Tuesday, February 25, 2014

first tooth.

My oldest lost his first tooth.  I know in the grand scheme of things, this is not a big deal.  But for us, this is the biggest of deals.  My oldest's firsts will always be tied to my firsts as a mama: the first time I watched as he opened his eyes, nursed, rolled, spoke, sat, crawled, stood, it goes on and on. His firsts are my firsts. This is the first time I have guided a little person through their excitement over the sensations of a wiggly tooth, their anxiety over whether or not it will hurt.  Each first for him will always be a first for me, and so this tooth right now is a big deal.

There are times as a mama when I think I am barely surviving.  I have high expectations and Pinterest-worthy dreams of how milestones will unfold for my children, only to have them fumbled by the reality that I am only human, and milestones pass with little more than a nod of the head acknowledging them.  But this tooth, this milestone we did right.

I forgot just how long it is between when a tooth begins to loosen and the time it actually falls out.  When the tooth first started to wiggle I mentioned helping my son make a tooth pillow, an idea he cherished.  Weeks went by and each time the pillow was mentioned there were meetings to attend, or classes to teach, or activities planned.  I thought surely this was going to be another failed milestone.  The tooth would fall out and there would be some makeshift pillow and a promise broken.

This weekend we woke early and set to work on the pillow.  My son designed the applique, picked the fabric, and aside from the applique, sewed it entirely himself and this mama could not be prouder.  The pillow was made and carried with him for two days wherever he went.  Tonight at dinner, as his tooth dangled, I promised him if he turned it once it would come out.  And it did.  There we all were as a family, sitting down to dinner, sharing in the milestone of our first lost tooth and everything about it was simple and perfect.  There are times as a mama I feel like I am barely surviving, and then there are times like this moment where my oldest baby is fast asleep with a tooth tucked in a pillow made by his own two hands, guided by his mama's love, awaiting a magical visit from the tooth fairy when I feel everything is just right.






4 comments:

  1. WOW! He made that?!! Awesome!
    Hi! Stopping by from Mom Bloggers Club. Great blog!
    Have a nice day!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I know exactly what you mean. Your son's firsts will always be your firsts as well. I'm excited for the both of you to be experiencing his first lost baby tooth. Anyway, don't worry too much about being the Pinterest-perfect-mama. As an avid reader of your blog, I know you're already too good to be true. Thanks for sharing that! All the best! :)

    Chelsea Osborne @ The Crawley Dentist

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow! The pillow your son made is adorable. I can’t believe he was able to design and sew that all by himself. You must be so proud of him for being such a responsible and brave boy. I truly understand how you feel as a mother. Eeach and every milestone is important, especially your eldest losing his first tooth. The first of firsts for you, indeed. In any way, thanks for sharing that! All the best to your family!

    Freddie Gray @ Ballantyne Dentistry

    ReplyDelete