Last in the Collection

A couple of weeks ago, Erin had three teeth pulled. Her dentist and orthodontist had been watching them for over a year now, and had both agreed that the time had come to get them out, seeing as they weren't showing any signs of budging on their own. It had originally been FOUR that had to come out, but one of them was nice enough to pretty much do it on its own a few weeks prior. So on a Friday morning, we drove to the surgeon's office with Erin in her pjs, Lucky clutched in her arms, to get it done. It was Erin's first visit to an oral surgeon, and her first experience with being put under general anesthesia - both of which are experiences we hope she doesn't have too often in her life.

However, for me, it was a "last." These teeth were the last of her baby teeth to come out. In my closet, I have a little bottle with all of her baby teeth in it (with the exception of the very first one, which she actually swallowed. I wasn't that interested in retrieving it. Eew!). These last three came home in their own little treasure chest. I've been looking at this little box ever since, and it gives me a sad sort of a feeling. This is a little bit of her childhood that's passed, something that will never happen to her again. It's a sure sign (one of many, as I'm seeing every day) that she is leaving that little girl stage behind her. I'll never again see her with a gap-toothed grin (or, at least, I HOPE not! LOL!), or see her bring home a tooth necklace when she's lost one at school. I'll never again fish around under her pillow for a tooth and leave some money while she was sleeping.

Yep, my little girl is growing up.