My daughter came bounding off the Kindergarten bus today with a new smile. First Tooth Gone!!!! Her smile was as big as I have ever seen it, and the outward exuberance of excitement and budding maturity was a glean in her eyes. As she was smiling, my heart ached, just a bit, and I could feel the sting of tears in my eyes. I instantly flashed back to her as a baby and wondering when that first tooth was going to come in. Those late nights of an infant crying, and those runny noses that were the tell tail sign of a new tooth. I relished her happiness, as it was contageous, as nothing is as good as the first tooth. She presented me with a small treasure chest with her tooth in it.

My Baby

Now that very same tooth that we helped grow in, is now gone. Baby oral gel  and the occasional tylenol for when it was just too much to take. My beautiful little baby just crossed into a new level of childhood- gone is the baby, toddler, preschooler and Kindergartner. She is now a full on kid, headed to first grade, tooth missing and all.

We photographed it, emailed and texted the BIG news to all who would listen. Loosing a tooth is like winning the lottery for a kid. I received a detailed report about how she pulled it out and had to go to the nurse, her teacher clapped and everyone wanted to see her new smile. I even received a phone call from a friend who heard the news first thing when her daughter got off the bus.

Goodbye Tooth

So tonight we know the tooth fairy is going to come. My daughter positioned her tooth right next to her bed, with the top off her tooth box, so the tooth fairy can find it. As I take a look, I notice my older daughter has written a note to the tooth fairy wanting to know how much she was given for her first tooth. She is claiming she on got $1.00. Really I said, that doesn’t sound right. I am sure you got more than that for your first tooth ( hmm, maybe that was the rate). Well maybe she learned her lesson and figured out what other tooth fairies were paying, clearly much more than that.

Needless to say, my older daughters note was removed, as its not about her or the money, this is about my youngest crossing into the next level of being a kid. The anticipation of her tooth being gone in the morning and finding a surprise no matter how big or small. I realize that its ok to mourn all the firsts that we experienced with our kids as babies, but on the bright side there are million more firsts that we will share in their lifetime.