Big Boy Grins

With bigger kids, the milestones tend to be less frequent and less obvious.  Growth and gains happen over time, and one day you notice that you have a reader, or that your kids can subtract very big numbers, or throw with accuracy.  There are not as many "big" moments, like those of first steps and first words, but the leaps and bounds are no less astounding, once you get around to noticing them.

Since they don't happen as often or as concretely these days, I have gotten out of the habit of recording milestones.  And so when I took Ethan to get two of his top baby teeth pulled yesterday, I realized I had been remiss in reporting the loss of his first tooth!  My boy waited forever and forever and forever to lose that first tooth.  He so wanted it to happen during the school year, so he could take his tooth home in a little treasure chest from the nurse's office.  And when it didn't happen during first grade, and he was the only first grader who hadn't lost a tooth (says Ethan), he desperately wanted it to happen before he began second grade.  So we were all thankful when, on August 20th (thank goodness for iPhoto dating), while eating an ice cream cone, Ethan lost his first baby tooth.

I have to be honest and say I've always been kind of disgusted by pictures of mouths with just-lost teeth.  Like everything else with parenthood, it's so different when it's your kid.

And promptly swallowed it.

Four days later, an ear of corn took the companion tooth out, but Ethan was careful not to swallow it this time.

Wow, I think I need to be better about enforcing the "wash your hands before dinner" mantra.

The first thing Ethan's second grade teacher said to him was "I can tell you are ready for second grade - you just lost two teeth!".  He beamed.

Yesterday, the dentist yanked the top two center teeth and altered Ethan's baby smile forever.  I took one last photo of that adorable goofy smile.   

Note the shark teeth going on up there, hence the need to get those baby teeth moving on out.

Ethan was so brave - no tears, just excitement to have two teeth to leave for the Fairy, and a little leftover giddiness from the "bubble gum air".  I will miss that baby smile, but am already getting attached to the crooked gaps in his new big boy grin.