I've Really Tried not to Whine...

And I'm sure it will be worth it but whew - a few days ago the braces were killing me. It wasn't the actual braces - it was my 4 bottom front teeth. They felt sort of like the feeling of having ice on the back of your teeth. It was low-grade but nonstop.

I called the orthodontist yesterday to ask him if this was normal and if it was going to go away on its own. He said "are you using the fluoride gel we gave you?". I answered "yes of course I have been". So he said hmmm - well that should have prevented that. He then told me to use it twice a day instead of once a day and if it wasn't better by Monday to come in to the office.

So I go home and use it right away - anything to make the throbbing stop. And while I'm brushing, I realize that the directions say to use it for one minute. Um whut. I had only been using it for maybe 10-20 seconds - just enough to brush it on. So yeah this whole thing is probably my own fault. Sorry Dr. Schraeder for the bad words that I called you in my mind!!!

Braces = Overhype

So yeah braces are pretty much exactly how I remember them. Except this Dr. is nicer than Deantha, the brackets on top are clear, and I got to listen to music while they were putting them on.

In general though yeah it's definitely the same.

Not the best picture but it's a little harder than I thought to get the camera to focus.





Kate

Braces today at 3:00pm!

I'm getting really nervous now. Doing a demo for a big group at 2:30pm which is just making me more nervous! But I'm ready for the demo and ready for the braces - I have the $ for the down payment (thanks to Bank of My Mom) and my iPod. It's supposed to only take 6 'units' of time so 1.5 hours.

I took a bunch of pictures last night and it was an odd feeling. Some made me shake my head and wonder why I was getting braces and some of them made my teeth look AWFUL and I was thinking - how did I wait so long?!

I'm sure I'll be whiny afterwards but I plan on driving through some place and getting a milkshake to sooth my nerves. Might have to see if there is such a thing as a Bailey's milkshake. :)

Kate

100 Best Companies to Work For

The Fortune list is out and I work at the 79th best place to work in the United States. Last year were were #86 so that's really good. When I was coming back from lunch, they were already hanging up the banners outside.

Tomorrow we all get t-shirts advertising our status. Score!

Spacers Today

My first real orthodontist appointment was today.

I've been reading the Archwired site message boards to re-familiarize myself and see what braces are like now vs. when I had them before. I think reading that message board has built up the process in my mind a little bit bigger than it really is.

I walked in and Jackie (the receptionist/appointment lady) told me - you don't even need to take off your coat - just have a seat in the chair. No more than 30 seconds later, I was walking back out the door! A little anticlimactic if you ask me! I just got two spacers - they are light blue rubber rings about 1/4 inch across. Dr. Schraeder told me that the spacers would feel like chicken stuck in my teeth. No flossing and no sticky stuff were the only other instructions.

Here is what spacers look like:


I'll be sure and take some pictures of the spacers for posterity but the good stuff will start Thursday.

Kate

Braces

So I'm getting braces next Thursday, the 24th at 3:00pm.

When I talked to the orthodontist today, he pretty much let me know that I'm getting a really good deal, because if I didn't have the insurance I do (which caps what he's allowed to charge), my treatment would be around [obscene amount of money here]. Luckily Metlife caps it so the whole thing will be [somewhat less obscene amount] minus [piddly amount insurance kicks in]. So it will be [Christmas present] next Thursday plus [reasonable price] per month for the next 22-24 months. Retainers and follows up are free!

Anyway, it's going to be quite a bit of work, including removing my one remaining baby tooth, which I had not realized I had created quite so much of an attachment to.

I am getting clear brackets on the top teeth and regular on the bottom. I did some research on the web and it says they won't stain or discolor.

For some of you who knew me in my younger years might be asking yourself - I thought Kate already had braces? Well, I did - around age 12 or so - but they have relapsed slightly so I thought I would take advantage of good insurance and get this done as my New Year's Resolution.

Here's a picture of a mouth with half and half so you can see the difference:



I will be providing braces updates every 4 to 6 weeks for the next 24 months.

Kate

Abigail and Squirrely and a Christmas Picture

My mom, Samantha and I all wearing our matching Christmas shirts. YES ANN they were on sale!!!



Abigail with her Christmas present:



She looks pretty placid at the moment that picture was taken but trust me... her favorite thing to do is hug it between her front legs and then kick the living daylights out of it with both back legs. It's adorable. Ü

Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

Also, I made buttermilk biscuits when I went to my sister's house for Christmas. I made two batches - regular and black pepper/bacon. The bacon biscuits totally won.

Here is proof of me making them (and cutting them out with a champagne flute):



Per Southern Living, you have to roll them into a 9" by 5" rectangle and then fold it in thirds (repeating twice) so it gets flaky layers. It totally worked!

Dresser

It's fun to add posts that have no rhyme nor reason to them.

Just wanted to put in a few of my latest pictures.

For those of you who didn't know - I haven't had a dresser since Katrina so, oh, about 2 and a half years. Here is my IKEA dresser, hand-put-together by moi:

Happy 2008! (Posts about Holidays/Trip to Canada to come)