All I Want for Christmas. . .

This is the last picture of Emma with her baby smile. I know, she's not a baby and hasn't been for a very long time. Those are her baby teeth, though, and knowing that one would soon be gone made me a little sad. I love, love, love this little girl's smile.

Unfortunately, at her last dentist appointment, we discovered a nasty little pimple in her mouth. The dentist said it was an infection in the tooth and that the tooth needed to come out in the next month or so. Well, I gave her two months and she wiggled and wiggled that little tooth, but it was not going to come out. So, last Thursday I took her in and she had it yanked. We've discovered that she is an excellent patient when her mom isn't in the room. I was so sad not to be with her, but she really was brave and so happy to be back there with the hygienist and dentist. I didn't hear a peep. She even had to have an injection in her gums to numb the area!! Within a day, the little pimple had almost completely drained and the swelling had gone down. I've heard the infections can spread if not addressed, so I'm glad we had the tooth pulled.

Here's my big girl, looking all grown up and toothless. We've laughed so many times when certain words come out of her mouth. I'm still trying to get used to her new speech. Apparently, the whole deal was much more nerve-wracking for me than for her. I was so nervous and she acted like she was just going for a walk in the park! I'm so thankful it all went well and that she's enjoying the new window in her mouth. I was so proud of her that I told her we'd take her to Target to get a prize of some sort. I was expecting her to pick something really big and expensive and I was willing to pay for it! Well, bless her heart, she picked out a little princess ball for $2.99!!! Love that girl!