The dentist can squeeze all three boys in for an appointment on MLK day?! When we are already off of school?!...sweet! Now, how to get all four of us out of our pajamas, into the car, and 20 minutes away...with only 35 minutes til showdown?
Elijah was a champ and kicked into full big brother mode, offering to go first and encouraging Dominic that there was nothing to be nervous about. Of course, Dominic has a much different experience at the dentist than Eli. When he was 2, he had his four front teeth knocked out during an unfortunate dump truck/slide incident...sigh....life with boys. Because of this he wears a "pedi-partial" which is basically dentures held in place using his back molars. Anyways, he pictures the upcoming morning's event a little more dramatically than most 3 year olds. Then there's Joel. Happy go lucky, not knowing at all what is about to go down. This is his first dentist appointment.
I call Tad...and bless that man....he hears the slight panic in my voice, and takes a really early lunch to assist. We get there 10 minutes late...oh well!! The lobby of the dentist is really quite nice. There is a projector tv playing some fairy movie, "silly" chairs (as Eli called them) shaped like high heels and hands, and manipulative tables to play on. The boys immediately dig into the atmosphere and no one seems too concerned with our reason for being there. We are really lucky to have Aunt Jackie as one of the assistants at the dentist...she makes sure that mommy and daddy can come back with the boys (I think I have a reputation here of being a little overbearing...again, oh well!!), and all the ladies we deal with are VERY sweet with the boys.
Elijah gets set up in one room, while the rest of us pile into the room next door. Tad takes him to get his Xrays and then back to relax in the chair. There are tv's on the ceiling, so Eli is content and only "a little nervous". I stay back in the other room and it's time for Joel's first check up! We take a picture of this momentous occasion...
He lays with his head in Aunt Jackie's lap, while the rest of him is on Mommy. He screams the whole time, and I have to hold his hands down...it was over in about 3 minutes...AJ is good =) Tad gets Dominic set up on the table and begins to start with the consoling. Dominic begins to get nervous...Mommy exits to check on the big one. Elijah lays still and does a great job. I go back to check on my middle man, and he has had his teeth removed. The cement on one side was loose, and it will need to be cleaned and refitted. Tad keeps busy singing songs, telling jokes, and anything else he can think of to distract our little buddy. He needs Xrays, so I take him. The whole time we are waiting...he keeps asking why they took his teeth out? He is pretty upset. This just breaks my heart...he looks so different without them. It wasn't much of a decision a year and a half ago to have his teeth "replaced". Call it vanity if you want, but I couldn't let my baby be identified by his smile. He does great with his Xrays, and we head back to the room. His teeth are put back in, and after a few minutes of continued torture...the dentist comes in, checks all three, and we are good to go.
As we leave, the boys get a bag with a toothbrush and stickers, and get to get a toy out of the tower of junk. Luckily we don't have to do this again for another 6 months...can't say I enjoy such visits, but guess they are necessary. Having Tad there was a lifesaver...as usual =). Until next time, I'm looking forward to lots of pearly white smiles from my 3 cutie pies.
wow, lots to look forward too....haha :) (so different from my current experience :)
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