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Friday, July 9, 2010

All I Want for Christmas

But wait, it's only July you say. Poor Joseph will be singing that song about his two front teeth for many Christmases to come, that is when he finally starts talking.

After lunch one day, his mouth started bleeding. Bleeding a lot. His teeth were also perpendicular to his gums. It wasn't pretty. I quickly started making phone calls and directing the girls to help load everyone in the van. Thank goodness I have such helpful older girls. I then took him to the dentist, both of us covered in blood and sweat. Dh met us there as I was pretty sure no waiting room was ready for me and all the kiddos. Besides, Joseph is Daddy's boy. Dh would be much better at comforting him.

The teeth had to come out. Both dh and I were caught a little off-guard when the dentist casually asked for the extractors and started pulling them out in mid-conversation. No warning, no anesthetic, just a quick couple pulls as dh was holding little Joseph who cried very little considering what was happening to his mouth. Dh did not fare as well as our Joseph. He turned gray, had to leave and put his head down, asked for a garbage can. I really thought he wasn't going to make it without passing out. This man who has watched all of my c-sections (at Gabe's birth he was asked to step back) and never seemed bothered, could not handle seeing Joseph's teeth pulled.

We had taken Joseph to a new dentist's office at our family dentist's suggestion. She was a pediatric dentist who could see us right away. The girls all liked her office and wanted to go there themselves until they heard Joseph had to have his teeth pulled. Then none of them wanted to go back-- ever. Banana said it was especially unfair for Joseph because he didn't even know about the tooth fairy!

We still aren't sure what caused his teeth to fall out. He hadn't fallen, he really never cried as though he was in pain. We were all taken aback by how his teeth looked since he didn't seem to be hurt. In fact, I couldn't get him to leave them alone until we got to the dentist. It is possible it is a result of the cleft, or the palate surgery. We will now watch his teeth a little more closely, especially as his adult teeth come in. Until then we can sing about the teeth

2 comments:

Unknown said...

How scary! Glad he is OK, though!

Herd Momma said...

Oh My. Poor DH. and at the same time hee..hee...that is too funny. He's all about cut the wife open and yank out babies but teeth pulling puts him under the table. Stitches? Have you visited this fun family thing yet? I can't remember. Something tells me if DH is along better have a chair and bag handy. Just saying. been there...done that.