Tooth Trauma

3 different phases of teeth, but all Montana's smile!

Last Saturday, Montana had quite the fall. She was strolling along with her hands in her pockets and tripped. I picked her up, sensing it was bad, and saw blood. I started to freak out and then I saw that her tooth was chipped. I called Aaron because I didn't have the doctor's phone number in my phone (I do now! Along with poison control and my dentist!) and I was concerned I had to take her to the ER. All rational thought was gone. Thankfully I had a friend with me who remained calm. So here I am carrying my screaming daughter through the park to get back to my car while trying to talk to my husband on the phone. I'm sure we were quite the spectacle. I clearly don't handle situations like this well, because without comforting my bleeding daughter I threw her in the car seat and raced home. She was crying the whole time..."my tooth, my tooth." We finally got home Aaron took a good look at it, we iced her fat lip and sat on the couch and breathed...and watched Veggie Tales. One of our neighbors is a doctor so she stopped by and suggested seeing a dentist but said she would be fine. Montana went to bed without eating or drinking because she didn't want to put anything in her mouth, but she was sleeping well.

And then I really freaked out.

Of course I have been reading all about brain trauma and with my counseling background I kept thinking about how this event will change her, how she will never be the same (let me remind you, I wasn't being very rational at this point). But as I sat in the living room in the middle of the night in the dark, I began to chill out. I cried because her tooth WON'T look the same, but was thankful that it was JUST a tooth. I processed my response to the incident and realized how I could have comforted my daughter better in the moment. I worried about my baby and what she went through, and at the same time recognized how minor this was considering what other kids go through (and live through!). I gave myself permission to be sad about this little event (after a brief encounter with another neighbor in the laundry room who reminded me that Montana was MY baby- sometimes you just can't beat co-housing). Our first "major" incident is now under our belt.

We took her to the dentist on Tuesday and the tooth needed to come out. We went to a pediatric dentist on Thursday and they pulled it. Can I just say what a trooper Montana was? She sat in the chair by herself, opened her mouth when she was supposed to, and didn't cry when they numbed the area or pulled the tooth. And yes, I did leave the room for the tooth pulling - Aaron stayed with her. She was back to her normal self that afternoon and in fact gave Aaron, my sister and her husband, and me a wonderful concert on the beach later that day!

Now she shows people that she lost a tooth, talks about the tooth fairy and all of her other friends who have lost teeth (she doesn't need to know they are all 5 or 6!). Her smile is different but still adorable!

too familiar for normal

March has been, to say the least, Ca-RAZY. It started off with visitors from Seattle and Vancouver and a job training. Yes, I got a job! Then 1 day of cooking for a common meal and then Aaron, Montana and I were off for a little 2 day getaway. A Christian camp/conference center offers free lodging to pastors in the winter during the mid-week. We decided to take full advantage of it. It was a much needed rest, but we came home and jumped right back in...hosting a church planting leadership dessert at our house. Thankfully dessert came from the Firehouse Cafe (where Aaron works). Then it was the weekend which actually tends to be our busiest time. (go figure...I tried to tell Aaron that when he signed up for this ministry thing! I think he may tire of me saying "I told you so" every Sunday when Sunday afternoon naps are only a distant memory) It was during that weekend that our 2 yr old who was simply walking in the park with her hands in her pocket tripped and chipped her front tooth. After freaking out I made it home and Montana and I were exhausted. 2 days later my beautiful pregnant sister and her husband arrived for 5 fantastic days. While they were here, we had 2 trips to the dentist with the end result - a pulled front tooth. Then it was the weekend again. Wash and repeat. Oh yeah, and then Aaron left for a trip to Michigan and had to be at the airport at 4:30am. Whew...is this my normal life, or was this just an uncommonly busy couple of weeks? It feels a little too familiar to be uncommon. This week is catch up, be at home, enjoy the sunshine, and breathe...

Latest Montan-isms

Montana,

You are now almost 2 1/2! I can't believe it. You are talking so much these days and you are saying the funniest things. A couple of weeks ago you asked for coffee when I came to get you from your crib. It made me crack up so much. Like mother, like daughter! Lately you have been pretending to be other things. Either Madelyn, Annika or a doggy, it's stinkin' hilarious. Last night and this morning you were ice skating around the living room frequently asking us to help you take off your pink skates and put on your purple ones. Man, we've got to get you to the ice skating rink. On Tuesday mornings after our Monday night Biblestudy, you always ask "where people go?" The other day you told dad that you wanted to give him a "face kiss" and you kissed him on the cheek. You were so upset the day we bought Scarlet a dress-up dress for her birthday. You really wanted to keep it for yourself and I let you wear it for one afternoon. You told everyone about it, even though they didn't understand you. I had to translate a few times.
Another brief conversation between you and I went something like this:
Mama: Montana, when are you going to start going potty on the big potty?
Montana: 4 hours

Here's what other people say about you:
"When I look at Montana I think extrovert" "Montana really needs a sibling" "She just loves all the kids"...

What a delight you are, my sweet girl. You make your mama and dad so very proud.

Whirlwind

It has been a crazy couple of days. On Saturday I got a call about a job that I submitted my resume to before Christmas, and she wanted to interview me in Seattle on Monday afternoon. (The job would be in Bellingham, though) So as I was getting geared up for the interview on Sunday night, my friend's water broke. We had agreed to take their little girl when she went into labor, but she was a week early and was going to watch Montana while I went to Seattle. So, needless to say, I didn't have a babysitter and we had an extra kid! I had a brief moment of panic, but as always...things totally worked out. Aaron got his shift covered at the coffee shop in one phone call, so he got to be Mr. Mom to 2 little girls while I drove to Seattle. Thankfully I gave myself a bit of extra time because there was a terrible accident on the way, and I sat on the highway for about 30 minutes. I made it to the interview only a few minutes late. The interview went well and I should find out in the next week or so if I got it. I arrived home last night right in time for our Monday night biblestudy to begin. Whew. What a day.
Right now, Montana is asleep and Elena is back with her parents and new baby sister, and I have a few minutes to breathe and process.

I am overwhelmed by how quickly things can change...one minute you are not thinking about a job and the next you have a job interview. One minute you are pregnant and the next you are holding a brand new baby. It is a good reminder that nothing is permanent whether good or bad. It just is. God's timing is always better than my timing even though I often think my timing is best. Why haven't I learned THAT one yet? Just when I think life is going in a certain direction it changes. I am so grateful and thrilled for this possibility to start counseling again, yet so scared at the same time. Will I know what to do and what to say as a therapist? Will I be able to help my clients make positive change? Will I have time for the things I do now? Will Montana miss me?

As my mom always reminds me...one day at a time. So for now, I'm going to enjoy this quiet afternoon at home with Montana. The Washington weather is back after a long, good stretch of sunshine. A good afternoon cuddle on the couch reading some books never sounded so good. Life will be what it is, why stress myself out now with the "what ifs" I can't answer.

USA

We couldn't resist. It just sounds so funny coming from the mouth of a 2 yr old.

Olympics

You know what I love about the Olympics?

The human spirit that embodies the games.

I love watching the events, hearing the stories of the athletes, watching some succeed and others fall. I love the way the world feels united for 2 weeks and stands behind the country of Georgia in the tragic death of the young Luger.

The Olympics gives us something to gather around and connect over. And it is pretty darn cool that it is all taking place about 1 hour from where I live.

Yesterday we decided last minute to head into Vancouver. I have been swearing that I would avoid Canada for the month of February, but after watching the opening ceremonies and a few random events, I HAD to go. We decided to try to drive into the city and if we found parking, great, if not, we would just drive and soak in the human spirit. We drove by the torch (amazing!) and found street parking 2 blocks away (even more amazing!) Aaron, Montana and I walked around near the torch, enjoyed the people watching, tried to capture some pictures of the Olympic torch, saw a USA gold medalist (Hannah Kearney, freestyle skier), and resisted purchasing Canadian paraphernalia. Speaking of Canadians...I have never seen so many Canadian flags, hats, mittens, shirts, baby clothes in one place...it's awesome. It was so easy to get in and out of the city. I was so thrilled to soak up some Olympic Human Spirit in person. And plus the weather was marvelous, and now I can say that I wore my chacos to the winter Olympics.

For Emily

I was talking to my sister today and she told me that I needed to post some more pictures of Montana...so here you go, Em!!
Montana gets to be more of a ham as the days go by. (Perhaps she is taking after auntie Emily??) We just joined a "mommy and me" dance class at the coffeehouse where Aaron works and she loves it. We are working on listening to instructions instead of just running around...but it's alot of fun. She still loves dressing up and is very opinionated about what she wears in the morning. I thoroughly enjoy her (well except for the days I finally break down and go dig the brown and pink polka-dot skirt out of the hamper because she refuses to wear anything else and we've got to be somewhere in 15 minutes). :)