As for sleeping issues, you guys are not alone!! I never ever ever thought I would let my baby cry but Reaves was still up at least twice a night (and occasionally as much as 4-5 times a night and sometimes for long periods). It was getting extremely exhausting. I was fine with it until recently, I guess I thought he would start outgrowing it but he hasn't. Sometimes we bring him in bed with us, but that doesnt always work because sometimes he thinks its playtime and crawls all over us! Our doctor said as hard as it might be, we should try letting him cry a little. This is what she had to do when in a similar situation when her son was 10 months old. She said we need sleep, and boy is she right! It also actually will help the baby learn to sleep better. She recommended a modified "Ferber" method (my best friend also used this)-- Go through the bed-time routine, put the baby in bed awake but drowsy. If they cry and/or try to stand up, just put them back down, pat their back or rub tummy and hum, or sing quietly but just for 30 sec or so then leave. Let them cry for up to 5 minutes (if you can handle it!) then go back in and lay them down, pat back and leave (dont pick up or talk). Then add time--so 10 minutes of crying. Then go back in, pat back, and leave. Then 15 minutes of crying, go back in, pat back,and leave. (15 minutes will be the max). Each time you go in, lay them back down, pat back. Sometime during one of those 15 minutes, the crying will stop and baby will go to sleep. If baby wakes in the night, repeat this again. It really helps nursing moms if dad can go in during the night so baby doesnt smell mommy's milk. (it can be very exhausting, but from what I've read and heard, but the end of a week nearly all babies are sleeping much better!) For my doc, her baby slept through the night on the third night!
As much as I don't believe in crying it out, I think we are to a point where we need sleep and Reaves needs to learn how to put himself back to sleep without having to nurse. This is our third night. The first night he fell asleep in the 2nd 15 minutes of crying. He only woke up once and Dh went in after 5 minutes of crying, put him down, patted his back and left--he went back to sleep! And slept until the morning--boy was I engorged! Last night he fell asleep during the 10 minutes of crying, woke up once and Dh was able to go in and he fell back to sleep. He then nursed at 6 am and slept for 2 more hours and woke up happy and playing (never happens! usually he wakes up crying or whining,I think because he is still tired). By the 3rd night he slept through until 5, nursed and went back to sleep until 7:30. By the 4th night he was falling asleep after less than a minute of crying!We are on the 6th night now and he continues to do great.
Oh, also I am not doing it for naps right now. I am nursing/rocking etc whatever it takes.
With the teething, I would give motrin before bed, or if you dont like to give medicine you could try the Hyland's natural teething tablets (but beware that they have dairy in them if your child is sensitive to that).
Good luck! I'm right there with ya!
J.