No More Braces!

We interrupt my neglect of this blog to bring you an important announcement.  My Middle Man got his braces off Friday! And he couldn’t be happier! 

Bring on the gummies!  Bring on the Jolly Ranchers!  And bring on the DORITOS!  Lol!  We are definitely celebrating! 

I’m super happy for him. :)

And I’ll be even happier when we finally pay them off in a few months! 

Hopefully, my little guy has a few years before he needs to be evaluated!  A break from those monthly payments will be nice!!!!

Braces are worth it, though.  Not only have they given my boys beautiful smiles they’ll be keep for the rest of their lives, braces have also given their teeth the best possible chance to stay healthy.  You don’t know how often I wish I had gotten them when I was younger.  It might have prevented some of the issues I now face with misaligned and sensitive teeth.

*  *  *

In other news, I should probably tell you our family has entered the end-of-summer-rush to squeeze in doctor and dentist appointments for everyone.  Between those appointments (and their follow-ups), and the onset of multiple daily soccer practices, my computer time has been drastically reduced.  The next chance I get, though, I want to update you on our yellow jacket situation.  (Thank you all for commiserating!)

Thankful Thursday: The Braces Are OFF! (With Pictures!!)

Early in June, 2009, my oldest son started his orthodontics journey.  For those of you who have been reading for a while, you may remember that he needed more treatment than most.  His lower jaw was set so far back that his bottom teeth were hitting the roof of his mouth.

We were pretty much aghast at the device they wanted to put on him.  It was called a herbst, and this is what it looked like. 

We sought a second opinion, hoping there was something less-scary looking that would help.  However, they recommended the same thing. 

Reluctantly, we finally agreed.  As hard as it was going to be to watch him go through it, it would be far worse to do nothing.  His friends had already begun calling him “Buck tooth”.  The picture below was his normal smile.

Much to our relief, he adjusted just fine and wore the herbst until the spring of 2010.  It was exciting when that thing came off!   However, his braces remained in place until just last week.

I couldn’t be happier for him! 

While he’ll wear a retainer for a while, he is LOVING his “naked” teeth, lol!  (And yes, he reluctantly agreed to let me take this “after” picture for you.) 

I’m so thankful we decided to do it.  So often, we as parents struggle to make a choice we know will be tough on our child.  

Even when we know it has to be done, and there is no other way.

I’m also thankful for a God who totally understands on a much larger scale!

Click on the picture for more thankful posts!  Or better yet, share something you are thankful for on this beautiful day!

Shhhhh!! It’s A Surprise!

One I’ll probably be disowned for.  But hey!  You only turn thirteen once, and a mom will go to any lengths to make the day special. 

Today, my oldest officially becomes a teenager.  Sniff.  Sniff.

Since his birthday falls midweek, and tonight we have an oral surgery appointment after school for his younger brother, I was pondering how to make the day special for him.

When I saw these at Goodwill last night, the perfect plan was born!  Look at these awesome little buddies!

My son said he wanted to celebrate with a few “buddies”.  So how could I pass up “Mr. Bump” and “Mr. Lazy”?  Lol!  And those little green men with the gazillion bubbles?  That definitely had my son’s name on it! 

These tokens of my love will be carefully wrapped in comics and tucked in the bottom of his lunch box.  No doubt his seventh grade lunch table will be quite the party scene today!  Bubbles and buddies! I only wish I had someone there who could take a picture of his face when he opens them. 

As a back story, last year, just before his birthday, he accused me of not making any Hoop-Lahh over his birthday.  I rose to the occasion then.  And I’m still up for the challenge. :) 

There are two other events taking place today:

• My middle son is having two teeth pulled after school.  Pray he bounces back quickly and can enjoy the evening.
• And, my little guy starts kindergarten!!!!!!  Pray for him (and me!)  I’m sure I’ll be weepy after the bus leaves.  But I know how very shy he is, and how hard the adjustment may be.  He drew this for me yesterday, and said it was him missing me when he goes to school.

And that note card to the side?  He told me it says, Mom is love. 

Sniff.  Sniff.  I love my boys.

Can You Help Me?

I’m fairly certain I asked last year.  But since some of you are new, I’m tossing it out again. 

Do you recognize this pretty flower?  It is growing in a small clump in partial shade on the border of a flower garden I didn’t plant.  I would love to know what it is!  I haven’t been able to find it in any of my books.  It is roughly a foot tall.  Though, I suspect it is taller this year because other plants are making it reach for the light.

This afternoon we’re going to the Orthodontist’s Office.  My oldest will get an adjustment, while my middle son has his initial evaluation.  (Thankfully, it will be a number of years before the youngest starts this process!!!!)  I’m praying that whatever my middle son needs will be quick, easy, and cheap!  Lol!  (Maybe I should have posted this in the Friday Funnies!) Seriously, I wish orthodontics weren’t so crazy expensive.

Good News! Good News! Good News!

I’ve been meaning to post an update on the orthodontics journey my oldest son is undertaking, complete with before and “progressing” pictures! 

This morning we received such good news that I decided today is the day!

For those of you who may be new to my blog, his journey started out in the beginning of June with what is called a Herbst appliance.  It’s a scary looking apparatus that corrects severe cases of over bite.

This is what one kind of herbst looks like.  His is slightly different  on the bottom in that his rods simply attach to the caps on two forward bottom teeth.  I think.  Like my technical terms?

If you want, you can read more about our journey with the herbst here. 

Right before Christmas, the left front cap holding one rod came loose.  To make a long story short, they had to remove part of the herbst and take impressions for a new one, which took two weeks.

Although he enjoyed the break from the rods, we were afraid his lower jaw would slip backwards and we would be looking at another uncomfortable adjustment period.   Not to mention an extension of the total time he would need to wear it.

But his jaw didn’t retreat!  And today, as they were refitting the the rods, they actually had to take all the shims out! 

The best news?  He might get to have the rods out for good in just eight weeks! Yeahhh! 

I’m always reluctant to post anything that would embarrass him.  So we talked about this first.  But he agrees, if it helps just one other family beginning their journey, then we are happy to share.  It is always encouraging to know how much of a difference it can make.

That said, I struggled to find pictures.  I lost so many in our server crash, that these are about the best I can do.  Keep in mind that before the herbst, his lower teeth were actually hitting the roof of his mouth.

 

 

His profile and smile have changed! 

Dramatically. 

Even more than that, his personality has changed.  He is much more outgoing, self-assured and confident.  Goofy even. Now I’m bordering on embarrassing him.  (I’m a mom who likes to live on the edge.) 

But any boy who picks out pink and black rubber bands for his upper braces, can handle that.  Right? :)

We’re really thankful that things are working, and working so quickly.  Stop over at Gratituesday to see what others are thankful for.

Six Personal Updates

1.  The female cardinal lives on.  She is thumping on my window as I type.  I guess my husband was too busy on Friday to notice her.  That is good for her.  Bad for me. 

Do Cardinals fly south for the winter?

2.  After being down for the count with the Mother Of All Viruses, my computer has been “healed”.  Unfortunately, many files became casualties.  So although my computer lives, and I am typing on it now, it doesn’t remember what I would like it to. 

Hey!  That sounds like me!

3. My mom is doing pretty well after her fall at a restaurant on the way home from visiting us in Indiana.  Her knee (which she had surgery on in the past) is stiff and swollen, still.  But she claims it is no worse than before, and that it might be getting a little better.

I’m not sure if it is wishful thinking, or if it’s true.  But she does seem to be getting around, so I am thankful.

4.  My oldest son is 7 months into his Orthodontics Treatment.  He has upper braces and a Herbst appliance.  (If you are new around here, you can read about my family’s introduction to the Herbst appliance here.)  The device looks intimidating.  But the adjustment to having the appliance put on was so much easier than what we had prepared ourselves to go through. 

Even he is glad to be going through it, because it has made a drastic change in his appearance.  Not that he, or we, noticed much before.  It’s just that he looks totally different, now, and we realize how much he needed it.

But this really deserves it’s own post.  A post with “before” and “after” pictures that he approves of and doesn’t mind me putting out there.

5.  Our renovation project in the boys play room is nearing completion.  The patio door is installed, the drywall is up, and the wall has had its first coat of paint.  There is light at the end of the tunnel!!

6.  A Home Depot crew came in Friday to blow additional insulation into our attic spaces. Hopefully, we will enjoy a warmer house this winter and reduced energy costs next summer.  For the most part, we are happy with their service. 

I do, however, have a few repairs to make.  Several drywall nails in my hallway “popped” through the plaster on the textured ceiling.  I’m not at all sure what to do with them.  Anyone have any ideas?  I’m all ears.  :)

That’s about it, for now.  I think I’ve covered all the big happenings around here.

Have a great Tuesday, friends! 

Where There’s a Will…

After almost three days of milkshakes, pudding and yogurt, my son decided he wanted some real food.

The pain from the new braces and herbst has lessened considerably. But his teeth don’t make enough contact to chew.

Last night, he rode with me to pick up Chinese take-out and the wonderful smell drove him crazy all the way home. 

He became more determined than ever to find a way…

So, into the little processor went some Cashew Chicken, a hint of water, and a dose of Soy Sauce.  Not pretty (by a long shot). 

But he said it was “Very Good!”  Lol!

The wonderful thing was that it was loaded with vegetables which he normally would have picked out!

Now he is looking at the leftover cold pizza in the fridge with new eyes. Lord have mercy! 

On another note, this is the second day of summer vacation(really, the first, since Friday was spent at the orthodontist, picking up supplies, and going to a swim party).

Putting two thoughts together to post while the wild Indians circle my desk seems futile.  I can see it is going to be an interesting summer!!

The Milk Shake King

Yesterday’s Orthodontist’s visit went so much better than I thought it possibly could! 

I had my doubts when we arrived at the office.  My son was nearly beside himself with dread, and ooooozing with bad attitude.

When we were called back, the staff was so incredibly “cheery” I thought he might actually come unglued.  Poor guy.

The very-happy-lady polished his teeth and inserted the cheek retractors, and I had the fleeting thought that perhaps my husband should have accompanied him. 

Oh. My. GOODNESS.  His little cheeks were stretched beyond what any mom should have to see.  And all the while, the very-happy-lady asked him questions he couldn’t possible answer. 

I (instead) answered kindly, all the while hoping she wasn’t noticing the huge rolling his eyes were doing.  Completely around the top of his eye sockets. 

To have him knock it off, I had to give him a look of my own.  Which brought only another roll of his eyes.

By the time the Orthodontist came to set the braces, I was pretty certain my son was at the end of his good humor (as if he had started out with much to begin with). 

That is, until I noticed his tongue doing a little open air dance in the middle of his ridiculously wide lips--for the benefit of the little mirror he held in his hands.  I about snorted right there in the middle of my conversation with the staff.  It was just so absurd looking, which apparently was something that appealed to the boy in my boy.

That’s when I knew he was going to be O.K.   

Although he worried at first about what his friends would say, I think he is past that now.  Our pool party (see the picture above) was the best thing in the world for him.  It not only distracted him from the pain, it gave him the chance to see that his friends had nothing but compassion for him.  They actually thought it was pretty cool!

It will be a while before he is ready to venture off his soft diet (of mostly milk shakes).  And we are alternating between Tylenol and Advil to keep the pain at a minimum.  But his attitude has improved tremendously. 

I’m SO proud of him! 

We actually dissolved into giggles tonight as I attempted to help him with the twenty minute cleaning routine.  I think he is going to be just fine.  :)  Thank you, Lord! 

 And thank all of you for praying!

Once the pain isn’t so fresh, maybe the Milk Shake King will feel comfortable enough to let me post a better picture.

Tissues, Party Hats, and Milk Shakes

Isn’t this lily beautiful?  We brought her with us from Pa when we moved to the Midwest 6 years ago.  She is evidently liking her new home.

I’m feeling kind of sentimental this morning.  Just shy of a basket case, actually.  My boys are at school finishing up their final day for the year. 

For my oldest, it is his FINAL day of elementary school.  For my middle son, he will officially become a fifth grader. 

Whew!  There are so many mixed feelings swirling around inside me.  I can’t decide whether to  take a box of tissues or a party hat to their talent show this afternoon.  Maybe both?  Definitely my camera!  Lol!

Yet, as happy a day as today is for the boys, tomorrow’s orthodontist visit is standing like a shadow in the back of our minds.

By this time tomorrow morning, my oldest will have his herbst and top braces in place.  His teeth have been very sensitive because of the spacers.  So I have no doubt that tomorrow will begin a very painful and trying couple of weeks of adjustment for him. 

The herbst appliance will force his bottom jaw forward as he grows. 

If you are new to my blog, this is what the appliance looks like, along with the top braces:

Rather intimidating…

I would SO very much appreciate your prayers for him.  That he will adjust quickly.  That he would be patient with himself as he figures out how to speak with it, and chew, etc. 

He will be on a soft diet for a week or two.  So I’ll be buying stock in the ice cream industry to keep him fed.  He has already been practicing his technique for making the best shakes, which his brothers are happy to taste test for him.  Naturally.

The treatment coordinator encouraged us to keep Tylenol and Advil on board, and to keep him busy.  To distract him as much as possible. 

So we are keeping our plans to attend a celebration party with a few of his friends and their families tomorrow night.  And taking tubs of ice cream, of course!

If you have any other ideas for distractions, I would SO love to hear them.  I have a feeling, I’ll be scrounging for ideas.

Thanks for being such a supportive group of readers!   You guys are the best, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.  I may not be able to post an update tomorrow.  But I will try to let you know how things are going over the weekend.

One Step Closer

Last week, the orthodontist took molds of my oldest son’s teeth.  Then they installed spacers to make room for the caps.

The Herbst will eventually be attached to the caps.

For the first three days of having the spacers, his teeth were sensitive and he avoided chewing.  But by the 4th day, he was back to eating what he wanted, and the pain had all but disappeared.

Things he found easy to eat were:  Yogurt, applesauce, pudding (lots of pudding), scrambled eggs, shakes, and ice cream. 

We were told to be careful about hot or cold extremes, though.  Sometimes teeth become sensitive to temperature extremes during adjustment periods. 

Later, once he has appliances glued to his teeth, he will have to avoid icy cold things (like popsicles) because we are told it can cause the glue to fail.

This morning, he had the spacers removed, and his teeth were fitted for the right size caps.  The lady had a tray of caps, and she simply tried on a bunch till she found the right fit.

Then she took more molds of his mouth with the caps on.  My son found this to be a pain, his words, and uncomfortable.  He has a really strong gag reflex. 

He says having things put in his mouth is as awful as writing(something which he absolutely loathes to do!).

He will be free of things in his mouth for two weeks.  Two more glorious weeks. 

Then, the day after school leaves out, we will go back to have the Herbst fully installed.  I don’t know if installed is the right word, or not.  But he will come home with it on.  Then the fun begins…

Yoda and the Herbst:The Orthodontics Consultation

Yesterday, we took my oldest son to see an Orthodontist. He has, what his friends amiably call, buck teeth. Not only do his front teeth hang over his bottom teeth, they angle out.

We've known that we would need to do something, but were kind of waiting for all his baby teeth to come out. In this case, waiting may have made things worse. . .and harder to correct, as I'll explain.
Note to self: Always ask lots of questions and do your research!

No one in my family has had braces before, so all of this is new to us. My husband came, too, ready to listen with me to all the details.

The Office Visit

Let me just say first off, that that Dr. Henderson and his Treatment Coordinator (I won't use her name) were super nice, very patient, and straight forward. After examining his teeth and bite, Dr. Henderson explained that my son's lower jaw would need to be brought forward before we can talk about braces. And this should be done soon, so as to take advantage of any growth my son may have left to do.

It probably should have been done several years ago, while he was 7 or 8 and still growing like a weed. But, hopefully, there will be more growth, or the device may not work and surgery might be required. (I really should have packed some ant-acid tablets in my purse.)

I tried to listen closely, which was not easy since my four-year-old was totally engrossed by everything in the room. In fact, at several points, I had to rescue the teeth models because he was taking great pleasure in making "the skeleton teeth" eat Yoda. Actually, so was my older son, (and husband at times).

What is it they say? Boys don't grow up. . . just older?

The Herbst


Dr. Henderson explained that the first step in what he would like to do is apply a Herbst. (Isn't that an odd name?)

When the nice Treatment Coordinator showed us this model, I had to work at keeping my eyes from bugging out. This is what a Herbst looks like:

The boys thought Yoda should apply The Force. I was kind of thinking the same thing.

Although the side arms look like little hydraulic cylinders, they are actually free sliding. Once the device is fitted in the mouth, little shims will be clipped around the shafts (I think) every so often to force the lower jaw forward as it grows.

Remember, I am new to this, so I may not be saying things exactly right. I told the office staff that I would be writing about it, so if you are reading this, kind Treatment Coordinator, please feel free to correct me! :)


I watched my son's face during the discussion, and remarkably, I couldn't see the fear that I knew was churning just beneath the surface. But I knew it was there, because I was sure feeling it.


Did I tell you that my son has an incredibly STRONG gag reflex? He has lots of trouble with new textures, and an even harder time letting the dental hygienist past his lips.


I kept thinking, How on earth are we going to get him through this? How will he EVER adapt to having that huge thing in his mouth? How much is this going to cost?


Our Decision

It was a lot to think through. But we (my husband and I) felt we needed to go ahead and make the next appointment to take impressions.

Not that we felt totally relaxed about the process. It was more like we felt a resignation to prepare for battle because it needed to be done.

We understood all too well how huge this was going to be for our son. Not a thing about it is going to be easy.

We left pretty quietly. Each lost in our own thoughts.

When the boys asked for lunch, we stopped by Steak and Shake.

Yoda and the Storm Trooper got "Elvis" cars out of the deal, and we kind of had time to debrief.

It turned out to be the stress relief we all needed.

Now What?

The office staff gave us information about the process.

But what I really wanted was to talk with a family who has been there. . .and who has walked this road before.

So, I did a few Google Searches of the Herbst Appliance and came up with some frightful testimonies. I probably shouldn't have done that. O.K., it was a seriously dumb move.

I now have a whole new set of things to worry about . . . and attempt to give over to the Lord.

I'm so glad we serve a big God. (amen??) We are going to need His help getting our son through the next two months of adjustments and changes.



I'm giving this new journey we are setting out on its very own label. I have a suspicion that I'll have much more to chronicle over the next few weeks.

As I realized last night in my searches, there's not much out there as far as information for parents about to have a Herbst placed on their child. Not much positive in the way of actual experience, anyway.

There needs to be more.

If you, or someone you know has had experience with a Herbst, please let me know. Also, if you know of a place for parents to get help in preparing their child for one, please let me know!

Would you think us wimpy for wanting to find a Herbst support group??