Milestone: Losing a Tooth

Hunter had a bad couple of weeks at school- we weren’t sure what had caused the regression, whether it was exposure to other children who may have gotten the flu mist, or Peyton’s cough (mycoplasma??), etc.  However, the week after things started to get a little better, I noticed he had two new adult teeth that popped in on the bottom.  I showed him with excitement his new teeth, and discovered that his two bottom baby teeth were loose.  Well, he worked on those baby teeth- I told him to keep wiggling and attempt to get the loose tooth out (Paige had to have her baby teeth pulled when he adult teeth came in early as well- pulling teeth for Hunter meant anesthesia).  Yesterday, when we walked into school and had entered Peyton’s classroom, I heard a “YES!!!!!!!” and turned around to see a bloody mouth Hunter holding his little, tiny tooth.  And he had the biggest grin on his face.

Such normalcy.  He was beyond excited about the chance that the tooth fairy would visit that night. 

I kept smiling as I drove to work, looking at that tiny baby tooth in my cup holder.  He was so excited, so proud, and had that smile that melts my heart…and it was if Autism wasn’t even in the picture. 

We celebrated with a new Berenstein Bears book (“The Tooth Fairy) and ice cream.  He put that tooth under his pillow ever so sweetly, and laid down in anticipation of getting a small token for the tooth.
  

 

Did I mention that he was up last night from around 2 until about 5 this morning?  Not sure if it was the tooth fairy, St. Nick’s arrival, or a combination of it all…but we are one set of tired parents. 

 But our baby lost his first tooth.  And for a moment in time, I lost the Autism diagnosis.  I was able to see a child that was so proud of himself for finally pulling that tooth out.  A child that was so excited about things to come.  And a child that ran to his teacher to show her his bloody, missing tooth mouth, sharing his own joy with others.

 

 

Take that, Autism.