Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Ah, the second child

Last week at my son's school Valentine's party, the local minor league baseball team mascot joined us. Since Louie, the mascot, is in a huge costume he is a bit lumbering and has a handler to move him around. For the group picture, my son squeezed in just behind Louie's left arm and ended up getting clocked in the nose when Louie turned to go.

After many tears, assessing the damage, and finding no blood, I pronounced him fine. Then, a couple of days ago, he grimaced while eating. I looked closer. His left front tooth had crossed behind his right one giving him a rather bucktooth appearance.

"Sweetie, did you get hit in the face?" I asked him, pulling him into my lap.

"When Louie hit my nose, it also hit my front teeth," he said.

"Have you already lost those teeth?" I asked him while gently probing. Both of the front teeth were very loose.

"Yes," he says. I start wondering what happens when permanent teeth get knocked crooked. It had been almost a week since it happened.

He went to move them around and I yelled, "Don't touch them."

Feeling much shame, I called the dentist to set up an emergency appointment. Making the appointment I had to admit, "Yes, it was last week. Yes, they are his permanent teeth."

So we go today. I'm sitting anxiously in the corner when the dentist walks in. Is my son going to have to have braces now? Or will they put those silver caps right on his front? My son opens his mouth. The dentist takes one look and says,"Those are his baby teeth."

My response, "Are you sure?"

The dentist shoots me a look, feeling the sting of my question and then says, "Yes, I am sure but we'll take x-rays just in case." He, no doubt, is wanting to march me in his office and show me his diploma. After the x-ray confirmation, he says, "I can pull them but you might as well just let them come out on their own. I can't even see any root left."

"Well, I'm relieved and embarrassed," I say to him. "I do apologize."

"Just be relieved," he says and we leave.

But instead of feeling like less of a negligent mom it occurred to me, how could I not know he hadn't yet lost his front teeth? With my oldest it was like a federal holiday. Although, I am quite relieved that he does not have to have any major work, still feel a bit bad. When questioned about saying he'd already lost the teeth, he said he was talking about the tooth beside it, which he has lost. At least, I knew he had lost some teeth in the front. Right?  I'm guessing he is going to make good from the tooth fairy when those loose, wiggly teeth do come out.

14 comments:

  1. LOL! I think this happens to all moms with more than one child. This reminds me of a joke:
    When your first child swallows a penny you rush him to the doctor and have an x-ray taken.
    When your second child swallows a penny you tell him he'll poop it out.
    When your third child swallows a penny you tell him you're deducting it from his allowance!

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    1. I guess lucky for them I don't have a third child.

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  2. That wouldn't have happened if the team had had adorable bulldog mascots like my avatars. Though maybe he would have gotten mauled by a bulldog...

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  3. Well, he wasn't much help with the remembering, so don't feel bad. As you said, no permanent damage!

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  4. Great story. I could see this happening to me. I forget things so easily now, and I'm not nearly as observant as I once was. I blame it on my bad eyesight. : )

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  5. Great telling of the story, Nancy! Think of it this way: it's less about not caring enough to document his every lost tooth, and more about providing your son/family with another great story to tell for years. You did him a favor! Keep the stories coming; I love them.

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  6. You mean kids after the first one still lose their teeth?

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  7. Well at least the tooth fairy will make everything right..haha

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  8. Don't worry, I was the second child and have had a lifetime of shrugs and no answers to my life and death issues. My sister had every moment of her young life documented on camera, 8 mm film, an amazingly crafted baby book, all sorts of stuff like that. Me? Well, I still have to sit at the kids table at family functions.

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  9. I had my two at the same time and pretty much every story I tell starts with 'I don't remember which one of you it was, but ... ' Also, I never remember who likes and dislikes what - only that someone does. At least I'm neglecting them equally :-)

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