The Making of a Toothless Grin, Part 1

Well, it's official. I have a real "Big" kid. The teeth are comin' out and I'm having the best time watching Lily's toothless grin and hearing the funny way her words sound because there's no teeth on top.

Let me take you on a photographic journey of my big girl's rite of passage. Lily lost her first tooth at our Cox Family Reunion in Eden, UT on July 13th. She had been waiting to lose a tooth for at least a year, ever since she'd seen an episode of Arthur about the tooth fairy. She was so excited about the tooth fairy that she willingly went to bed before the other kids, not a minor feat amid the joy and chaos of being with all of her Cox cousins.

Lily's second bottom tooth followed soon after on July 25th.

Then there was a long dry spell. Both of her top teeth were ever so slightly loose for months. In late November or early December, they got a little more wiggly. I thought for sure they'd be out by Christmas. I was wrong.

As Lily's sixth birthday approached in February, I was sitting in my office one morning and Lily ran in to tell me that her tooth was really loose. She explained that she had tied a string to her tooth and the doorknob, swinging the door closed and making her tooth loose. I laughed right out loud. Apparently this is still a very viable technique. I asked her where she'd gotten the idea and she said, "I just thought of it myself."

Valentine's Day was the big day. Now, if you're squeamish about blood, don't watch this video. But you may regret missing this impressive display of bravery. Be sure to listen right at the beginning to hear the tooth "pop" out.



Look at that smile! Lily was so proud!

School was especially fun for Lily that day. There is no greater status symbol among kindergarteners than having a lost tooth, a top tooth especially.

As Lily put her tooth under her pillow that night, she asked me, "Mama, what color do you think the Tooth Fairy is?" I shrugged and she said, "Oh, I know. White, because teeth are white."