Bea's Lost Tooth

Bea lost her tooth in January, not long after Christmas. The first tooth lost was the first tooth she ever cut as a baby. There was more blood than I expected, nothing a little carpet cleaner couldn't fix though. Her new tooth is practically in place already and because it's so much bigger than the space it has to grow, the two teeth on either side are wiggling now, too. Soon she'll have a mouth full of big-people teeth and that's just about as scary to me as puberty. Any natural thing that advances her physical age is mortally wounding to me. I can't even begin to describe the emotions involved in raising a daughter. I would do anything I could to make sure that she grows up into a unique and strong woman. But I would also give both of my arms and a leg to keep her a child forever.