The Tooth Fairy Cometh

Today is a sad sad day for me ladies.  March 20th not only marks the first day of Spring (which is a beautiful thing after a long winter), but it also will go down in the baby book as the day my 6 year old lost his very first tooth.  Boo hoo waaaaah!!!!  I cried like a friggin baby!  Is there something wrong with me?  Seriously, I really did cry.  A lot.  I was no longer looking at my son as my “little boy” but he was suddenly a “big kid”.  All because of a darn tooth falling out?  Yep…and I’ll tell you why. 

When our kids are infants they grow in various stages or milestones right?  Well, a baby getting his first tooth is a big deal for the baby and the parents.  After months of drooling and fussiness, some in pure agony from the pain of teething, and bottles of Motrin or Tylenol, the first tooth pops out at around 6 months old and it is a BIG deal!  You and your hubby are sooo excited to see that little white nub coming through the gum that you practically throw a party.  And when the tooth finally does come all the way through, it’s like a little saw.  Who knew how strong that one little razor sharp tooth would be and how much pain it would inflict on the nearest adult finger….OUCH!  So yes, the first tooth and the rest that follow are big news. 

Remember calling your parents and telling them that little Johnny got his first tooth?  Shoot you would tell anyone who would listen right?  Again…it’s a BIG deal!  Another milestone in a baby’s life.  Well guess what?  It’s the same thing when your child LOSES that first tooth…only you’re not excited.  You’re sad.  You’re sad because your child is now 6 years old and not 6 months old and this first tooth loss is almost like a rite of passage into bigkiddom.  You know what I mean.  Your “baby” is no longer a baby anymore and losing that first baby tooth is proof of this fact.   It’s sort of a reality check of how time does really fly by and you wonder how, when, and why did this happen?  It must have been obvious to my son that I was upset about his loose tooth (perhaps my crying clued him in?) because he immediately came over to me and said “I’m so sorry I’m growing up Mommy.”   Can you guess what happened next? 

I cried more!  It was then that I realized how truly grown up my son is becoming to be so sensitive and insightful at such a young age.   It was also at that moment when  I realized that I must be doing something right.  Sometimes I forget that he is only 6 years old.  He amazes me every day with things that he says or does and I believe that he is definitely wise beyond his years.  So now since I’ve had this realization, I have decided that I just need to get over myself and keep doing what I’m doing because it’s working…so far.  That said, it is now time for the Tooth Fairy to make her grand entrance!  What IS the going rate for the Tooth Fairy these days anyway?