her toothless grin

The last of the toothless grins…

She had an appointment with the dentist last week. A downside of cleft palate is having extra interesting dental stuff going on in her sweet little mouth. The dentist had to pull her two front teeth and she came home with the cutest little grin.

The bittersweet parts of parenting…firsts, lasts, and recognizing the marvelous in the in-between. So much sweetness mixed with a few knowing sighs that the season won’t come back.

We were sitting at the table and I asked if I could capture her toothless smile. I’ve learned if I don’t take pictures of temporary things – like toothless grins –  the moment I think about it, I’ll forget and the opportunity will pass.

She was in a goofy mood, which means she tries to be as serious as possible for pictures. I sure do love her smiles, but something about her serious face completely captivates me too.
The serious only lasts about 2 seconds…It really is amazing – the way we grow and change. Getting to watch my kids transform in front of me, it is quite extraordinary! The little things are so easy to miss and to forget to appreciate in the hustle of everyday life. I want to live with eyes wide open to the beauty of little things…like toothless grins.