a challenging day

Today has been an especially challenging day for our littlest monster. Yesterday too actually. He has decided to start this obnoxious half whine, half cry noise that cuts right through to your soul. And he just stands there, at the arm of the chair, or your knee, or sits in your lap, or his high chair, and makes this noise. Con-stant-ly!!

It has been especially bad yesterday and today. I don't know why. He had been teething, but we've had some respite from that, and he behaves differently when he's teething.  I don't know why he's making this noise, I can't figure it out. he will be happily playing with his toys, and then 30 seconds later, he's making this noise at your knees.

Well today was especially bad, there was no consoling him. So I stripped him to his diaper and tried brushing him. Brushing is touch and go with him, sometimes he likes it, and he calms down, and sometimes it only riles him up more. But I had to try something.... ANYTHING.  well, for a few minutes, it worked, I had a happy baby, for a few minutes, and then we were back to the whiny/crying noise, and now, thrashing, and biting too. Oh no...  he's melting down. Maybe he's in sensory overload...  maybe he's not getting the input he needs, the brushing did work for a little bit after all.

Try the bath. Normally he HATES the bathtub, he only tolerates the water if we are holding him... or it's in the dog's water dish, no idea what the draw of that dish is.

but...

The bath worked. For 45 minutes I had a happy baby, he was laughing, and happy squeals, splashing, and playing in the water. he didn't even want bath toys, just the water. when the water started to cool, he decided he was done, he wanted out, and was going to get out no matter what, I almost couldn't catch him before he toppled over the edge and face first into the bath mat. Once he was wrapped in a towel, he was fussing again, but a game of peek a boo changed him back to my happy baby.

That is... until I tried to get a diaper on him.... then we were back to hell on earth. ok. fine. be naked. Crawl around the house without a diaper on. we have hardwood floors, if he messes somewhere it's easy to clean up.

But I can't let him be naked forever. he has to have a diaper on and his clothes. we live in the pacific northwest, we are coming up on winter, summer is gone. it's not warm enough to have a naked infant all the time.

but as soon as we put a diaper on him, we are back to that half whine half cry noise. nevermind clothes....

Sooo...  now what???