Our traumatic night

Little Gavin lost his two front teeth tonight... about four years earlier than we had pictured. I never in a million years thought Gavin would lose a tooth before Jacob did. So many thoughts are racing through my head ~ like every picture we take of him for FOUR years will have his two front teeth missing. Four years of people asking me how he lost them. Four years of him sticking his tongue through the gap. Four years of singing "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth."

Anyway, the story goes like this. We had just gone out to dinner with my friend to celebrate Casey's first birthday. We shared a mile high mud pie and I took a picture our five kids together. I'm not sure why, but we've never taken one of all of them. I thought that was a momentous occasion in itself. Now it is much more momentous... it's the last picture Gavin took with his two front teeth.

It happened as soon as we got home. I watched it right before my very own eyes. Gavin tripped and banged (what I thought was his head) on the handle of a wrought iron bench in our living room. As soon as I picked him up, I saw that his teeth were missing. One was lying on the living room floor and the other was jammed up inside of his gums. He was screaming and gurgling on all of the blood in his mouth.

My husband is the calm, rational one who happened to be flying an airplane when this all was happening. I am the emotional one who panics and breaks down crying in these situations. I somehow pulled myself together and ran next door to ask my neighbor to watch Jacob and Casey. Then I buckled Gavin in and sped to urgent care, which thankfully is less than a mile away from my house.

The nurse couldn't have been any less concerned about the situation, like we were there for a routine check-up. She weighed Gavin, took his temperature, and starting making small talk with us. I was thinking... "Are you kidding me? My son just knocked out his front teeth! I do NOT want to chat it up with you!" She proceeded to tell me that this happens all the time and it's not a big deal. Really lady? Because I almost called 911.

She left the room and I was holding Gavin for several minutes before going outside to ask for some ice. The doctor was at the computer, saw how upset I was, and followed me into the room. She told me there is nothing we can do and seriously, kids knock out their baby teeth out all the time. She gave him some ibuprofen and I am supposed to call the dentist in the morning to see if they need to pull the tooth that is jammed up inside his gums.

The only thing that made me feel a little better was to tell Gavin that the tooth fairy would come tonight. I tried to make it super exciting so he would see how fun it can be to lose your teeth. Until Jacob overheard that the tooth fairy was coming... and totally, completely freaked out. So here is my five year old on the couch screaming, "SHE WILL COME IN MY WINDOW? AHHHHHH! I DON'T WANT HER TO COME! NOOOOOOO MOMMY NOOOOOO!" He was totally inconsolable and wouldn't come to bed. So then Gavin was scared and started crying too. Are you kidding me? Seriously, this night has not already been dramatic enough?

Finally, I knelt down beside Jacob and told him that I called the tooth fairy and told her not to come. I convinced him that mommies and daddies can do that. They just say no thank you to the tooth fairy. She understands and will give the treats to the mommy and daddy and will NOT come in your room. My goodness!

What a night. Here is a picture of my sweet Gavin. It still doesn't seem real. But hey, one day Gavin and Jacob will take a picture together with both of their two front teeth missing... and not many siblings are able to do that, right? ;)

At least, for the time-being, he is sleeping peacefully.