Darn tooth chart.

Since the first week of Kindergarten when he was introduced to the classrooms "tooth chart" Hunter has been excited about losing his first tooth. Hunter has tough gums a lot like I did when I was a kid. When it was time for my teeth to come in we had to go to the dentist and they would cut my gums to help the teeth come down. Not fun. When he was a baby he had a horrible teething experience. For months his gums would swell and he would be miserable, we would get hopeful that we would soon see one and then back down the swelling would go leaving nothing. He was fourteen months before he got his first tooth! I love the pictures of him at his first birthday party gumming his cupcake, poor guy :) I have never seen a kid have such a hard time getting teeth. About half way through his kindergarten year he had still not lost a tooth and would regularly tell us about so and so who had lost one and how they had "made the chart." We kept telling him that it would happen. We took him for his dental exam and the did x-rays. "They are not anywhere near ready to come out" the dentist told us, "Maybe next year buddy, probably first grade but if not definitely by second." You can imagine Hunter's devastation. So Kindergarten flew by and Hunter was bummed as he told us that he had never made it onto the tooth chart. First grade came, new school, new teacher, yep...new tooth chart. Again Hunter reported his excitement that this would be the year. All year long watching friends make the chart, frusteration feeling like he was "never going to lose a tooth" "It'll happen dude" Deke kept telling him. Two weeks before school got out Hunter came flying home announcing that he had a wiggly tooth. Cautious that he was just imaging looseness out of desire to lose a tooth I tried to wiggle the tooth. !!!!What do you know it was actually wiggling!!!!! So for the next couple of weeks Hunter wiggled it everyday. Every morning requesting an apple for lunch to help loosen it up more. He had reviewed the plan with me at least a million times for what he would do if he lost it at school. 1. Make sure to find it and hang onto it so you don't lose it. 2. get some toilet paper or tissue to stop the bleeding. 3. go to the nurse and get a sweet tooth holder that is shaped like a tooth 4. guard it and protect it until he gets home to show us. The plan was set, the tooth was wiggling and we waited. Of course as life goes sometimes this darn tooth had a different time schedule no matter how much Hunter persisted it didn't come out by the last day of school. Hunter was more than bummed. "Didn't make the chart again" he told me shoulders sagging. "They don't even have a tooth chart in second grade" he added. I felt bad for him and frusterated at that little tooth. Then last Thursday we were having a crazy day at the Burch household. I had three extra kiddos making the household full of an 8 month old, 14 month old, 2year old, 4year old, 6 year old and 7 year old. Crazy. The morning had starting off bright and early at 6:30am and had been a crazy, fussy, hectic kind of day. We straggled through until noon and right in the middle of babies in highchairs, blowing on warm food and getting more juice. Hunter cried out about his tooth and that it was bleeding. Sure enough it was, and boy was it wiggly. Hunter opened his mouth and the new permanent tooth was already up and waiting behind. "Hunter that thing needs to come out, I can't help you right this second but go in the bathroom and get some toilet paper and start trying to pull it." Every few minutes throughout trying to finish feeding everyone lunch...crying..."Mom it is bleeding! It hurts, I need your help!" "Hunter, I've told you a million times that it was going to bleed, I know it is uncomfortable but it will feel better if you just get it out." A minute or two later the same repeat discussion. More crying. Coming out and showing me the little blood spots on the paper towel insisting I check how much blood he was loosing. Reassuring him everytime and sending him back into the bathroom. Once everyone was fed and washed up I grabbed the videocamera and sat all five kids next to me on the floor outside of the bathroom. Considering all the noise and drama they were actually willing spectators. Managing the camera, the kids and trying to assist Hunter we went on for thirty minutes. Then I was done. "Hunter I am giving you five minutes, if you don't pull it out then I am going to." "No Mom!" he cried wide eyed "And if I don't get it then I know Dad will when he gets home." "No, I don't want Dad to pull it!" I sat there secretly hoping that he would just get it out, nervous about having to pull it for him, definitely prepared to chicken out and leave this one to Deke. "Then stop crying, be brave and pull on the count of three." I started counting and before I hit three Hunter, the calmest he had been in more than forty five minutes turned to me and totally calm said, "it's out" and held it out to me. Then came the clapping and cheering from his little audience. He turned to the camera grinning wide and said "I've been waiting for this!!!" in the happiest, most content little voice. It was awesome. It looks so cute and he is so excited. Deke came home and of course cried when Hunter showed him, and then laughed so hard when I showed him the video which for the majority of it sounds like Hunter is losing a limb. He carried it around in a little tupperware all day and called everyone and talked about the tooth fairy. That night Deke and I watched him put it under his pillow and as I tucked him in he hugged me and said, "It's okay if I didn't make the tooth chart but maybe we can email Mrs. Painter anyways" that we did. The next morning he hurried in to show us that the tooth fairy had left him $7 and this tiny rolled up note: KEEP BRUSHING! SEE YOU AGAIN SOON.... He reported to us that he had actually seen her and that she flew right through his window. "She had a sparkly white and pink dress, brown curly hair, blue eyes, see through wings, a small brown sack for my tooth and was about as big as when you hold your thumb and pointer finger out." Avery was amazed and now can't stop telling us about how she can't wait to see a "real fairy" So the first of many teeth to come out, he looks so cute with it gone. I love these "firsts" I love that my life is full of them with the kids. Now off to email Mrs. Painter again since she will be his second grade teacher and see if we can't work a little something out about that tooth chart thing :) :)