Ella Lost a Tooth!

Ella has wanted to lose a tooth since kindergarten.  She was very discouraged when she was the only kid in her class that didn't lose a tooth last year.  No name on the tooth wall for Ella.  At Christmas she was convinced that she was never going to lose a tooth.  Her last x-rays showed her adult teeth way down below the gums so I knew it would happen, eventually.  I told her that she would for sure lose one before she turned 7.  It was 10 months away so she had time.  As the weeks and months went on I was giving up hope that it would actually happen before she was 7.  I was worried that I told her something I couldn't for sure know would happen.  Until she came home from school a few weeks ago and told me that there was something funny in her mouth.  I looked and saw that a tooth popped through the gums behind her baby teeth.  I wiggled her tooth and it didn't budge.  I didn't want her to have her baby teeth pulled so I told her she needed to wiggle her tooth everyday with the hope that it would loosen.  Because Ella was so determined to lose the tooth she wiggle that tooth for hours each day.  On Sunday between sessions of General Conference she was ready to have her tooth pulled out.  It was almost ready but she insisted she would be brave and let dad pull it out.  It took several attempts and even when he got it there was an extra tug needed to get it out all the way.  She was so brave and didn't even cry.  She ran to the mirror to see her new smile.  There is something that changes instantaneously when see your child's new toothless smile.   She immediately looked older.  She walked a little taller the rest of the day beaming that she finally lost her first tooth...before she turned 7!  And miraculously the tooth fairy came on the first night and left her a note and $1.50 for her first tooth.  She was so funny when I woke her up for school because she only wanted to peek under her pillow but didn't want to touch it until she came home from school.  Ella is just like me and loves teeth and takes the best care of her teeth out of all the kids.  She wants to be a dental hygienist when she grows up and a mom.  Just like me.  So to say it was a big deal for Ella to lose a tooth would be the understatement of the year!  I just love my Ella.  I guess we need to start saving for braces because Ella has the tiniest teeth I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot of teeth!) that there is no way there's room in that little mouth for her adult teeth.  I see many years of spacers, palate expanders, and braces in her future.  Good thing she loses her teeth a little later than most!