The Dentist-much ado about nothing

Today James visited the dentist for the first time. While I was getting him ready, I was being all cheery and exciting, telling him we were going to visit 'our special friend, the dentist.' I don't know that he's even heard the word before, but he looked at me and my fake enthusiasm and said, "No dentist for James. Dentist for mommy." I told him that I love the dentist and that he had super cool chairs and toothbrushes and surprises at the end. That convinced him.

When we pulled up, James was still excited to go in until a man walked past while I was helping him out of the van. STUPID STUPID MAN THAT HOPEFULLY HAS NO OFFSPRING SAID, "ooooooh nooooooo! You have to go to the dentist? What's wrong with your mouth? Do your teeth hurt? No crying! It will only hurt for a little bit. Have a good day."

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I couldn't stop and yell at him because I was too busy prying James out of the van now, thank you very much. I would have liked to kick him in the shin.

I calmed him down and reminded him about the cool chairs and such and he reluctantly went in with me. Once we were in, the deal was sealed! This was a pediatric dentist and he had the goods--fish tanks, play house, disney movie, etc. James ran around and enjoyed all the entertainment and was even eager to "go back" once they called his name.

While the dental assistant talked to me, James got to play a cool video game on the wall. Then he got his new toothbrush to hold on to throughout the appoinment. I was surprised that the room was giant with 8 chairs in it. I've never been to a dentist that had that before. The assistant led us to the purple chair and James climbed up and reclined. She "tickled" all his fingers with her spinning cleaning thingy and then asked James to help her "count his teeth". He was sooo stinkin adorable... Even though she was cleaning his teeth he faithfully counted to 20 with her. When she finished, he declared, "ALL DONE! Surpise now please." He was sad to learn he still had to wait for the dentist. I had to hold him on my lap and sing 'twinkle twinkle' and point out all the many oh so exciting features of the room.

The dentist came over and James FREAKED. He wasn't crying, but he totally had the deer in headlights look and could not 'point to his nose' or anything else the dentist asked. The dentist showed him the mirror and asked him to help count his teeth again. He opened, but he did no counting. The dentist noted a couple of irregularities with James' teeth which I already knew about and happily his teeth are in beautiful, no cavity shape. He quickly brushed James' teeth with some flouride stuff and declared him done.

You have never seen a child jump up and run like that. I was laughing so hard and the assistants were trying to get him back to pick a prize. He tiptoed back, snatched a bouncy ball and ran away again. That ball has not left his sight today. He was playing with it tonight when it rolled under the couch. He started crying, "I don't reach it. I don't reach it. Mama reach it." I got down and said, "I don't see it, James" to which he replied, "Keep looking, mama!"

He has that yellow ball clutched in his chubby toddler hands in his sleep as I type. What a sweetie.