going, going, gone (the first lost tooth)

Five months ago at her last dentist appointment, Kiddo was told that she had a number of loose teeth, and she should start wiggling. They didn't feel loose to me, but sure enough, she now has a number of loose teeth. But she doesn't wiggle them much, so they just get looser on their own.

Then one day she complained that there was something poky in her mouth. I looked, and saw a permanent teeth coming up behind her baby tooth. I told she for sure should try to wiggle that one, and we eventually saw the dentist, who said that it was no big deal and just keep at it.

But her really loose tooth was in the front. It got looser and looser, but never ready to just slip out. It was moving though, poking out in different directions and from many angles, it looked like her tooth was already gone. Numerous adults looked at the tooth, and offered to just pull it out for her. This caused Kiddo to scream and cover her mouth. There would be no pulling.

This morning she came in for breakfast crying. "What's wrong?"

"It really hurts, I'm ready to have it pulled out."

At first glance I thought it was gone, because it was caught up under her lip. So then we became serious about this.

I tugged a few times, no luck. Then I asked my husband to try (although I wasn't sure about that, because I'm the cold-blooded one when it comes to unavoidable pain in our children). He tugged once or twice, then stopped.

"Let's say a prayer," he suggested, and he then prayed for courage and that we could do it. Then he gathered Kiddo in his arms, looked at me and said "Do it."

So I got my best grip on a small slimy tooth, and tugged once or twice more, then it came. And as soon as it came out the tears stopped, and it was finished.... this round anyway.