Snaggled Teeth

Breakfast was eventful today. Abby was eating cinnamon toast and held up a white thing to ask me what it was. At first I thought it was something that came out of her nose (gross, I know) but then I realized what it was so I said, "Abby is that a TOOTH?" She started crying hysterically and tried to put the tooth in her mouth, blood pouring out. She was telling me that she didn't want it to be a tooth. Oh, my heart sank.

Part of her response is probably my fault. We are having her 5-year portrait that we've been saving up for on Wednesday. It was supposed to be two weeks ago but Mitchell (the photographer) and I both had conflicts and needed to reschedule. At Abby's dentist in January the hygienist said she thought we had about 6 months before she lost any teeth. I was feeling pretty confident and told several people I wanted Abby to have some color (a tan) in her picture but didn't want her to lose her teeth first. Plus Stephen tells her if she doesn't brush her teeth, they'll fall out. :)

It's not as bad as I thought it would be, even. When Abby smiles her normal smile, her bottom teeth do not even show. My friend, Greta, called this morning and she told me Mitchell had actually made some one's hair stand up in a picture so I feel very confident that even IF we got an all-teeth smile, he could add some white where there is none.

However, I have been on the brink of tears all day, and it has nothing to do with the portrait. Abby has been very quiet all day. I saw her struggling at lunch to chew the bread on her sandwich and it just broke my heart.

I took her to Publix with me during Sydney and Brody's nap time. When we were waiting to get her free cookie, Abby asked if I could please be the one to tell the Bakery lady, "Thank You." (She didn't want her to see her missing tooth.) I told Abby that it would mean so much more coming from her and she quickly said she was going to change her mind and say it. I'm glad she was tender-hearted about it.

Later in Publix, Abby pointed at something on the chip aisle. I thought she wanted Sunchips. I told her we had chips at home, asked what she wanted (annoyed a little that she wasn't using words) and she pointed to a pack of costume/dress up jewelry hanging up. I asked her why she wanted it. She said she didn't want it but she was showing me the woman's smile - you couldn't see her bottom teeth. That made Abby smile a little grin. I was happy to have a grin at this point in the day.

Stephen has taken her on a date to Toys R Us. I am sure she will have lots to smile about when she gets home. I am planning to reinforce the idea that beauty is fleeting but that God looks at our hearts and that is what we need to be most concerned about.

Having said that, I am still a little sad, too. Abby is losing her baby-ness. With every baby tooth that goes she will become a little more grown up. I don't know why this phase from preschooler to school aged child has been harder for me than all the other phases, but it has.

I think tomorrow, when she sees all the other older kids at the church building that can stick their tongues through their cute little snagged-toothed mouths she will be fine. Abby doesn't like to be the pioneer if she doesn't have to be. I can relate because I am the same way. Fine to lead when I have to but very content to follow when someone else wants to lead.

Anyway, the tooth fairy will leave her something tonight under her pillow. We decided that quickly this morning. How MUCH to leave her is the question?!?

Abby showing me her teeth a few days later