Wyatt lost his first tooth!

One tooth down, 19 more to go! Yep, that's right, the first of the baby teeth is officially out and he's got a hole in his mouth. So grown up!

Dayven was brushing Wyatt's teeth the other night and he said "What happened to Wyatt's bottom tooth? It's about to come out!" I was shocked and went running in to see. I knew he hadn't fallen or bumped it on anything, but it just never dawned on me he'd be losing his first tooth before his 5th birthday. Sure enough, it was wiggling back and forth and definitely on the verge of coming out. I called the dentist to schedule an appointment, but they weren't at all concerned, saying kids start to lose their teeth around this age. Wyatt was upset at first until we explained the concept and told him about the Tooth Fairy. Then he was excited.

We decided to let it go another day and work its way out on its own. He kept pushing on it with his tongue and talking about it. Once we drew attention to it, he just couldn't leave it alone. By dinner time the next day, it was really loose. We were having steak and corn on the cob for dinner - could there be a worse meal for a kid with a loose tooth? Dayven wanted to pull it so we wouldn't lose it, but I said no. He was right. On the first bite, Wyatt made a face and we knew it was out. We tried to find it, but it was gone. Most likely, he swallowed it. He said it fell out outside while he was playing. We weren't sure if he really lost it on that bite, or it just felt funny because it was his first time chewing with it gone. Either way, I was disappointed not to have his first tooth and worried about what we'd do for the Tooth Fairy, whom we'd hyped up so much. Dayven went outside to look for the tooth. I saw him walking slowly through the yard, thinking it was a lost cause and there's no way he'd find it. I saw him bend down and brush something off, then bring it inside, exclaiming he'd found it. Wyatt was so happy and so was I, until I realized he was just playing it off for Wyatt's benefit. It was actually a tiny piece of stucco that had fallen off the house. He was playing it up big time. What a good dad! It looked like a tiny piece of jagged rock and nothing like an actual tooth, but Wyatt didn't seem to notice. 

After dinner, he couldn't wait to put it in his tooth holder. He proudly carried it around and kept opening the lid and showing it to us. He kept saying "Look! Dere it is. My loose toof!" like he was so surprised to see it actually outside of his mouth. I told him he had to get to bed so the tooth fairy could come and collect his tooth and leave him some money. He said "Oh Mommy, when she comes, I will tell her tank you nicely." but I told him he'd most likely be asleep. That satisfied him. Once he was in bed, I scrambled out to the store to pick some things up. If I'd had a bit more time, I probably could have thought of some fun, creative tradition to start, but I was a little caught off guard by the whole thing.

When he woke in the morning, he came into my room and told me sadly the tooth fairy had not come. It was so dark in his room when he got up, he couldn't see. That tells you how early he got up! I took him back in and turned the lights on and showed him the loot. He was so happy to see she had come through on her end of the deal. She left him a letter sprinkled in fairy dust, explaining the importance of good tooth hygiene (hey, I gotta get a plug in somewhere), a new Spiderman toothbrush, Bakugan toothpaste, flossers, stickers and two loonies. He was pretty pleased. He asked about his tooth and if he'd get it back and I told him she kept it for her collection but someday she might give them all back when he was all grown up. I saved that crumbly piece of stucco and he will get it back someday.

 

 

He has looked in the mirror a couple of times since and asked what happened to it and I reminded him about the tooth fairy. He said, "Oh yeah, that's right. She'll give it back later when I'm grown up". It's so silly to see him with the missing space in his teeth. He looks like such a big kid now!