… and he looks it too.

This past week we had a big milestone here. Any guesses as to what it might be?!

Here’s a hint:

Notice something missing?! Yup, Mini Michelangelo lost his first tooth!! I don’t even know how I have a kiddo old enough to have missing teeth! First Kindergaten, and now this?! Oh, how my mama heart does hurt… I’ve blogged here before that it was easy to pretend that he wasn’t growing up, even though I saw glimpses of it here and there. My baby he was.

ADVERTISEMENT

But, when your baby starts losing teeth, it’s time to accept reality that now—really—you are mama to a boy. And I’m reminded of that every time he smiles at me.

It all started almost two weeks ago when we were at Mini’s 6-month dental check-up. The hygienist exclaimed, “Oh, you might be getting a visit from the tooth fairy soon!” To which I exclaimed, “WHAT?!?!” in a not-so-dignified manner… while Mini exclaimed “What’s a tooth fairy?!” As I leapt from my chair I could see not one, but two teeth wiggling. How could that be?!

On the way home, Mini peppered me with questions about the tooth fairy… What is the tooth fairy? What does the tooth fairy look like? How does the tooth fairy know to come? Where do you leave the tooth? What does the tooth fairy do with the teeth?* And so on. Let me just tell you, that was the longest 6 mile drive I’ve had in a long, long time. (I thought I had years to go before conquering these questions… I was wrong.)

Once we arrived home, the subject was quickly forgotten… but not for long. At the end of that week, one tooth was really wiggling. Enough to warrant whipping up a “tooth monster” (Mini’s request) to hold any lost teeth. And do a quick poll of fellow Mamas as to what the going rate for teeth was. (Turns out that is a loaded—and expensive—question! I received 25 cents per tooth. Where have those days gone!? Now it’s $5s and $10s?! Uh, no.) After a little brainstorming, and a quick run to the bank, the tooth fairy was ready.**

{Tooth Monster… inspired by some of the amazing ideas on Pinterest}

By the beginning of this week… it was a constant source of entertainment to him. And then, one morning… at 3:20 am… I awoke to find Mini standing by the side of my bed, hand clenched in a fist. “My tooth came out!” he exclaimed as soon as my eyes cracked open.

I sat up in disbelief, thinking “How in the world can a tooth fall out in the middle of the night?!” But sure enough, when he opened his hand, a teeny tiny tooth laid in his palm.

“Can you call the tooth fairy now?!” he asked.

I had to explain that the tooth fairy determines his schedule the night before, so I thought it would be best to wait until the next night. He wasn’t convinced, but seemed content enough to put it in a cup on his dresser for safe-keeping… and was much happier when I pointed out that he’d still have bragging rights at school the next day.

The next morning, he skipped into school, excited to show off his new grin. He came home, regaling us with tales of all the great reactions he received. That evening, he set up his tooth pillow—tooth tucked inside—on his bookshelf. (Not under his pillow, where the tooth fairy could sneak in… but where he could keep a good eye on it.) While part of me was sad to see such a big milestone behind us, a bigger part of me reveled in the excitement he had… excitement that was reflected in his face, his words, and his actions. There was a lot of care given to that precious tooth once it was out. The pillow was set up just right. And there may have been a little trouble falling asleep that night, in anticipation of the tooth fairy’s very. first. visit. 

Now, when I look at my son… I see a sweet boy, with a gap in his smile. And, at times, I get a glimpse of the baby he was. But more often then not… it’s all boy that I see. And that’s just as precious.

* In case you were wondering, our tooth fairy is really tall and really skinny. He has brown hair and green eyes. He likes wearing jeans and t-shirts. His name is Bob. We can text our tooth fairy that there is a tooth ready for pick-up, but some fairies require a “bat signal” of sorts. The teeth are very precious commodities in the fairy world… almost like gold. (This is what Mini determined on the drive home that felt like forever.) 

** Also, our tooth fairy deals in $2 bills. Not the going rate in these parts… but we like to think it’s a little less ordinary (and a little more magical) than the alternatives. 

[Note: In the two days it’s taken me to write this post in its entirety… the second tooth has been lost. Someone please tell me it will stop for a while now?!]