Speaking of Growing Up...

I think when you have more than one child, the younger children seem to stay young longer than the oldest ever does. Going through milestones with the oldest is always a new thing, an area of parenthood you've never been to before. Even though all the other children hit those same milestones, they aren't a novelty in and of themselves since you've had a child go through them already. It doesn't mean they aren't as exciting and important. For me it just means that I'm not anxiously awaiting them like I was with my first child.

Like losing teeth, for example.

It happens at a different age for each child, but I didn't even have it on my radar for Jolie. When she first told me she had a wobbly tooth, I thought maybe she was just exaggerating, that she was hoping for it so much that she thought announcing it would make it really happen.

As the days went on, she gave me proof that her tooth was, in fact, wobbly. And to further convince me that my second-oldest daughter is really growing up, a second tooth right next to the first became loose at the same time.

Then came "the night." The two teeth were so loose, Jolie could wiggle them into almost a horizontal position in her mouth. I didn't know why they were still holding on. Jolie is pretty brave when it comes to most things (except getting flu shots apparently), so I asked her if she wanted me to just yank the one tooth out for her. She agreed to let me try. A dry wad of toilet paper and few drops of blood later, I had a baby tooth sitting in my hand. And Jolie had her first gap-tooth smile.

On further inspection, the second wobbly tooth was almost as ready to come out as the first. It was already 11:00 pm by this time, and I knew I would never get her to bed unless the other tooth came out as well. Another gentle "yank," and the tooth fairy was really in business that night. (And thanks to my kids' watching "Rise of the Guardians" obsessively a week or two before, Jolie knew just what to dream about after placing her teeth under her pillow.)

These little growing-up moments for Jolie have been special. She gets to be in the spotlight and do something the same as her big sister. She finally gets attention placed on her, and she revels in these new-to-her milestones. It's a great reminder to me that my kids won't stay young forever, so we're trying to celebrate every milestone along the way. It's always fun to have an excuse to party!

(The older kids have been so cute about celebrating Ollie's learning how to walk. Henrik and Jolie in particular still yell out, "Look, Mom! Ollie's walking!" even though he's been toddling around for almost a month now. :) I'm so glad they're cheering their brother on, and that they're celebrating someone else's successes, and not just their own.)