Changing personality

[73jewels]

Hi all

Curious if any of you have had a similar situation.  S is usually very good tempered.  Rarely cries for more than a few seconds, and usually that is easily remedied by a change of scenery or a snack or some milk.  

2 nights ago, at 7:15, out of nowhere, he started screaming at the top of his lungs, and crying like crazy.  Like nothing I had ever seen.  I tried all the usual things to calm him down and nothing worked.  About 20 minutes later, while sitting on the couch snuggling him, he suddenly looked out the window and just stopped and started playing with the window (something he often does).  No idea why he was suddenly not Flipping Out.

Thought it was a fluke.  Then last night, at 7:15 again, out of nowhere, he starts screaming the exact same way.  nothing calms him down.  I finally give him the pacifier b/c it's so bad, and (after throwing it across the room the first time), he finally chills out and the screaming and crying turns to wimpering.  I sit down on the floor with him, and he just snuggled into me for a few minutes, then starting playing like nothing had happened.

I wouldn't think anything of it, but it's kinda weird that it happened at the same time 2 nights in a row.  And to be honest, he really has never screamed like that before.

Thoughts?  I thought maybe tooth, but he certainly didn't carry on like that for any of the teeth he already has?

Thank you, if you read all of this.

TL:Dr (that's the right abbr, right?)  Kid starts screaming bloody murder and is inconsolable at  the exact same time 2 nights in a row.  Never screamed like this before.

[kfran84]

What time does he usually go to bed? That's my munchkin's bedtime... He can go from happy to inconsolable for no apparent reason when I keep him up past 7:30.

My other thought is teeth, like you are thinking... when LO is teething he can be playing with a toy and then look up at me and start wailing because he gets hit with a pain wave or he just realizes it hurts or he can't take it anymore or something like that.

[73jewels]

He goes to bed at 8. If I try to put him down before that I have no luck... In fact, usually I put him down around 8 and he doesn't actually fall asleep till 8:15/8:30.

As to the teeth, I guess it could be. Just seems so weird that it is such an extreme reaction and it goes on for so long!

I guess I'll see if it keeps happening, or if a tooth does pop through maybe that's it. It's just funny- they haven't said anything like this happens at DC so it's just at 7:15. Then he'll play happily till he goes to bed!

[Guster]

It happened to us three nights in a row last week (or maybe the week before -- it's like Groundhog's Day here most of the time). Josie normally goes down all by herself, but on those three nights, she freaked and screamed. No reason, no change in food or schedule. We held her for a bit, read a few books and she went right back to her crib like any normal night. She's been gone since then.

I'm guessing it's just a phase. Good luck!!

[JoeLies]

Evenings this week have been awful with C, now that he's cutting molars. He's inconsolable at times, though an icy teether SOMEWHAT calms him down. The other thing to consider is whether S's napping has changed? C has a bad night whenever he didn't nap well (i.e., we ALL have a bad night).

I hope tonight is better for you guys!!

[73jewels]

Feb 20, 2015 10:55:22 GMT -5 JoeLies said:

I hope tonight is better for you guys!!

Hmm... That's a good point.  He always naps better at home then at DC, and the last few days I have noticed his nap was especially short (like 1.5 hours instead of 3 at home).

Hope it's better for everyone tonight!

[73jewels]

oops that last one was a total quote fail. I meant to quote the nap part of JoeLies

[cagoldi]

I guess it's a phase, but as far as I'm concerned it's totally normal. A did this every night exactly 45 minutes after he went to sleep for a good four months. He only stopped about 5 or 6 weeks ago. In our case, it was separation anxiety. He'd scream until we popped our head in his room or rubbed his back a little. I can't say it was a change in personality, my dude has always been high needs.

Given this is new behavior for your LO, my money is on a tooth that's giving him trouble.

[73jewels]

He only has 6 teeth, so maybe it's the incisors... Who knows!! We'll also see how he is this weekend when he will (hopefully) get better naps!

[88sharonlee]

I had forgotten about something similar that was happening about 2 weeks ago until I read this.
For a few days in a row, 3 I think, B would wake up in the middle if the night screaming and upset and it would take forever to calm her down, even if we picked her up and held her which is not like her.

Maybe teeth, maybe night terrors, or maybe as my DH says 'what does it matter why, it's always something'

Hopefully just a phase or growing pain issue

[LizInFL]

Gas pains, maybe? That or teething would be my only thought. Sometimes I think B can ignore the teething pain throughout the day b/c he's busy and distracted, but when we start settling down for the night, he has more time to focus on the discomfort.

FWIW, the last couple weeks I've noticed B will just melt down at the drop of a hat, with nothing seeming to trigger it..and then as quickly as it started, he's fine again. Like, 10 seconds max. It might just be the age, because overall it's really unlike him.

[htk1113]

We're dealing with this now. Emmett has been so moody. His lower molars finally broke through and I think his mood's mostly teething. In the span of two days his molars went from just feeling the ridges to almost fully in. I'm hoping we'll have a good night tonight but he's just been all over the place.

I've also noticed he's been expressing his frustration more lately by thrashing his arms at what he doesn't want. Have we reached that stage where our LOs want to say/do more than they are capable of?

I feel like such an idiot sometimes when I don't understand what Emmett is trying to say. He just points at a pile of whatever and says an incoherent word then looks expectantly at me. I tell I don't know what he wants and he should go get it to show me but he just points and repeats himself again.