loose teeth (finally/already)

11/23/10 - I picked Sarah up from school today and she was beside herself with excitement at having a loose tooth. "Mommy!! I have a loose tooth! Feel it! It's wiggly!!" I was taken aback. This poor child has been lamenting the solid nature of her baby teeth for almost a year now. Most of her friends have experienced this rite of passage, and she couldn't help but be (more than) a bit jealous.

"Really?! How do you know? Can you feel it wiggle?" I asked her.

"It hurt at lunch. And because Stella said so," she replied.

"How could she tell?" I asked her. "Let me see." (At this point, I was skeptical and concerned that I might have to let her know that she'd have to wait just a little longer.)

"She said my tooth was sticking out and that it meant I have a loose tooth," she said and opened her mouth for me to check. (Sarah's tooth has always stuck out - she doesn't have enough room in her mouth.) So, in the school lobby, despite my almost-certainty that the tooth would not wiggle, I bent down and wiggled her tooth. And the one next to it too. Stella was almost right.

As soon as we got home, she called Stella to let her know that she had two wiggly teeth, not one. Immediately after the phone call, she drew a picture of herself holding two teeth, one in each hand. (She drew Stella standing next to her and plans to give her the drawing. I'm pretty sure that Sarah thinks Stella is as excited as she is about her big news.) At dinner, she asked to eat things that might help speed up the process. She wanted to eat corn on the cob and a whole (hard) apple. We didn't have either available, so she settled on wiggling her teeth several times throughout the evening. She was quite entertaining.

But (there's always a "but", isn't there?) - while I'm so happy and excited for her, knowing what a very big moment this is, I can't help but feel a bit sorry for myself. What can I say? When it comes to my kids and their growing up, I'm just not quite as ready as they are.

11/24/10 - Sarah woke up at 6:47 this morning, early for her (and for me). When I finally got to her bedroom after many urgent "Mommy!" cries, she informed me that she was wiggling her tooth. (Great. Thanks for letting me know. Just don't let me know so early next time.) At one point, a little while later, she referred to herself as "Loose Tooth Girl." Very nice. We have our own little superhero!