All she wants for Christmas

Baby's got a tooth.

We're all sitting on the couch, me clicking away with my needles, Bella chewing on a spoon. Out of nowhere, Dave grabs it from her and tries to peer into her mouth as she hollers about her spoon causing me to start hollering in her defense. What's the big idea, taking her toy away! (He thought he'd heard it clicking on something.) I'm knitting, of course you hear clicking! I roll my eyes for dramatic flair and exasperation. There's no way she has teeth and I didn't notice.

Cut to fifteen minutes later when Bella and I are playing and she starts chewing on my finger. With something sharp. I flip her upside down and peer into her goofy smile. Where did that tooth come from?

Daddies know best. At least I had extra help from Bella when it came time to eat my foot.

~~~~~

It's been a hard month of second guessing myself, and I had given up lingering over the things I can't control, like teeth. But it's when you're least expecting change that it springs up to surprise you. One step closer to a toddler, one step farther from my newborn. I don't want to lose that cheesy grin of hers, gums smushed together, horizontal smile stretching from cheek to cheek. Where did she even learn to do that? I'll miss nursing her soft baby mouth, miss that gumminess that makes babies so... babyish.



And yet on the other hand, it's so exciting! I can't keep my finger out of her mouth. Let me see again! Awww, don't push mommy's finger away with your tongue, I wanna see! What must it feel like to have an entire life of smooth gums, not knowing a future of teeth, only to have one randomly erupt one day, make itself at home and invite its extended family to move in? I would be up in arms, You didn't tell me this was part of the deal. I'm happy with my mouth, thankyouverymuch. And yet Bella is completely nonplussed, perhaps only showing that she notices the new tenant in her mouth because she continuously rubs her lip over it.

She is a lesson in zen. Take life as it comes, overthinking it will only spoil the great surprises tossed at you from every direction.


[in case you thought I didn't try to take a photo of the tooth]




~~~~~

And I hear mamas all over the world groaning as I say this, but I cannot wait for her to crawl. I will happily rescue her from all sorts of unimaginable trouble just so I can watch her explore her world, find surprises around every corner, cause mischief (because I can!) and soak up the excitement that life has in store.