It’s almost two weeks since Punky’s adorable little tooth made its debut. I finally remembered to buy her a toothbrush Wednesday. I originally asked her dad to pick one up… and he did… but he failed to read the package where it clearly said the toothbrush was for older children with all of their primary teeth in place. Sigh.
Last night we went about our usual night time routine, and I decided to insert brush time between book time and bottle time. I know it would be better to brush the tooth after the bottle, but sometimes she falls asleep in my arms and it would be cruel to wake her, especially for that. Soon enough she’ll be done with bottles completely, and then we can do it just before bed.
She loves watching me brush my teeth. She likes when I hold her so she can touch the toothbrush and lean over the sink with me when I spit out the toothpaste. Sorry, kind of gross, but she finds it amusing and giggles every time. Plus, afterwards she gets to wash her patties off in the sink when I wash mine, and splashing in the water is the icing on the cake.
I didn’t know what she would think of having the toothbrush in her mouth though. She’s awfully protective of that tooth. She knows when you are intentionally trying to get a good look or feel, and does all she can to prevent your success. You have to catch her off guard, and be at just the right angle, to really see that tiny tooth in all its glory. Feeling it requires some kind of food that can be sucked off your finger while you sneak a pass along the gum line.
My expectation was that I would get the toothbrush in her mouth one time only. I figured as soon as she felt it anywhere near her precious tooth, she would close her mouth tightly and refuse to play that game anymore. My plan was to aim directly for the tooth and make my one shot count. Hopefully I would get a few brush strokes in before she pulled it out of her mouth.
She watched intently as I took her new toothbrush out of the package. I showed her the Sesame Street characters on the tiny handle. I let her hold it while I got my toothbrush out to show her it was just like mama’s. I put mine in my mouth to remind her of what it’s used for, and she flashed me a smile that seemed to say, “I get it, mama.”
I took the brush from her and ran it under the water. She reached for it and immediately shoved it in her mouth. She let me hold the end of it while she chewed on the bristles. I took it and ran it under the water again and got the same reaction. She liked sucking and chewing on it, but while she did I was able to get a few strokes back and forth across that tiny tooth. We repeated this at least ten times and I was actually able to get most of her mouth with the brush. When I told her we were all done and took it from her, she started to cry. It must’ve felt good on her gums and she wanted more.
In the end, what I anticipated to be a two minute addition to her bed time routine turned into fifteen minutes, including the changing of her resulting wet pajama top. Okay, so I changed the bottoms, too. I couldn’t let her sleep unmatched, it would bug me all night long.
At any rate, my baby surprised me once more. Every time I expect something to be hard, it’s so easy. It’s really a toss up as to who’s spoiling who in this relationship. She’s a good girl, and she’s not afraid to tell you so.
For the record, I am fully aware that there is a balance in life, and all of this “good girl” behavior I am loving now will eventually come back to bite me in the ass. Possibly when the terrible two’s hit. Maybe when pre-teen peer pressure turns her into a little snot. Perhaps at fifteen when she crushes on a boy that is nothing but trouble in our eyes. Sooner or later, it will come. I hope I’m ready…
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