Before and After

Last Monday, while I was fixing dinner, Jared was climbing a russian olive tree with two of his friends (which I did not know about). I had my kitchen window open because of the record breaking heat we were experiencing and I could hear the chitter chatter of children playing outside. Suddenly, I recognized a cry and knew it was Jared. It was a hurt cry, so I ran outside and he was walking toward the house with all this blood coming out of his mouth. I looked in his mouth and saw that one of his front teeth was completely knocked out and the other tooth next to it was dangling by the root. I could also see a cut in his bottom lip. I ran into the house and retrieved a cold washcloth, and drove to the emergency room at Mckay Dee Hospital. Makel had called Gregg who had been working late all week. He came to the emergency room and looked into Jared's mouth and then turned and looked at me and said "I told you we should have named him Huckleberry." I thought it was ironic that the doctor who was stitching his bottom lip had told me his two front teeth were false. These were Jared's baby teeth which is good. Our dentist met me at his office at 9:30 at night and told me he is a year ahead of his time. He doesn't think there will be any damage to his permanent teeth. People keep telling me "He's a boy." I don't dare think about what may be next. I love him despite the fact that I am more of a girl mom.