A beautiful smile

To me, a beautiful smile includes beautiful teeth. Call me vain, if you wish, but I love pretty teeth. From the time Leighton's teeth began erupting as a baby, she has had "issues." She very clearly has a set of fused teeth on the bottom and to the casual observer, it looks as though she has a missing tooth on the opposite side. However, as it turns out, one of her teeth is larger and the dentist thinks it is actually fused as well and that is why it looks like she has a missing tooth. It's been interesting to learn that fused teeth actually comes from my mom's side of the family. One of my cousins has a daughter with several fused teeth. Fused or not fused, she has a perfect little smile. I'm actually going to miss those "special teeth" (as they have come to be known) when she loses them.

I hated losing teeth. I hated the anticipation of how the tooth was going to come out, I hated pulling them, I hated the feeling of my gums after a tooth had just been pulled (ick...it makes my stomach turn just thinking about it), I hated just about all of it.

Alas, the time has come for Leighton to lose her first tooth. Three weeks ago Leighton stated she had "something" in her tooth as we were shoe shopping. I knelt down to see and was shocked to see a permanent tooth coming in behind her baby tooth. I have to admit I wasn't so quiet exclaiming it was a tooth! We had people standing in line to check-out looking in Leighton's mouth to see her new tooth! Leighton was ecstatic! She has been waiting (not so patiently) to lose her first tooth.

Three weeks later, Leighton's tooth was not getting any looser and the dentist said it was time for her to pull it. I was a nervous wreck! Seriously...I didn't sleep well the night before with the anticipation of what was about to happen. Leighton was a champ! She had (still has) no idea they used a needle to put numbing medicine in her mouth, but I'd prefer to leave it that way. She did realize something was about to happen and shed a few tears but she was SO brave and calmed down very quickly.

As a parent, you always hear when your child starts losing teeth, it changes the way they look. So, along with my disgust for losing my own teeth, I've dreaded the day when Leighton started losing her teeth and her looks started changing from a baby to a girl. The day has come and I think her smile, gap and all, is just gorgeous! Different, yes. Making me realize she is growing up too fast, yes. But, perfect...because she's my baby and her smile will always be beautiful to me!