Hanging by a Thread

"Mom?  My tooth...there's something wrong," said my darling 5-year-old daughter. 

Her tooth had been loose for months.  It all started when she fell off one of our dining rooms chairs and hit the table mouth first a few months ago.  She chipped a tooth on top, and one on the bottom tilted forward at an alarming angle.  She looked like a hockey star, but was okay.  I adjusted her tooth and told her not to touch it.  She was fine.

When the dentist told her the tooth would probably fall out soon, it was on.  No matter how much I told her to keep her fingers out of her mouth, she refused.  She was Toothfairy Obsessed and wiggled, wiggled, wiggled that tooth.

Then it happened.  While trying to open the toy bag in her Happy Meal with her teeth, her tooth really came loose.  It was hanging by a thread, as they say.

"It's okay, baby.  Your tooth is finally going to come out.  Then the Toothfairy will come!" I said in an encouraging voice.  I could see by the look on her face in the rear view mirror that she was nervous.  "Don't worry, it won't hurt," I added.

"Okay, Momma," she replied.  It was right about at that moment that my heart broke a little.  My baby girl was growing up FAST.  I started thinking about what a big kid she was all of a sudden.  She graduated pre-school and will start Kindergarten in the fall.  She can read!  She had become a huge help with her two little brothers, keeping them entertained while I did chores around the house.  She learned how to vacuum, make her own PB & J, and even how to use the microwave.  Where did my baby go?  To make matters worse, Mike was in California for work.  Our baby was going through a huge milestone, and he wasn't there.  I felt anxious and sad.

I noticed she wasn't eating.  "Sweetheart, it might take a few days for your tooth to finally fall out.  Why don't you eat?"

"I'm scared I'll swallow my tooth.  Then the tooth fairy won't come."

"Don't be scared.  Try chewing with the teeth that aren't loose.  Take little bites.  That's what I used to do when my teeth were loose like yet."

"Good idea, Mom.  Thanks."  My heart was breaking.

For the rest of the day, I watched her delicately touch her tooth and take little bites while eating.  When brushing her teeth before bed, she was equally hesitant, so I helped her brush. 

"What if I swallow my tooth while I'm asleep?!?!" she asked in a panicked voice before bed. 

"You won't, don't worry.  Now try to get some sleep," I said as I kissed her goodnight.  It was nice to have my normally very independent daughter need her Momma again.  I just wished Mike could be with us too.

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"MOM!  MOM!  MY TOOTH...IT FELL OUT!" she yelled at about 5:10am the next morning, waking both me & Baby P from peaceful slumber.

"That's great, baby!"  I said sleepily.  "Let me see it."

When she handed the tooth to me, I was shocked.  I could not believe how small her tooth was, much smaller than even a popcorn kernel, almost comically small.  "Wow, look how little it is, sweetie.  Just an itty, bitty baby tooth like Baby P's teeth.  You'll grow some big girl teeth now, and you have to take really good care of them because you will have your adult teeth for the rest of your life."

"Wow," she said and then hesitated.  "Hey Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know how to spell toothfairy?"

"Yes, I do.  Why?"

"Could you help me write a note to the toothfairy today?"

"Sure, why?"

"I don't want the toothfairy to take my tooth until Daddy can see it." 

My heart was simultaneously breaking and swelling, although I'm not sure how that is possible. 

Too.  Much.  Love.

Here is my baby girl holding her itty, bitty baby tooth & note for the toothfairy.