We were in the car, driving to the airport. An adventure lay ahead- New Orleans and then a visit with my oldest friend in Mississippi. Just Mommy and Fhizzy Whig! Then it happened. Her tooth wiggled for the first time.
She's been waiting for this moment since her Big Sister lost her first tooth 2.5 years ago. EVERYONE else in Kindergarten (except half the kids I named), have already lost a tooth.
She was more excited about her wiggly tooth than she was about beignets.
Cut to two weeks later and its Thanksgiving Break. The sisters are spending the week sleeping together in N's room. They are inseparable. I'm waiting for them to finish getting ready so I can do the tuck in when they scream simultaneously, "IT CAME OUT!!!!" N had yanked out Fhizzy Whig's tooth!
Finally, she was a member of The Club.
We all scream and dance and eventually decide that they need to go to sleep so that the Tooth Fairy can visit. They are tucked in and I'm reading them their good night poem. I look up at N and her face is red. She burps. You okay? Fine. Just a burp. Then she throws up everywhere.
It's an hour and half after her treatment dose but she had thrown up right after treatment once this week and I'm getting worried. Like the other time, she was very full and barely able to get it down. This was an hour and half later though. Why was she throwing up this time?
More importantly, why does she never seem to get to the bathroom when she throws up?!?!
Fhizzy Whig stays put and I whisk N into the bathroom. I throw towels on the floor and get Fhizzy Whig into her room. The Hubs comes up from the basement and then the smell knocks me out and I'm sick. N is in the shower, crying. Clean up ensues.
I glance in at Fhizzy Whig sitting on her top bunk. Her damp hair is stuck to her little face, she's clutching her stuffed dog to her chest and sobbing. I go in to reassure her and her face tells me that she's utterly heartbroken. She had been SO happy. She had finally lost a tooth. Her sister had been as excited as she was and she was finally a part of The Club. Now, its late and everyone is running around cleaning up vomit and trying to make N feel better.
It was all about her for once and now it was all about N again.
She didnt say that though. She was sad for her sister. She was sad for what happened. She didnt insist that it be all about her.
N said she was scared and wanted to sleep with us instead of in Fhizzy Whigs room. N's room was still in hazmat condition so that wasn't an option. This was crushing. Fhiz understood though. She sobbed but told N she didnt want her to feel scared.
We told N that maybe her sister needed her more than she needed us right then.
Now, everyone is crying and trying to do the right thing. N goes and climbs into the bottom bunk but is still crying. She's scared. Fhizzy Whig's big night is ruined no matter what N does. Fhizzy Whig tells her that she should do whatever she needs to do and that she'll be okay.
Each of them is looking out for the other. Neither are crying for themselves. My Mama heart is sad but proud.
I sigh and agree to pull out the trundle and sleep in there. If they can both do what the other needs, surely the grown up in the situation can too. Everyone (except me) is thrilled now. Everyone can sleep now. Fhizzy Whig has N and N has me.
Somehow, the Tooth Fairy got to her pillow with all three of us in there.
