WHAT THE *#^#%&^%@*&

AGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

That was me getting a scream out because I can't yell at the baby or my husband- but OMG these sleep issues need to stop!

I apologize in advance for this being a rambling, run on, probably repetitive post. I am going to make it 2 parts- first an overview of what is going on, and second- a few of the bajillion questions that have crossed my mind.

PLEASE leave long lengthy comments if you have any advice or answers at all- if you solve my sleep issues I will bake you cookies

SCENARIO:
B was a great sleeper from the start. He quickly progressed to sleeping 7:30/8 - 7:30, only waking once between 3:30-5:30 to nurse. He would go right back down, it was beautiful. This lasted about 2 months.
3 month growth spurt, 4 month wakeful, a week in Disney, and a week in St. Thomas took over the next 2 months and shot his sleep to hell and back.
After some horrible nights and some wonderful nights (10 hrs straight) he reverted back to his early habit of 2 wakings (around 1 & 4). I was ecstatic because that is how he slept prior to the 1 waking bliss that used to exist.
Well- now he wakes anywhere from 3-6+ times. He is not making it to midnight without waking anymore. I used to thing 5.5 hrs was a horrible first stretch of sleep, now I am getting only 1 or 2 hrs before he wakes. Right now it is 12:41. He went down at 7:45 and woke at 8:45. He quickly fell back asleep after replacing the paci and patting his butt and a half minute of moaning. He then woke at 11:15 an has been up ever since. 11 seems to almost be a habit waking and I am trying not to feed him, but after a certain point I do because it is obvious to me that is the only way to calm him down and knock him out. Eric went in the first time and shushed, then left. Then I went in and shushed and left. Then I went in and picked him up, followed by another pickup, followed by rocking in the glider, followed by nursing, followed by Motrin, followed by nursing, and now he is down. In between all of these things we did put him down and let him cry for a couple minutes just to see if it was 'fuss myself to sleep' crying, or hahaha you don't get to sleep' crying. Obviously it was the latter. Why Motrin? not because I want to drug the kid, but I do see a white spot along his gum (although not where first teeth usually come- the lower eye tooth), so since I exhausted everything else - I think maybe that is cutting and bothering him.
In regards to those who are going to suggest sleep training. I am pro-sleep training (except I am a wimp). However- he has his 6 mo shots Friday, we are going to stay with my parents over XMas, have overnight visitors the next few nights, and he will have his first sleep-away while Eric and I have a night to ourselves, all in the next 2 weeks. So I feel like starting sleep training is a really bad idea until after the New Year when we can attack it consistently.
Also if you are going to guess ears- we had those checked recently by the ped b/c of this

I cannot take this- I am getting only about 3-4 hrs sleep total a night. I can't sleep b/c when I lie down I anticipate him waking, I even hear imaginary sounds through the monitor that are not there. Then he does wake, then he is up for so long I am up, then it takes forever to fall asleep and by the time I do he is getting up an hour later. I feel like death and have cried so much in self pity it is unreal.

QUESTIONS:
**Growth Spurt- is this real or just a stupid term used to explain behavior lapses? I feel like everytime something changes people just say, 'growth spurt'
**Teething- how do you know it is teething (without physically feeling the tooth). I don't want to medicate my kid unnecessarily, but I also don't want him to suffer if it can be helped- I have no idea how to distinguish when it is teething pain vs. not
** Sleep training- doing CIO just with waking before 1 or 2 am is a bad idea right?
** Nursing- should I just not nurse until 1 or 2 am in case it is habit nursing? But that may entail another 90-120 minute episode like tonight in me trying to avoid it. Plus he is EBF so I really don't know what he is getting during the day
**WTF do I do?
** I had so many more questions I was going to type as I planned this post while nursing, rocking, praying to God he would sleep- but I can't think of any and he has been down 10 minutes, so goodnight!
** I am going to try an earlier bedtime- but he goes down well at night. Why does putting a kid to bed earlier supposedly make them sleep longer/better? (I get it for earlier helping them go down easier, but not for them sleeping longer)