A Tooth!

Hey, guys! Look!



I know this is the worst picture ever, but do you know how hard it is to pin down a one year old to photograph his brand new tooth shard? This was the other day, now the other bottom front tooth has poked through as well.

Is it pathetic that I'm sad that I can no longer say Colin has a "toothless grin"? I have been very pathetic this week. As you know, Colin's birthday was Thursday, but we celebrated with a big party last Sunday. Patrick was on call Thursday, meaning he didn't come home at all so he didn't even get to see Colin on his very first birthday, and I had an exam to study for on Friday. I got out of work early on Thursday and so came home to study for a bit before picking Colin up from daycare. I had this awful, nauseated feeling the whole time, such that when the Baby Mama called to wish Colin a happy birthday, I burst into tears.

"Are you catching a cold" she asked, optimistically, "or - wait - are you crying?"

"He's not even here! I left him at daycare so I could study and Patrick won't even see him and I just feel so awful."

"Okay, how about if we come over? And we'll bring dinner?" How does she always know?

Sniff, sniff. "Okay. That'd be great."

So we had an impromptu birthday party with pizza and ice cream and little boys running around the house. After they left, another friend and kiddo stopped by to drop off a birthday cake. I again conveyed my guilt at blowing off Colin's first birthday. My friend, a resident himself, comforted me with words that he has told himself.

"You have to remember that it is quality that's important, not quantity. Just because it matters to you that today is his actual birthday doesn't mean it matters to him. And the fact that you're upset about it means that you are not blowing off his birthday. You threw him a great party and you'll hang out this weekend. It's okay."

I blew my nose again, thanked him, and sat down to study.

I was supposed to go to a big conference this weekend and meet very important people, listen to very interesting talks, and shake a lot of hands.

We went to the Children's Museum instead.