than fifteen minutes, I find myself putting him in the crib and closing the door, while I lay curled up, sobbing, on the couch with my hands over my ears until he finally wears himself out and falls asleep.

Yes, the last few weeks have been rough.

With that being said, I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Miles has finally started sleeping for longer stretches again - seven hours, the last three nights - which means that I am finally getting sleep, too. And his naps are beginning to improve. He's currently out for his second nap of the day - it's been an hour, and I haven't heard a peep.

And then, today, we played on the bed for 45 minutes. I tickled him and nommed on his belly. He giggled for all he was worth. And suddenly, the last few weeks began to melt away. As though they never happened.

I know that I have many more battles ahead of me on this roller coaster called parenthood. But, I think I can honestly say that I am winning this one against my own frustration. And it's all to see this beautiful smile.