The Tooth Hurts

Jada's two front teeth have been so loose that they protrude from her mouth at a 45-degree angle. Then, yesterday at the playground after school, she was engaged in horseplay with her friends, got smushed in the mouth, and one of those front teeth started bleeding. It was time to go home anyway, so we scurried home, Jada alternating between cries about blood and excitement about finally losing her tooth. But when we got home and I offered to yank it out, she clammed up. Twice she scampered upstairs to try to do it herself in the privacy of her own bathroom, and twice she failed to summon up the courage to just give it a pull. So fearful was she of it hurting that she teared up several times just at the mere thought of it, and decided that while she wanted it out before bedtime, it would have to be Amy to do it. Finally, we did everything possible - eat dinner, brush teeth, put on pajamas, read stories, and pray - and just them Amy came home from work. Laying Jada against her chest, she got a tissue, grabbed hold of Jada's tooth, and - despite some wiggling and protests from Jada - pulled that thing clean out. Jada sprinted to the bathroom to rinse her mouth and take a look in the mirror. I waited for her to stop crying and then snapped a photo. The tooth next to it is pretty loose itself. Maybe that one she'll pull out on her own. For now, it's good to have a professional nurse practitioner in the house.