Failure to Communicate

Something isn't right in Doobie's world today. He's been crying and fussing all day, and that just isn't him. I thought that he'd be better after he woke up from a nap, and he was - for about 10 minutes. The rest of the time he's been pulling on my legs to be picked up, and even then he still fussed. He refused to play ball with me. He refused to play Little People. While I was feeding him he refused to sign for more, instead opting to yell at me. After repeated attempts to make him sign for more, he threw his head back and unleashed a full on fit. I physically had to make him sign for more myself. It took several times of doing that before he was willing to do it by himself - something we have been making him do for months now that he previously had no problems with.

We were doing laundry together earlier, an activity which he takes to with great joy. He loves to drop the socks into the washing machine. He likes to press the button to make it start up. He likes switching the clothes from washer to dryer. But not today. Today he wanted me to hold him, and he screamed when I put him down on the washroom floor.

Since he wouldn't play with any of his toys and I didn't know what to do, I put him down in his crib. And he just accepted it. He didn't scream or reach for me when I left him. I can hear him in there now - he's not fussing, but he's not sleeping either. He's in there all by himself doing nothing.

Could his molars be coming in? I stuck my finger in his mouth yesterday and I could feel the big bulge. Teething has never bothered him too much before, but maybe these molars are too much for him. It could explain why he is refusing to try new foods, and even old foods he previously liked off of our plates.... why suddenly he clenches his jaws shut when we try to brush his teeth before bed... why he has been putting his fingers in his mouth every time we feed him.

As much as I hate to do it, I'm going to give him some baby Tylenol when I get him out of his crib. I wish he could tell me more than "moo" and "woof" and "more" because I just have no idea why he's so upset.