Holes, Holes, Holes

Jake had oral surgery just after Joe got back on February 22nd to extract 3 baby teeth (2 were extra) and 1 extra permanent tooth that were crowded into one space in his mouth. The timing couldn't have been more perfect in that track break started that day so he didn't have to miss any school and his father was home from Haiti to take him to the hospital at 6:00 in the morning so I and the rest of the kids could sleep in!

Jake wasn't quite sure what to expect but I assured him that he could eat soup, popsicles, shakes, and yogurt for the next couple of days to his heart's content. He did really well and one of our best anesthesiologists (we have 3 that we know and love here) took him back and put him to sleep. The procedure only took about an hour and when Jake woke up mid-morning he was ready to go home but asked if he could stay in his pajamas all day. He relaxed a bit on the couch and I kept coaxing him to take a nap since I thought maybe he was tired from the anesthesia but he would have none of it. In fact, at about 3:00 in the afternoon, he changed into his clothes and went outside to play. No complaining. No pain. He was only upset about not getting to eat chips or crackers for a few days. Nothing can stop this kid!

Dr. Bodily let him take home his teeth and oxygen mask for the tooth fairy who paid him a visit and left him $10! Needless to say, that caused some contention among his older brother and sister who usually get a few quarters or $1.00 for their teeth but they didn't have to be put to sleep to lose their teeth so the tooth fairy was justified.

Here's our toothless wonder for the next few years!

Katelyn got her own set of holes but not in her mouth, in her ears! She wanted to get her ears pierced for her 8th birthday but around her birthday, she never really brought it up so I didn't think too much about it. I didn't get mine done until I was 12 but she really wanted it and Joe and I thought that as long as she was responsible enough to clean and take care of her ears and earrings, she could do it for her birthday.

Honestly I didn't think she would be able to go through with it because she freaks out and cries when getting immunizations so I didn't press her to get it done. She would bring it up periodically but still didn't make the push to make me take her. During the month that Joe was gone, she talked about it incessantly. I told her that I would take her when he got back. So the day after Joe got home, she and I made a little trip to Claire's to get her ears pierced. She was really brave and didn't make a fuss. I guess she wanted them done pretty badly because there were no tears or backing out. All she did was hold my hand and squeeze tightly. Then she picked out her earrings and it's been great ever since. Six weeks were up just in time to get some cute new earrings for Easter.

Now she can wear her hair back so her earrings will show that she doesn't look like a boy (Hmmmm)