Beneath the Surface

Sometimes it just amazes me how much Austin and Collin look alike. Anyway, today we hit a milestone with Austin but allow me a moment to reminisce.  I still remember the day Austin was born.  The memory, the emotion is as clear as if it happened yesterday instead of 6 years ago. 

I have a catalogue of memories of all the first achievements.  The first time he crawled, the first time he spoke, his first seizure, the first time he said,"I love you.", his first Halloween, he was a giraffe in case you're wondering, his first bite of ice cream, butter crunch and he hated it, his first bath, the first time he got sick, his first days of school and the list continues on.  Still, today was another first.

I should tell you my godson is a quiet child.  Very rarely does he demand things from us.  This milestone was no exception!  For the last few days Austin was complaining his teeth were hurting.  Tiff and I both figured on a molar but nope.  We're all sitting around....sweating....while mom and dad go to cash the stimulus check when Austin runs to Tiff and says,"Mommy,look."

I'm sitting in the other room,watching Dr. Phil, when I hear her asking him,'Where's your tooth?"  WHAT?!  TOOTH?!  I'm silently praying he didn't swallow it.  I come out and Tiff is flipping.  She finally gets Austin to tell her that he spit the tooth into the couch.  Austin's mouth is a bit on the bloody side, okay that and he's been drinking red juice, so I do a quick once over and then I look at the tooth.

It was so teeny that I needed a magnifying glass but no roots so that sucker was due to come out.  Tiff and I are so excited.  We're jumping around, high fiving each other, high fiving the boys, and basically acting like total goober idiots.  Our excitement makes Austin a bit nervous.  We quickly explain the tooth fairy! 

Austin hears money and it's like,"What?  She buys teeth?"  He's jazzed now and so are we.  He calls F.B.I.L. and wants to call my parents but Tiff and I convince him to wait.  The impact of the news is better in person.  Shortly after that my parents came home with window fans.  Thank you,God!  So, Tiff runs down to help and Austin decides he must surprise his ma,he means grandma, and papa. 

It took a few minutes for them to realize what he was showing them and while Tiff was outside he tells me that he thought he did something so bad it made his teeth fall out!  "Nope,Lil Mister," I said. "just part of becoming the big boy you are." He smiled and then when my parents walked in he opened his mouth extra wide to show off. 

Mom was first to respond with,"Wow!  He lost his first tooth!" 

Dad just said it, what we all feared,"You know what this means?  We're getting old!" 

Yup!  After this mom and I went to go pick up dinner and after the boys ate and had their baths we has a frank discussion of how much cash the tooth fairy should leave our little guy!  Now I know for some the tooth fairy is a subject for debate.  Some folks have taken Santa away as well but I like it.  I think I grew up believing in magic so why not do the same with the kids? 

Now as a child I remember getting a dollar for each tooth I lost and this resulted in some debate.  Should Austin get a dollar?  Perhaps more.  My dad told a story that clinched it when he told Austin he'd left change on the desk for him and Austin said he would take just the quarters and leave the rest for Collin but only if it was quarters Collin did not need for his coin book. 

My godson is a great big brother isn't he?  So, he checked.  After hearing this we decided on five dollars but being as no one actually had the five we opted for three bucks.  We're waiting to hear him in the morning because he will be so excited.  Even though Austin is quite good with money every little bit excites him like it's the first time. 

You know I've been there for all this little boy's firsts.  The first time he spoke, the first time he did anything, and heck even the day Tiff told me she was going to name him Austin!  A lot of people have guesses as to where Tiffany got this name from.  Actually, originally she had selected the name Christian Michael Manuel but her ex, this is the only good thing he's ever given my godson, suggested that they name him after her favorite song.  Anyway, in honor of this special milestone I'm going to post a copy of the lyrics. 

<insert big,weepy,Lil Mister Man's growing up Tears here.>

                             Austin by: Blake Shelton

She left without leavin a number
Said she needed to clear her mind
He figured shed gone back to austin
cause she talked about it all the time
It was almost a year before she called him up
Three rings and an answering machine is what she got

If youre callin bout the car I sold it
If this is tuesday night Im bowling
If youve got somethin to sell, youre wastin your time, Im not buyin
If its anybody else, wait for the tone,
You know what to do
And p.s. if this is austin, I still love you

The telephone fell to the counter
She heard but she couldnt believe
What kind of man would hang on that long
What kind of love that must be
She waited three days, and then she tried again
She didnt know what shed say,
But she heard three rings and then

If its friday night Im at the ballgame
And first thing saturday, if it dont rain
Im headed out to the lake
And Ill be gone, all weekend long
But Ill call you back when I get home
On sunday afternoon
And p.s. if this is austin, I still love you

Well, this time she left her number
But not another word
Then she waited by the phone on sunday evenin
And this is what he heard

If youre callin bout my heart
Its still yours
I shouldve listened to it a little more
Then it wouldnt have taken me so long to know where I belong
And by the way, boy, this is no machine youre talkin to
Cant you tell, this is austin, and I still love you

I still love you

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• #1 Comment from coelha 
  6/26/08 11:35 AM | Permalink

  What a cutie!  :)  Julie