ivory perfection

Yesterday Amelia came to me and said she had a loose tooth. My heart sank.

"No you don't. You're too little."

"Yes, I do mommy. See? I can move it with my finger."

No. No. No. No. No! No was all I could think about when she shoved a dagger into my heart with this perfectly reasonable update about her life.

There are many things I look forward to as my kids get older. Like showering themselves and tucking themselves into bed and wiping their own butts and brushing their own teeth. But.... I've always told her she wasn't allowed to lose her teeth because they are perfect and I love them and when she looks at me and talks I can't peel my eyes from them. They are tiny and cute and.............

................and I don't want her to grow up.

That is what this is really about.

"Come over here and let me see," is what I said to her with a desperate prayer in my sinking heart. She walked over so proud. I put my finger on her tooth and wiggled it.

It wiggled. It moved. It rocked my world.

My baby is about to lose her first tooth. I'm not sure how I will go on when it comes out. Is there a support line for something like this? Someone I can call?

I'm still in shock about the whole thing. Please, someone tell her I am not ready.

Please.