Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The Tooth Fairy and Other Stories from the Loss of Babyhood

The moment I've been dreading for 5 years is just about here.  I knew it would happen eventually, but I don't think I've ever really been prepared for it.  Several of my blog and Facebook friends have reported it happening in their households with their 5-year olds, and I just kept thinking, not my 5-year old, not my baby... 

The loss of babyhood.

The loss of teeth.

Oh, how I love those sweet little teeth of hers, small, white, slightly crowded.  They hadn't been delayed by all that much, her first one making its appearance at 11 months, and the rest to follow, all in correct order, by the time she was 2.  It was all a lot of no-muss-no-fuss for her, and as parents of only one child, we were fortunate to have one that never teethed.  Yes, be jealous if you want, but this child showed absolutely no discomfort, no fevers, no crankiness, no nothing at the emergence of her baby teeth.  And I learned to stop sticking my fingers in her mouth to feel for them pretty darn quick.

In the last few days (or has it been weeks?  who can tell?) I've noticed that her bottom teeth have been looking a little more crooked than usual.  My imagination?  Perhaps...  But there was just something...different.  Couldn't put my finger on it.

Then, with a realization like being hit by a Mack truck, it came to me.

Wiggle one...

And wiggle I did.  And I was immediately rewarded (?) with movement.  Not just a little movement, the darn thing teetered like a weeble wobble (anyone remember those?) under my finger.  Nearly crying, but still overwhelmed with excitement, I explained to her what it meant, and marched her into the other room to show Daddy, which she did with great pride. 

Then, with yet another realization, perhaps this one more like a bolt of lightning, I was struck with another thought...

Maybe they're BOTH loose!

And so they were.  Omg, my girlie is about to lose not one, but TWO teeth!  The bottom front two, at that.  And I'm not entirely sure that she didn't already lose one or two that flanked those, actually...there looks to be a bit more space in that mouth, but it could be that the movement of these two has created that space naturally.


Knowing how Samantha feels about change, such as wearing band aids, temporary tattoos, facepaint, etc., I panicked to think that she would absolutely freak out at the loss of a tooth.  Or two.

But explaining some things to Samantha is often easier, thanks to some of the cartoons she watches.  She's seen the Tooth Fairy come to Peppa Pig, Max & Ruby, and Little Bill, to name a few, and the thoughts that a) she was a big girl to lose her teeth and have new teeth grow back and b) the Tooth Fairy would be paying her a visit soon to leave money under her pillow, excited her, and she is now only too happy to tell everyone about it!

Whew!

And is it so wrong that I'm completely, hopelessly, unbearably grossed out by it?  I touch them because I have to in order to brush them, ever. so. gently.  But otherwise, it kinda makes my stomach turn to knots when I see/feel them move.  Poop I can handle, the occasional scraped knee I can handle.  Heck, I can even work with a splinter, and vomit's no big deal.  But give me a wiggly tooth, and I get weak at the knees...

13 comments:

Lori F said...

OMG I could have written this post (when we get to the land of loose teeth). I am utterly grossed out by loose teeth also. I am also terrified that they are going to freak out Natalie since she is weird about things that are different on her body. With any luck she won't get any loose ones until she is 90 and I won't have to deal with it. hahaha How are our girls getting to be so big?

Unknown said...

so so exciting!! such a HUGE deal for kiddos...but so sad at the same time for us adults that just want more time with our little bugs! I do the shakey wiggle dance after I touch a loose tooth...there is just something different about it...and when the tongue starts playing with it until no end it just looks like it hurts!! but going toothless rocks when you are 5! smiles

JRS said...

Mark can't stand watching me wiggle Alexander's teeth. lol He lost the bottom two & now the top 2 are loose & super crooked. Oh kids, they grow up just to make their mommies weepy.
---Jen

Meriah said...

*chuckle* Ah-ha! I know what to do to have fun with you at a halloween fright house! Have wiggling teeth leap out of the walls!!
We just had LONG, LONG talk with Micah about the tooth fairy, even looking up pictures on the internet. He wants no part of it.... it was hard to break it to him that the process wants HIM (sooner or later)...
ps. totally jealous that you had no teething, of course

Than4Keeps said...

LOL...so funny! My five year old niece just lost her bottom tooth and then I realized how grown up she became! Time passes by so quickly and oh how moments like these makes us wish that our little ones could stay little forever.

When my sixteen year old lost her first tooth, her tooth fairy left her a $20 bill. She was so happy that she brought it to school for show and tell. A mother of another child was so appalled so she hunted me down to voice her opinion. She thought that my daughter was making things up since tooth fairies don't leave that much money for a tooth! Well, she didn't realized that our daughter was our first and only child at the time...and she was our golden child. Two, we didn't know that there was an "unwritten rule" that limits how much this tooth was worth...yeah right?!?! If my husband had won, our daughter would of had $100 to spend :~) After telling him about the other parent, he ended up giving our daughter $100.

Darling Samantha...you hit the jackpot with not just one tooth but two?

Lori said...

Can't wait to see the toothless grin!!!! =)

JC said...

That's so exciting!!! And nothing grosses me out more than a loose tooth!!!! So you are not alone there! lol

evrfwd said...

Wow!!! and LOL! Weak at the knees. I suppose I will that way also when it happens. I was just wondering when the baby teeth fall out...now I know 5 is the magic number. I can't wait to see how it goes. And I am curious what Sammi will think of the tooth fairy. =)

Kelli said...

Oh man, I don't know how I am going to handle this one when the time comes! The one thing I had a hard time with as the athletic trainer was tooth issues! I worked some little kid sport camps this year and had so many tooth issues! It makes my stomach turn to watch them move the teeth!

Rochelle said...

Haha one of my friends is the exact same way. She can't stomach wiggly teeth. Aidan loves to torture her everytime one of his gets loose! Trust me I won't tell him you are the same way or he would be on the road to your house!

Crittle said...

My stomach turned just reading this. Loose teeth freak my freak!

Lisa said...

just went through the same - and i actually had to suck it up and pull Cate's second loose tooth out that was barely hanging on - GROSS! Crazy thing is that having this gap from the bottom front teeth being gone is actually helping her speech - Cate is saying 's' sounds appropriately for the first time. I think its because it feels different with some bare gum - crazy!
Good luck!

Rob Monroe said...

Do you have Silverlicious yet? It's all about the Tooth Fairy and might be a good read for this time in her life. :)

Wiggly teeth lead to more blood than the other things you mentioned, so I get that you would be more grossed out by those.