Maggie Loses a Tooth

Happy Valentine's Day! Smooches!

Well, yesterday when Maggie got home from school, her upper left central incisor was sticking out from her face at about a 45 degree angle. She looked a bit odd, and I was concerned that the tooth behind it was pushing it forward, so we decided that it was time to pull it. I got the floss wrapped around the base of the tooth with no problem, but I just couldn't do it - I couldn't get up the nerve to pull the floss, and hence, the tooth.

I'm such a wuss, I couldn't even pull my own teeth as a child, just ask my mom. She used to say, "I'll just use one finger" to wiggle it, but when she pulled one of my molars by wedging her fingernail under it and yanking down, I would no longer allow her even "one finger" access! I'd just let them get so loose they would drop out on their own. Now that I'm the mommy and see the looming orthodontia bills in the future, I'm more proactive, but I still prefer to let Jerry do the actual pulling.

At bedtime we did the pulling - Maggie on the counter, Jerry at her side, me offering moral and photodocumentary support. One good yank and it was all but over. Jerry pulled it, and it took a couple of seconds for her to register the "ouch" factor, but when she saw the blood on the Kleenex, she got upset - just for a moment. We used some gauze to stop the bleeding, and then she spent the next several moments admiring the gap in her smile where the tooth used to be.

The tooth was placed carefully under the pillow, and this morning, in its place were two whole dollars!!! What wealth! In my day, a tooth was worth a quarter - no more, no less. Ah, the good old days. Maggie is thrilled and can't wait to show off her new smile to her teacher.