Braces

Marissa got her braces yesterday.  After finding the floating tooth & visits to the orthodontist & oral surgeon, the wait is finally over.

Of course, like any kid, she's not happy about them & calls them "stupid".  But she got purple elastic bands & that makes it a teeny bit better....So did the caramel apple we got her at Disney as a last hurrah! ;)

Today she had oral surgery to expose the floating tooth so they can align it slowly over time with the braces.  She did wonderfully during the surgery, although I did not.  I tried being brave & go in with her in the beginning but as the Dr. told us what he would be doing, I lost it a little.  I can't handle needles to begin with but seeing them do all this to my baby girl was too much for me.  Luckily Joe got there in time & kept me distracted.  Plus the office nurse was terrific!  She kept us updated & told us what to expect afterwords.

Marissa did wonderfully during the surgery, according to the doctor.  She says she kept her eyes closed so she wouldn't see any blood, & she says it felt like it took forever.  Unfortunately, after the surgery while the nurses were telling us what to do etc., the pain kicked in & she had to have more Novocaine.  Luckily the doctor gave us a prescription for the pain. 

The first part of the afternoon was tough for her.  She was hungry & could only eat soft mushy foods.  Chewing was tough for her.  I feel so bad for her since she barely had time to adjust to the braces & now she has to adjust to a couple of stitches on the inside of her chin.  I keep telling her that this is the worst of it & it will only get better from here!