Say Cheese

That ladies and gentlemen is my very last selfie with braces.

That's right!

All that metal came off this afternoon and I could not be more excited.

The closer it got to my appointment the more nervous I got.  I was nervous that Dr. Lay would decide I needed to wear them a little longer.  I was nervous that the process might be painful.

I have a long history of being afraid when it comes to people working on my teeth.

It wasn't too bad but taking the bands off did hurt.

I may have screamed a little.

At one point Dr. Lay told me not to worry, he wouldn't accidentally pull a tooth.

But that is exactly what it felt like he was trying to do.

Once everything was off he did some grinding and polishing.

That didn't hurt but I did not care for the sound.  

I wish I had more pictures of the process.

And now on to the first selfie post braces....

I brought home my box today.

When you get braces they give you this long list of foods that you are not supposed to eat.  I'll admit I didn't really follow that list very well.  

How am I going to have cheese dip without chips?

I mean really!

Nuts is also on that list.  

Paydays are my favorite candy bar and I have not had one in almost two years.  I don't know why I chose to follow this one rule, but I did.

So today I went to the gas station and bought myself a Payday.

Party!!

Braces Update

Andrew and I had orthodontist appointments this week.  We've been going every other Tuesday for awhile now.  Dr. Lay activates our bull loops aka tightens the wire.

These appointments last about ten minutes and most of that includes chit-chat with Dr. Lay.

It all seems very anti-climatic.

But this week...

My gaps are almost completely closed.  It looks like I have one more appointment before I'm ready for a new wire.  Things are moving right along.  I'm about half-way through my braces adventures.

Andrew's gap is closed.  He got what will more than likely be his last wire.  He will probably get his braces off in the next few months.

I'll admit that makes me a little jealous.

It's not so bad doing the braces thing together.

I'm about to be alone on this journey.

But I guess it's not too bad.

Two Thought Tuesday

1. Thirteen years ago today Andrew and I went on our first date.  You can read all about it in this post.  It feels like just yesterday that I was waiting nervously in my dorm room for him to pick me up.  

A few of my favorite pictures...

2. I had another orthodontist appointment today.  I got a new wire and new bands.  I chose purple this time.  I think they are my favorite color so far.

A Braces Update

I've had braces for a little over 100 days now.  It really is going quickly.  Most days I forget that I have them, but then there is the occasional day when they bother me all day.  Days when I just feel like I have a mouth full of metal and there is absolutely no room left.  

Dr. Lay has been very pleased with my progress.  I have fast moving teeth.  Praise the Lord for that!! Not going to lie, it makes me hopeful that I might not have to wear them for a full two years.  I feel like there are constantly new gaps forming as my teeth move.  Flossing gets easier and easier.  My gaps from the extractions are closing up which means less food gets stuck there.

Speaking of food, eating with braces is an experience in and of itself.  When out in public I try to eat my entire meal without speaking.  You just never know when you are going to have a huge piece of something stuck behind your wire.  It's disgusting.  The sounds Andrew and I make while trying to clean our teeth mid meal are so nasty.  I'm glad we are doing it together.  Certain foods are worse that others.  Bread and melted cheese are the worst.  And of course they are in or on all my favorite foods.  Andrew has pretty much stopped eating bread. He eats taco salad instead of tacos or hamburger patties instead of hamburgers.  I'm not willing to do that so if we sit down to a meal together and I don't speak,  I'm not being rude.  I'm just trying not to ruin your appetite.

This is our favorite teeth cleaning tool.

While my teeth are moving quickly and I'm making great process, Andrew's teeth are moving nice and slow.  I've been telling him that I would be out of braces before him.  He just has big strong teeth that are perfectly content where they are.  His last appointment was Monday and Dr. Lay strapped all his teeth together with power chain.  Doesn't look fun at all.

He also received his bottom retainer and slept in for the first time.  I asked how it was and he just said fine.  Apparently it's not a big deal.

All in all life with braces is going pretty well.

Five on Friday

one.  My sweetheart is coming home today.  I could not be happier.  He has be gone for 10 days.  10 very long days.  I am ready to go pick him up at the airport later this evening.

two. My latest swimsuit from Lime Ricki arrived today.  I am in love with it.

I normally only purchase from their clearance section so when I first saw this swimsuit I knew I would order it as soon as it the clearance section.  Then they sold out of it.  I was so upset.  When it came back a few weeks ago during a 25% off sale I splurged and ordered it.  I cannot wait to wear it.  I love Lime Ricki.  Cute & modest swimsuits.  I don't own any other swim suits anymore.  And they aren't giving me anything for saying this, I just love their swimsuits.  

three.  I had an orthodontist appointment Wednesday.  Pretty routine.  Teeth are moving like they are supposed to be and Dr. Lay was pleased with my progress.  I sweet talked his assistant Stacey into changing my bands so I could have a new color.  I was over the teal.  Now I have pink!  You can hear more about my appointment here.

four.  I've been wanting to do something different with my hair.  I'm thinking I might be ready to grow it out again.  I bought a curling wand earlier this week to try something different.  I found a video on youtube that inspired my purchase.  I haven't tried it yet because it's summer.  I'm not one to fix my hair to sit at home alone.  But I might try it out tonight before picking up the husband.  If not tonight then I will definitely try it out next week since I have workshops ever day and have to actually go out in public.  Do any of you use one?  I'd love to hear what brand/kind and any tips that you have.  

five. Andrew and I recently went through and cleaned out our closets in preparation for our upcoming yard sale.  I realized I have no khakis.  Mine were in rough shape.  I'm going to need new ones before school starts.  Khakis are an easy way to be comfortable on those days I don't feel like getting all dressed up.  Do you have khakis that you love?  Where are they from?  

BRACE yourself for an update

Dr. Lay was finally able to get a band around my crown.

Praise!

We all did a little cheer when he got it on last Tuesday.

I never thought I would be so excited to be all wired up.

This picture doesn't do my nostril any favors.  HA!

I've been wearing my braces for 41 days.

I can't tell much difference yet, but I know things are definitely happening.  I can feel it.  Achy teeth and having them feel loose is a definite sign that things are working and we are on the right path.

Dr. Lay said right now all we are doing is lining everything up vertically and that this isn't a real exciting phase.  That made me feel a little better, but I'm ready to see some progress.  I keep having to tell myself this is going to take two years.  It isn't going to happen over night.

This picture was taken at church this past Sunday.

My eyes go straight to my braces.  I'm still not loving how I look in them.  Hopefully I will get used to it or it is going to be a long two years.

And that guy standing next to me?  How thin is he looking these days?  I'm so proud of him.  He has been eating healthy and working toward a goal weight.  It makes me sick how easily he can lose weight.

He joins on me on this journey with adult braces tomorrow.  I'm not going to lie.  I've been so ready for him to endure all this too.

He goes tomorrow to have one extraction.  I wish that I was able to go with him since he went with me.  He insist that he will be fine and there is no reason for me to go.  And he is probably right.  He is not a big baby about this kind of stuff like I am.  I just wish I could be there if he needs anything afterward.  I won't get home until a couple hours after his extraction.

Such a goofball.


He will get his spacers this Friday and then his braces next Friday.

He only has to endure top braces.  Lucky him!

In just a few days we will be a pair of brace faces.

Bottom Brackets

What a frustrating appointment.

Yesterday morning I went to get my bottom braces.  The first thing he did was smooth out that band that was slicing my tongue to pieces.  A nice gesture, but a week late.

Then we tried yet again to fit a band around my crown. 

No go!

Apparently the dentist that put that crown on did not shape it correctly.  It is not shaped anatomically correct which means a band does not fit around it.  It is very frustrating for everyone.

I left there today without a band.  He put a spacer back in on side of the tooth and a piece of brass wire wrapped around on the other side.  

I'm really not sure how this is going to help because he said that space wasn't the issue.  The issue is the shape of that crown.

At this point I think it might be easier to have my dentist reshape that crown...if that is possible.

Dr. Lay went ahead and wired up what he could on the bottom.

For some reason they used a different color power chain on the bottom.  I didn't realize it until it was too late.

I'm a little frustrated about.  I DID NOT want two different colors.

Not a huge difference.  I'm not sure Andrew would not have noticed if I hadn't pointed it out.  But it still bothers me enough that I requested my next appointment as soon as possible so that I can change the bottom ones to match the top.  

Also it is just uncomfortable and slightly painful to have your mouth stretched open beyond its limit for a solid hour.

I had dinner with my family Monday night and my Mommom asked if I ever got tired of them and took them off for a little bit.

I wish, Mommom, I wish.

Especially now that I have bottom braces.  They are so much worse than the top braces just like I imagined they would be.

But my bottom teeth is where I needed the most work done.  They are the teeth that are crowded which is definitely accentuated by my bottom brackets.  They are right on top of each other.

Not to mention this tooth that is pretty much turned sideways.  That should be fun to rotate.

Sometimes it feels like I've had them forever, yet it hasn't even been a month.

One thing is for sure.  I'm ready for my husband to start this process.  His extraction will take place in less than a month.  A week after that he will get his braces.

I'm glad we are doing this together.  I think it will make it a little more bearable.

Five Facts from a Brace Face

1. Eating with braces is pretty much the most disgusting thing ever.  EVERYTHING seems to get trapped somewhere in the braces.  

2.  It may just be me but I find myself to be more self-conscious about my braces around my family.  I haven't even thought about them when facing my husband, students, or co-workers.  But in the past few days I've been around family for the first time since getting braces.  I found myself wanting to hold back laughs and say very little.  I didn't want them to see my braces or my gaps.

3. I cannot imagine having these things on my bottom teeth - but I guess I'll experience that in a few days.

4. Since starting the conversation about getting braces I find that I notice people's teeth a lot more.  It has become the first thing I notice about people - not just strangers but everyone.

5. Having someone tell you that you can't eat certain food or you will risk breaking a bracket only makes you want to eat those foods - even if you don't normally eat them.

Power Chain, Wire, and Bands Oh My!

I had my second orthodontist appointment this morning where I received three out of my four bands, my top wire, and top power chain.  Sadly, I didn't have my trusty photographer with me today to take pictures of the whole process.  Thankfully Dr. Lay gave me a mirror so I could watch what was happening.  But since I don't have pictures, I thought I'd share my video of how the appointment went.

Spacers and Top Brackets

Today was the first of what will be many orthodontist appointments.  

I was actually looking forward to this appointment. 

See. No shirt clenching.  Nice and relaxed.

 The extractions are over.  I'm thinking that was hard part.  Now that it is over I'm ready to get the braces on and start closing these gaps.  Unfortunately Dr. Lay said that closing those gaps was one of the last steps of this long journey.  

The first step today was learning about all the things I can't eat.  Being a picky eater has never come so in handy before.  There wasn't anything on the list today that I'm sad about not eating.  

Then the assistant cleaned my teeth and they pried my mouth open with this crazy blue contraption.

Beautiful huh?

You see a few of my brackets in this picture.  Dr. Lay glued all the top ones on today.  They use this blue light to seal them in place.

It wasn't long and all my top brackets were glued on.

As if I didn't look young enough as it was.  Now there is no way people are going to believe I'm thirty!

The last part of the appointment was a tiny bit painful.  The assistant put four spacers in on bottom and four on top.  They really weren't too bad except one of the top ones hurt when she put it in.  It is basically like a rubber band that goes between my teeth. 

It was a quick and easy appointment. 

I will go back on Monday to get my wire and bands on the top brackets.  My students are  most excited about this.  This is the part where I get to pick a color.  They all have opinion on what color I should get.  I'm torn between something less obvious like silver or a fun color.  

I will also have my spacers removed at this appointment.

Then I will have my third appointment the last Friday of this month.  That is when they will put my bottom brackets and wires on.  Then I will be set for awhile.  

Extractions: The Day After

I woke up this morning after a good night's sleep.  I was pleasantly surprised at just how well I slept.  I was even able to sleep on my side which helped.

I got out of bed and begin to get ready for the day.  I was able to get jeans out of the closet and walk into the kitchen before I got sick.  I felt very nauseous.  I got back in bed and let the feeling pass.  At that point it was time to take more pain meds so I go back up and went back to the kitchen.  

It was at that point I realized I wasn't going to be able to go to work today.  I was really bummed.  Today was the first day school was in session this week and I couldn't go.  I wasn't in any pain, but the meds were making me sick.

I requested a sub and sent my principal a text letting her know I wasn't coming in and then went back to sleep.

Andrew worked in LR today so I was home alone all day.  He brought me breakfast before he left.  I managed to eat a piece of toast and eat a tiny bit of milkshake from Sonic.  It took me thirty minutes to eat the piece of toast.  I still can't really chew in the back of my mouth so I was tearing it into tiny pieces.  I was having to force myself to eat because I was feeling sick the entire time.

I have pretty much slept all day.  Every time I was awake and tried sitting up I felt sick.  

This girl has been right by my side all day.  She can tell I haven't felt well.

Andrew text me this morning to see how I was feeling.  I told him I was just trying not to throw up.  Even though I felt like I would feel better if I did, I was scared of unlodging a blood clot and getting a dry socket.  We decided I would skip my next round of pain meds and see what happened.  

I woke up around four this afternoon feeling much better.  I still don't feel great, but now it is more of a weak from hunger kind of bad.  Eating is a chore.

I tried to eat more mashed potatoes earlier for lunch but it just wasn't happening.  I thought maybe I could eat some chicken nuggets and french fries tonight.  It just sounded good.

I managed to eat 2 nuggets and 4 or 5 fries.  Eating is a lot of work right now.  More trouble than it is worth it seems. I probably could have eaten more but I kept feeling like food was getting stuck in those holes and it was grossing me out.

Maybe I'll try mashed potatoes again later.

I'm going to get tired of mashed potatoes.  I may have to learn to like applesauce.

Several people sent me text messages today checking on me.   Thank you all for those.  

On a completely different note, today is my sweet niece's second birthday.

Happy Birthday Sydney!  Aunt E loves you bunches!!

Before I end this post I want to ask you to join me in prayer.  This morning one of my school's buses was rear-ended by a van.  Our bus driver and students were not harmed thankfully, but one of the people in the van didn't make it.  I don't really know any more details than that.  You can read the news story here. 

This story breaks my heart.   Please join me in prayer for our students and bus driver, but especially for the family members of the people in the van.  

Four Less Teeth

Notice anything different?

My sweet and amazingly talented friend Miranda gave my blog a makeover.  I absolutely love how it turned out!  She captured my vision perfectly.  Simple and feminine.  I can't say enough good things about her and the work she does.  

It was a great surprise to come home from extractions to discover she had installed everything.

Extractions.  

Glad those are over.  

I slept really well last night which was a complete answer to prayer.  I woke up this morning feeling pretty good about everything.

I went through my normal routine of having toast followed by my quiet time.  My quiet time was an exceptionally sweet time this morning.  God knew I needed to feel his sweet spirit surrounding me this morning.  

I showered and got ready for the day and then sat down to eat again.  I wasn't sure if I would feel like eating at all for the rest of the day so I wanted to eat while I could.  So yes I enjoyed pizza at 10AM. 

The thought of trying to eat later scares me a little.  The thought of removing my gauze later scares me.  Right now I can't tell that there are teeth missing because I have a mouth full of gauze.  

After I ate I took my anxiety pills and tried to read a little bit in my book.  Anything to take my mind off things.  When I couldn't stand it any longer I went into Andrew's office and asked if we could go.  I was ready to get it all over with.

Our dentist is just four blocks down the street so it wasn't a long drive.  

Andrew prayed over me and then it was time to go in.

I snapped this picture right before walking into the office.

I think I'm hiding how terrified I am pretty well in this picture.  You would never know I was just crying.  Plus can I just say good hair day! 

 It's the little things.

Everyone in the office knew how nervous I was about today.  They were so incredibly sweet from the moment I walked in the door.  I could not ask for a better dentist and staff.  

They asked if I thought the anxiety meds were helping and I when I said no I was still incredibly nervous they immediately made the decision to give me the gas as well.  I was so incredibly thankful for that.  It helped put me to ease.

I asked Andrew to come back with me.  He didn't really want to watch the procedure since he is having a tooth pulled next month.  I can't say that I blame him.  I wouldn't want to watch it either.  I asked him to come back long enough to be with me while they numbed me up.  I needed him to document the process.  He ended up staying the entire time.  I can't even tell you how thankful I was to have him there.

He and Dr. Arnett talked about their boats while we waited on me to become completely numb.  It was a nice distraction.  That's actually how we came to choose Dr. Arnett as our new dentist when we moved.  He and his family have a boat just a few slips down from ours.

My brother had a tooth pulled several years ago.  He told me that for him the worst part was the sound.  Because of that I had myself all worked up over the sound.  I was probably more worried about that than anything else.  It didn't help when Dr. Arnett told me I would feel a lot of pressure and hear a lot of noises.  

He started with the top right tooth.  He wasn't joking about that pressure.  It felt like he was trying to relocate my skull.  I may have moaned a little at the pressure.  But Dr Arnett, his assistant, and Andrew kept assuring me that I was doing a good job.

Of course I had my great coping mechanism.

I'm a shirt clincher.  I love that Andrew captured this picture.  I do this even when I'm just having my teeth cleaned.  Andrew said he also noticed that I would draw my feet up and kind of curl my toes when the pressure was the strongest.

The top teeth were the hardest to get out.  Those are the two where I heard a noise.  It sounded like he was cracking my teeth.  The top ones have two roots instead of one like the bottom.  When he pulled the top ones out one of the roots came out with the tooth, but the other broke off and stayed in the bone.  They had to take the drill and drill out the bone to pull out the root.   Apparently the cracking sound was the tooth breaking off the root.

And Andrew watched all of that.  He is an AMAZING husband.  

Hearing Andrew describe it was much worse than actually living through it.

The bottom two came out with no problems and no noise.  They came out much easier and much quicker.

I wish he would have told me when the first tooth was out.  I thought I knew but it was hard to tell.  I had no idea what he was doing with the drill at the time.  I've had so many cavities filled that that part didn't bother me.  

I also kind of wish I could have kept my teeth.  I'm sure they would have let me, but I didn't think about it before and I couldn't really talk afterwards.

Twice during the process his assistant squirted water in my mouth and told me to swish it around.  I have no idea how to do that when your mouth is completely numb.  I've never had work done on both sides of my mouth where everything was numb before.  They would tell me to bite down or open and close my mouth.  I had no idea if I was doing what they asked or not.  At one point I reached up to touch my mouth to see if my lips were closed or open.  I couldn't tell.

I'm going to have to send them a thank you card.  I felt bad at the end because I wanted to smile at them and say thank you, but I couldn't do either. They are such a phenomenal staff. 

Andrew brought me home and helped me into bed before going to pick up my pain meds.

Taking pain meds wasn't easy.  I have to really work to swallow and I have never taken pills very well anyway.  Andrew broke it in half for me and I attempted to take a drink of water.  The second half took some work to get down, but I knew I needed to take them.

Overall it wasn't too bad and I'm certain that is because I was being covered in prayer by family and friends.  Thank you everyone for the prayers and the encouragement.  

I loved receiving this text right before Dr. Arnett started working.

I'm currently laying in bed resting and watching Friends.  The perfect way to heal.  

Ready for healing to take place and braces to go on and start to close up these gaps.

I'm not sure I will feel up to updating via video tonight, but will definitely do it tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow - I think we might actually get to go back to school tomorrow.  A little nervous about that.  I have lesson plans made that won't require much from me so I'm hoping I will make it through the day okay.

Oh one other thing.  I can't use mouth wash for the next two or three days and I'm not supposed to brush anywhere near those gaps.   So if you see me and I have bad breath, I apologize in advance.  I'm going to do the best I can.  

My Current Smile's Last Day

Tomorrow is the big day.

I will be having four teeth extracted.  I'm scared.  Yet at the same time I feel like I'm making it a bigger deal than it really is.  I love my dentist and know he will take good care of me.  

I plan to take an anxiety pill before my appointment.  I've never taken anything like that before.  I'm hoping it will help me relax.

Since I have no idea how eating will go with four teeth missing and I'm getting braces as soon as I'm all healed, I decided that today was clearly meant for eating anything I want.  From what I can tell I'm going to be living off of mashed potatoes for the next few months.

My dad and granny surprised me and took me to Las Playitas for lunch today.

It was yummy as always.

It's an extra bonus that I was able to get out of the house.  Today has been our third snow day in this round of icy weather.

I'm documenting this journey through adult braces in every way possible.  I'm posting pictures on Instagram, I'm blogging about it, and I'm even keeping a video diary.  My first video is up on Youtube now.

Somehow documenting everything with the hope that it will help someone else with the decision to get adult braces helps make everything a little easier.

Today is the last day I will have this smile and all of these teeth.

Tomorrow I lose the fourth tooth from the front on both sides top and bottom.

 (Disclaimer: I was wearing a hat.  They made me take it off)

The Beginning of Our Journey into Adult Braces

I'm married to a researcher.  

It's one of the many things that I love about my husband.  He doesn't make a single decision without first researching the topic at hand for not just hours on end but days on end.  Sometimes weeks or months on end.

I am not a researcher.  And the way I see it there is no need to become one since I'm married to one.  

Who needs google when you have Andrew?

A few months ago when we started visiting orthodontist and trying to decide how to proceed with braces, I ended up seeing three different orthodontist with three different opinions.  Though it felt like I had visited four orthodontist since Andrew had his own opinion based on all the research he had been doing.

Is it crazy that I trusted my husband more than the guys with degrees who have been doing this for many many years?

He had spent hours looking at before and after pictures, watching videos, and reading case studies.  I knew he wasn't taking the decision lightly.

I researched too.  By that I obviously mean that I read blogs where people journaled their journey through adult braces.

Very scientific!

In case there is someone else out there who researches the way I do and for our own memory I'm going to blog our journey through adult braces.

The good, the bad, and the ugly.

My journey begins in two short weeks.

On March 6 I will have four teeth pulled.  Yikes!  I'm having the fourth tooth from the front on top and bottom on both sides pulled.

I'm really not nervous about it like I thought I would be.  My dentist is that good.  Plus they are going to give me a happy pill to take before hand to help with my anxiety.  I'm more nervous about the after.  I'm going to have four big holes in my mouth where teeth should go.  How am I supposed to eat like that?

Once those four teeth are removed it is time for a string of appointments with my orthodontist, Dr. Lay.  The first appointment is scheduled for the following week on March 13.  At this appointment I believe they will be putting in spacers - which from what I can tell are like little rubber bands that will sit around my tooth - and my top brackets.

On March 17 I go back so that Dr. Lay can put the bands on the top brackets and start moving those top teeth.

I go back again the week after on March 28 to get my bottom brackets and bands.  

Then I should be good to go for a little while.  All decked out in my braces.

My students are so excited about this.  Several of them are currently going through braces and they think it is so cool that I'm getting them too.  They all have suggestions as to what colors I should get.  They want me to get neon, glow in the dark, or zebra.  All a little wild when you are 30.

Andrew will begin the process in April.  He will have one single tooth pulled on April 23.  Then he will he will get spacers and the first of his brackets on April 30.  He will have one less appointment than I do because he isn't getting bottom braces.

My students also think it would be so funny if Mr. Weaver and I got stuck together when we kiss goodnight.  LOL!  Love that they think the only time we kiss is to say goodnight.  :)

Truth be told I'm kind of excited about getting braces.  It's not only going to help with the cosmetics of my teeth but the health of my teeth.  I'm a grinder at night.  I always have been.  I don't do it as often now, but I still do it.  It seems I do it because of the placement of my teeth.  Hopefully braces and then sleeping in a retainer will help me to stop doing this.