The story of Gracie's loose tooth

Gracie in the examination chair

As alluded to here, we had some dental drama Tuesday night.  Over the last 12-18 months something has happened to the girls' energy levels.  Particularly at night and/or any time they are tired, their energy has had this unbelievable trajectory.  In response, we have instituted all of the normal rules and regulations, e.g., no running indoors (that was expanded to include skipping, walking fast, etc.), no throwing objects, no aggressive jumping, etc. 

When we brought William George home from the hospital in July, our upstairs became party central every night at bath time.  They get so excited they literally run laps through the bedrooms and Jack-and-Jill bath.  Get a visual image of that, if you will.  They literally run through the upstairs in circles.  What used to be a tranquil bedtime routine has morphed into Lauren and Gracie behaving like monkeys at the zoo, while Skip and I are herding them into the water and into their pajamas while barking refrains of:

"Stop running!"

"Stop jumping on the furniture!"

"Stop running!"

"Don't hold the pillow over your sister's head!"

"Stop running!"

"Don't hold your head under the water!"

"Stop running!"

"Don't you dare jump on your bed!"

"STOP RUNNING!"

All of that is the opposite of tranquil.

Keeping them focused on the task at hand was always a challenge, but something has happened now that William George has entered the mix.  Once they see me distracted with bathing George, they really come unhinged.  Since George is 3 1/2 months old, I know that I have reiterated the "no running" policy at a minimum of 100 consecutive times, every night since he has been home.  In reality, I have probably told them not to run every single night for the last three+ years (as soon as it became an actual danger).

Tuesday night was no different.  Imagine all of the above.  I was standing at the sink in George's vanity area, bathing George, when Gracie began running laps.  As I was rinsing George's hair, I heard a very loud THUD, followed by cries from Gracie.  She had missed her turn back through the bathroom and slammed into one of George's walls.  Because she was running at top speed, she never had a chance to get her hands up to shield her face.  Thankfully, the injury was minor.  She busted her lip and now has a loose tooth.  Her lip was very swollen, and her lip and gums bled a good bit. 

We got her in to see the dentist Wednesday morning.  The hygienist completed a cursory exam and asked what we were seeking in terms of treatment, asking if I wanted them to pull the tooth.  Poor Gracie looked traumatized and started violently shaking her head "no".  An x-ray confirmed that her adult teeth are poised and ready to make their appearance, and Dr. G confirmed that she will likely lose her tooth sooner rather than later.  She may get to hang on to her tooth for another six months, and she was very happy with that plan. 

After picking out a trinket from the treasure box, she had shaken the trauma completely.  And, of course, Lauren wants to know if she can "bonk" her tooth so she can go to the treasure box, too. 

With our nightly routine, it is only a matter of time.