Again, sorry it has been a while since I have been here... keep reading, it's been a crazy couple of months!
According to babycenter.com, Lil Miss Alessandra Victoria Smith (aka - Alex or Hollywood) is 46 days away from gracing us with her presence. WHOA. We have reached the point where mommy-to-be has prenatal appointments every two weeks. Fun. The nursery is almost done. After many back and forth conversations about should we paint the room, shouldn't we... we have decided to. And since Baby Daddy Cory has been traveling so much, I am beyond thankful that he is working a short week, is taking Thursday and Friday off to help me finish the nursery (ie - paint), and of course, to spend some quality time with me.
I know that it has been a couple of months since I've been here, so lemme catch you up...
Ever since my last post (the visit to the ER), I've since become a Stay-at-Home-Mommy. Without getting into too much detail, although, most of you who know me already know, work was becoming more of a stressful nightmare than a fulfilling career. It came to the point where, after certain incidences and many many tears, baby Alessandra decided to let me know how she felt about my work-related stress, and decided to send me contractions in the middle of a work day. I immediately went to Cory's office to let him know, and we had made the decision right then and there that our daughter means a helluva lot more to us than anything... the next week, I put in my resignation. I'm not gonna lie. It has been bitter sweet. More sweet, of course. But having worked in this industry almost my entire career, it was a bit of transition for me, mentally. I wasn't ready to put my career on hold just yet, so I was concerned about how the lack of interaction and a sense of every day purpose was going to affect me. Luckily, I've been able to stay busy with getting the house organized, setting up the nursery, getting little Miss Winnie trained so that she's not an unruly puppy when the baby arrives. And also, taking some ME time to just relax and "let go" of all the unhappiness that was consuming me at my job. I'm still adjusting, I miss the girls at work and my actual job... just not the other stuff.
So, here I am... it's been almost 2 months since my last day at work. I am told that I am looking very relaxed and that I do have that pregnancy glow - WHICH I hope to bottle up and save after delivery... Can I? Alessandra is doing well. We had a glucose test about a month and a half ago. I do not have gestational diabetes, which is great. But, I was on the high side. So, my obgyn advised me to lay off the sugars and starches... WHAT??? Only like my two FAVORITE things ever, especially in this third trimester. At our last appt, the baby measured about 2 1/2 lbs, and if I stay on track, she will be about a 7lb bundle of joy... please no bigger! :)
We just had the last of the two baby showers in honor of this lucky little girl. The first one was on March 5th. It was a gorgeous shower! My mom and Jenn did a WONDERFUL job. THANK YOU THANK YOU. And of course, Mama Eckert, Rachel and Danielle helped and were FABULOUS as usual! The food was incredible, the desserts were to DIE for... wish I had more. I will have to post pics here later. The second shower was just this past weekend at Cat's house. Again, fabulous food, wonderful people! THANK YOU CAT for hosting an amazing shower! AND THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY! The showers, the gifts, the love and support mean so much to Cory and I!
As we hit the home stretch, I've definitely been experiencing some of those wonderful third trimester pregnancy symptoms that nobody likes to talk about. Let's just say that the hormones relax certain muscles that allow me to clear a room faster than the speeding bullet...sleepless nights make for a pleasant wife in the morning. Which, I guess, makes me extremely lucky that I am not working at this time since I can sleep in once Cory leaves for work... all of these websites and books tell you about crazy dreams, but wow, crazy is not the word I would use. More like psychotic, make me not want to fall asleep every type dreams...and of course, physically, my belly is getting bigger, so I run into everything. And let's just say that, although I have been lucky enough to be "all-belly" and not swell everywhere else, like my feet, ankles, face, etc., I have managed to get puffy in other areas. I'll leave it at that. But the ones I have cried too - you're probably laughing your asses off right now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, as this IS the miracle of life. I'm just not understanding those women who say "I LOVED being pregnant." Seriously? There's this huge belly in front of you that doesn't allow you to do mundane tasks, such as, putting on your socks and shoes or sometimes even putting on your pants, so your poor husband has to dress you. I guess that's good practice for the baby, right? Should I kick and cry in the process? :)
Anyhoo, I just keep counting down the days until we get to meet this beautiful baby girl. It is super exciting, but also just as nerve wrecking. Those of you who know me know that I am a control freak. And here we are, about to embark on this journey where I get absolutely NO control. How am I supposed to comprehend that? Still, I'm here to be humbled and fall in love with this little creation. It's endearing to see how excited Cory gets... btw, he has already predicted that #2 is going to be a girl. Anyone wanna take that bet? He is ecstatic at the fact that he will not only be a DADDY soon, but that he will have this little girl that will melt his heart, which in turn will allow her to break every rule he attempts to set out. (Some rules have ALREADY been broken) To all my dads out there, am I right or am I right? He looks at her closet and is overwhelmed with the amount of pink that has taken over, and is over the moon when he sees purple or yellow or green. Haha! He talks to her every night before going to bed. He even sings his crazy songs to her. She kicks back. Although it's difficult to tell if she is kicking in excitement or just trying to get her dad to pipe down.
Ok, so that's all for now. We have our first of the prenatal classes tonight. Infant Safety and CPR. Makes me nervous to hear about all the possibilities of things that can happen, nevertheless, it has to be done. We have the tour and childbirthing class next month. We are taking it with BJ and Davis so that should be fun!
Until next time...
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
"How does it feel to know that she is now in control?"
So, Cory had to travel to the FedEx facility in Memphis, TN this week for work. Although it was only for three days, we still feel like we are newlyweds, and are sad to be apart. It was a fairly uneventful week, work-wise. I would come home, make dinner, and relax with the doggies and Hollywood. With the exception of my Tiyng Fely's passing last weekend, everything was pretty quiet... which is nice.
This past Wednesday, I woke up, got my normal "good morning" kick from Hollywood around 7:00am, continued to get ready for work, and move on with my day. It was a busy day, but nothing too crazy. I wasn't running around at work, but I was busy at my desk. That evening, my parents and Christopher came overto bring me some sinigang... I had requested some while Cory was gone because I was craving it. :) Had dinner with my family, my mom made some yummy fruit smoothies for dessert, we watched tv, talked a little bit about the baby and the dogs, and called it a night. A couple of hours later, I was sitting on the bed with the dogs, crocheting Hollywood's hot pink & black rock star blankie, and I realized that I hadn't felt her move... in fact, I hadn't felt her move all day. And when my mom was over making dinner, she had actually asked how she was moving, and it didn't dawn on me that it had been pretty calm in my belly. So, of course, in true Annaliza fashion, I started to panic. I text Cory, who was out on a business dinner in Memphis. He called back immediately, I told him what was going on. We decided that it would be best to call the doctor... Better safe than sorry, right? So, I called the on-call physician at Saddleback Memorial. Not a millisecond after I said the words, "I don't think I've felt the baby move since this morning..." did Dr. O'dell instruct me to come to the ER and up to Labor and Delivery. I called my mom to come pick me up, I called Cory to let him know, and I proceeded to ball my eyes out. I was like, "Are you serious? Am I having complications while my husband is out of town? I can't do this again..." I balled and balled and balled, then finally stopped, got myself together to get dressed, and told the baby that I loved her and would not let anything happen to her.
It's amazing how quickly they take you up to Labor and Delivery when you are having potential complications. Typically, my experience in the Emergency Room has included a 2-3 hour wait just to get triaged. As soon as I arrived, I told them my name, the on-call doctor had already told them to expect me, and a wheelchair was there in less than 5 minutes.
In Labor and Delivery, they had me in a room that had about 5 beds in it. I'm guessing this is where they process you before deciding to admit you or make you go home. I had to change into one of those backless gowns (sexxay), and they strapped on a fetal heart rate monitor and some other monitor for contractions, and then the list of questions began. When was the last time you felt her move? What did you do today? What did you eat today? Did you fall? etc etc etc... I started to cry. Before I could literally lose it, the nurse turned on the monitor and turned up the volume, and the sound of a galloping horse came through the speakers. It was the baby's heartbeat at a fluctuating 150-180 bpm, which I'm told is a good sign. And not 5-10 minutes later after I was laying in the hospital bed, Hollywood started to let me know that she was doing just fine... punching and kicking with intention. That's my girl. The nurse and physician continued to check her heart rate and movement and they said that she is an extremely active little one. They asked if her kicks were always THAT strong... I said YES. And the reassured me that it was a good sign to come in. If I wasn't feeling THAT all day long, then it could have been a sign of distress... so better safe than sorry. "She must have been taking a really long nap." They kept giggling at how much she was moving now. As if she knew that she was being "watched"...
They monitored me for a couple of hours before discharging baby and me, and telling us to take it easy. The nurse handed me some informative handouts and my discharge papers to sign, and said that she hoped to see me back at 39 weeks. I was like, "Why 39 weeks?" She said, "so you don't go over too much"... I thought that was cute. She reminded me to ALWAYS call if I had questions of concerns... better to keep baby safe. And, while I was getting ready to leave, she said the words that will ring in my ears forever...
"How does it feel to know that she is now in control?"
PUNK...
My mom laughed... she's been telling me since I was a little punk myself, that she can't wait until I have a little girl to cause my hair to turn white and my heart to race at all times of the night. Haha!
Anyhoo, we are all doing well. After pretty much having a heart attack in Memphis, Daddy is home, protecting mommy and belly... and dogs too.
Before I go, I do want to send love, hugs and prayers to all of my family during this difficult time. Tiyong Fely was a loving and influential individual in all of our lives, and he will be missed.
This past Wednesday, I woke up, got my normal "good morning" kick from Hollywood around 7:00am, continued to get ready for work, and move on with my day. It was a busy day, but nothing too crazy. I wasn't running around at work, but I was busy at my desk. That evening, my parents and Christopher came overto bring me some sinigang... I had requested some while Cory was gone because I was craving it. :) Had dinner with my family, my mom made some yummy fruit smoothies for dessert, we watched tv, talked a little bit about the baby and the dogs, and called it a night. A couple of hours later, I was sitting on the bed with the dogs, crocheting Hollywood's hot pink & black rock star blankie, and I realized that I hadn't felt her move... in fact, I hadn't felt her move all day. And when my mom was over making dinner, she had actually asked how she was moving, and it didn't dawn on me that it had been pretty calm in my belly. So, of course, in true Annaliza fashion, I started to panic. I text Cory, who was out on a business dinner in Memphis. He called back immediately, I told him what was going on. We decided that it would be best to call the doctor... Better safe than sorry, right? So, I called the on-call physician at Saddleback Memorial. Not a millisecond after I said the words, "I don't think I've felt the baby move since this morning..." did Dr. O'dell instruct me to come to the ER and up to Labor and Delivery. I called my mom to come pick me up, I called Cory to let him know, and I proceeded to ball my eyes out. I was like, "Are you serious? Am I having complications while my husband is out of town? I can't do this again..." I balled and balled and balled, then finally stopped, got myself together to get dressed, and told the baby that I loved her and would not let anything happen to her.
It's amazing how quickly they take you up to Labor and Delivery when you are having potential complications. Typically, my experience in the Emergency Room has included a 2-3 hour wait just to get triaged. As soon as I arrived, I told them my name, the on-call doctor had already told them to expect me, and a wheelchair was there in less than 5 minutes.
In Labor and Delivery, they had me in a room that had about 5 beds in it. I'm guessing this is where they process you before deciding to admit you or make you go home. I had to change into one of those backless gowns (sexxay), and they strapped on a fetal heart rate monitor and some other monitor for contractions, and then the list of questions began. When was the last time you felt her move? What did you do today? What did you eat today? Did you fall? etc etc etc... I started to cry. Before I could literally lose it, the nurse turned on the monitor and turned up the volume, and the sound of a galloping horse came through the speakers. It was the baby's heartbeat at a fluctuating 150-180 bpm, which I'm told is a good sign. And not 5-10 minutes later after I was laying in the hospital bed, Hollywood started to let me know that she was doing just fine... punching and kicking with intention. That's my girl. The nurse and physician continued to check her heart rate and movement and they said that she is an extremely active little one. They asked if her kicks were always THAT strong... I said YES. And the reassured me that it was a good sign to come in. If I wasn't feeling THAT all day long, then it could have been a sign of distress... so better safe than sorry. "She must have been taking a really long nap." They kept giggling at how much she was moving now. As if she knew that she was being "watched"...
They monitored me for a couple of hours before discharging baby and me, and telling us to take it easy. The nurse handed me some informative handouts and my discharge papers to sign, and said that she hoped to see me back at 39 weeks. I was like, "Why 39 weeks?" She said, "so you don't go over too much"... I thought that was cute. She reminded me to ALWAYS call if I had questions of concerns... better to keep baby safe. And, while I was getting ready to leave, she said the words that will ring in my ears forever...
"How does it feel to know that she is now in control?"
PUNK...
My mom laughed... she's been telling me since I was a little punk myself, that she can't wait until I have a little girl to cause my hair to turn white and my heart to race at all times of the night. Haha!
Anyhoo, we are all doing well. After pretty much having a heart attack in Memphis, Daddy is home, protecting mommy and belly... and dogs too.
Before I go, I do want to send love, hugs and prayers to all of my family during this difficult time. Tiyong Fely was a loving and influential individual in all of our lives, and he will be missed.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
First comes love… then comes marriage… then comes a baby in a baby carriage…
HELLO!
It has been WAY too long, I know. And I’m sorry. I’ve been asked by several people to start this blog up again now that the news of our future baby girl is out in the open! I had intended to keep it going, but, you know life… it took over.
A quick update on Cory and I… Marriage has been bliss. I can’t imagine my life without him. He would totally die without me. J We still live in RSM, we have made some home improvements to the condo to get ready for the baby – new hardwood flooring, new living room and dining room furniture to make space for the baby. Right before we found out that we were pregnant, we added a new family member. Her name is Winnie. She is a spunky little Yorkshire Terrier… just like her older brother Gizmo. She is a punk, she terrorizes Gizmo, she ADORES her Daddy, and is just the cutest bundle of 6lb energy that we could have hoped to add to our Smith brood. Other than that, life has been pleasantly the same… still working at Endologix (ok, maybe that is not so pleasant), still loving my ANGELS, I am growing to love the Pittsburgh Steelers, still addicted to snowboarding even though I am unable to participate this season, and loving the life we have created together and looking forward to the life that is about to become.
A quick update on baby girl Smitty… I peed on a stick the day before Cory’s birthday, August 25th. I very faint line popped into the screen, which led to tears of joy, but still some apprehension. We had just miscarried only a few months prior, so getting excited wasn’t really in our wheelhouse quite yet. Still, every day, Cory encouraged me to stay positive. We took it easy. We laid low. Our 8 week ultrasound came along, things looked good, heartbeat was strong. Due date was set for May 7, 2011. But even Dr. Han was a little apprehensive and didn’t want to get too excited. Our 12 week ultrasound came, apparently I was stiff as a board in the room. The technician had to tell me to relax… and there was baby… doing what looked like sit ups and karate kicks on the screen. We finally started to take a deep breath and believe that this pregnancy was going to be just fine. The technician asked if we were going to find out the sex. And before the word “yes” could escape our mouths, she said that it looked like a girl. Which made sense… all the old wives tales about how girls suck the life out of you. The first trimester was taxing on me… I got the morning sickness, the dry heaving, the extreme exhaustion, the mood swings… no crazy cravings, and there was a point where all I wanted to eat were smoothies from Juice It Up. So I guess that’s good that I always wanted fruit. A few weeks into my 2nd trimester, the yucky prego symptoms went away, and the fun part has begun… and here we are.
We just past 22 weeks. I feel great. Cory claims that I am now glowing. I think I’m just sweating profusely. My tummy has popped a little bit, so now I actually look pregnant, and not like I just ate an entire side of beef to myself. We confirmed at 20 weeks that we are in fact having a girl. Well, 90% sure. During the ultrasound, the little brat was practically sitting with her knees into her chest, they couldn’t get a clear read, but were positive that there were no “boy parts”… The technician and obgyn said that we can do another ultrasound at 24 weeks to confirm again, but it’s a girl. And since we had been thinking that it was a girl since 12 weeks, we were happy. I, for one, am petrified of the teenage years… especially remembering what I was like… but hopefully Cory can deal with her then. Haha! And now, walking around Target or the mall, seeing teenage girls in short shorts, mini skirts, hanging all over boys… I’m getting heart palpitations just thinking about it. See, this is what happens when you actually put out into the world “I only want boys”… my bad.
Anyhoo, with only 4 months left til d-day, we have a lot to do. We will start the nursery… moving furniture out, painting, picking out baby furniture (damn that stuff is expensive). We just started on the baby shower plans, so I’m excited for that! The theme for the room is obvious if you know me… in case you don’t… it’s WINNIE THE POOH!
As the next months whiz past us, I want to thank my Baby Daddy for being so patient and so kind… And so adorable. He is so excited at the thought of having a daughter… a Daddy’s Girl. He talks to my belly every morning and every night. Her kicks have reached the point where they are strong enough for him to feel. That is a whole other wonderment to me. Feeling your baby kick… to think that once there was nothing there, and now there is… and it’s kicking you. There are daily soccer matches between 1:30pm and 3:30pm and again between 10:00pm and into the night… sometimes it’s not just a kick, she just stretches those legs, right into my bladder. OH BOY… or should I say GIRL!
Alright, so I got the first blog out… I will def try to keep up on this so you can all enjoy and experience our first lil bundle of Smitty joy.
Love and Miss you all… Happy 2011!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY 2010!!!
So here we are...it's the holiday season... I am finally off of work and TRYING to start packing. We are heading back east for Christmas, to visit Cory's family. I'm a little sad that this will be my first official Christmas away from my family, but it's all good. We had Christmas with my family on Sunday, and I made out like a bandit!! I mean, thank you mom and dad for the wonderful gifts... =)
Beyond being excited to see the the Smith's, I'm horrified by the potential snowstorm that is Northeastern Pennsylvania in the winter time. I come from So Cal, the OC, where it was just in the mid-70 last weekend. I mean, right now, it's in the 60s, yet windy, and my fingers are struggling to type. I'm told that there will be lots of snow waiting for me when we arrive tomorrow night... this should be interesting. Do you think they'll make me shovel the cars out of the snow as some sort of "Smith initiation hazing"... hm.
Speaking of Smith hazing, I made the irreparably stupid mistake of being gullible last night. I don't even remember what I did, I've worked real hard on "forgetting"... but I'm told that gullibility is like blood in the water for the Smith's... so I'm in for some heckling! Can't wait!
All in all... I'm very excited for the holidays! We're excited to head back east to see Cory's family and to hopefully see some of mine in NY.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU!!!
WE LOVE YOU!!!
Beyond being excited to see the the Smith's, I'm horrified by the potential snowstorm that is Northeastern Pennsylvania in the winter time. I come from So Cal, the OC, where it was just in the mid-70 last weekend. I mean, right now, it's in the 60s, yet windy, and my fingers are struggling to type. I'm told that there will be lots of snow waiting for me when we arrive tomorrow night... this should be interesting. Do you think they'll make me shovel the cars out of the snow as some sort of "Smith initiation hazing"... hm.
Speaking of Smith hazing, I made the irreparably stupid mistake of being gullible last night. I don't even remember what I did, I've worked real hard on "forgetting"... but I'm told that gullibility is like blood in the water for the Smith's... so I'm in for some heckling! Can't wait!
All in all... I'm very excited for the holidays! We're excited to head back east to see Cory's family and to hopefully see some of mine in NY.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU!!!
WE LOVE YOU!!!
Monday, October 19, 2009
It's been a while...
It has been a WHILE since I've been here... I just wanted to stop by and say hi to anybody who is still listening...
Married life is still as wonderful as they say it is! Cory and I just celebrated our one year anniversary of getting ENGAGED! Cory surprised me and set up a dinner and a show to celebrate what was the start of our blissful lives together. We ate at Scott's Seafood (DELISH) and saw Spam-A-Lot at the Orange Country Performing Arts. It was a wonderful evening, we had the BEST time... and then, we saw the end of the Angels game in extra innings... 13 innings, you all saw it... Nuff said.
TODAY is Game 3 of the ALCS... Angels vs. Yankees... It is the first home game of the series. Angels are down 2-0. We have tickets... it's a day game, so Cory and I got into work early so that we could leave at 11:00am and head to Angels Stadium. I'm not gonna lie... I couldn't sleep last night. I'm not sure if it was the bear sawing logs next to me in bed... OR... the fact that I can't get the last 3 or 4 Angels errors out of my mind... OR... some morbid combination of the two. Either way... I did not get good sleep last night. SO, it would be in the Angels best interest, and any Yankee fan in a arms reach of me, that the Angels BLOW the Spankees out of the park for the next FOUR games!
Please Rally Monkey, don't let our boys commit any more RIDONKULOUS errors!!!
Married life is still as wonderful as they say it is! Cory and I just celebrated our one year anniversary of getting ENGAGED! Cory surprised me and set up a dinner and a show to celebrate what was the start of our blissful lives together. We ate at Scott's Seafood (DELISH) and saw Spam-A-Lot at the Orange Country Performing Arts. It was a wonderful evening, we had the BEST time... and then, we saw the end of the Angels game in extra innings... 13 innings, you all saw it... Nuff said.
TODAY is Game 3 of the ALCS... Angels vs. Yankees... It is the first home game of the series. Angels are down 2-0. We have tickets... it's a day game, so Cory and I got into work early so that we could leave at 11:00am and head to Angels Stadium. I'm not gonna lie... I couldn't sleep last night. I'm not sure if it was the bear sawing logs next to me in bed... OR... the fact that I can't get the last 3 or 4 Angels errors out of my mind... OR... some morbid combination of the two. Either way... I did not get good sleep last night. SO, it would be in the Angels best interest, and any Yankee fan in a arms reach of me, that the Angels BLOW the Spankees out of the park for the next FOUR games!
Please Rally Monkey, don't let our boys commit any more RIDONKULOUS errors!!!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Brace Face Lives!
So, I've been trying to hide it for a little while, but am over it, and am just coming out...
Hi, my name is Annaliza, and I am a 32-year-old married woman with braces.
For whatever asinine, juvenile reason, I wanted braces as an adolescent. I saw most of my friends getting them, saw the coordinating colored rubber bands, and thought, "WOW... how cute are my friends with their shiny, silver braces, and HOT PINK rubber bands - I WANT!" BIZARRE - I mean, isn't that the time that we are all struggling with our identity? How would a mouth full of enough metal to pick up magnets help that? What were we thinking???
Obviously, getting older, you start to value the fact that you never had to wear them... that you took care of your teeth, that you were blessed with straight pearly whites, and that you never had to deal with snapping rubber bands and forgetting to take the wax off of your braces before eating. You never imagine that you would hear those words, "Invisalign won't work for you, you have to wear braces." When my dentist referred me to Dr. Carter to talk about my dental implant in the WAY back of my mouth... braces never entered my mind. I never figured that there would be an pre-work that needed to be done... who me?
I remember this day vividly... all of two weeks ago. I was naively walking into an ORTHODONTIST'S office (not sure why that didn't tip me off), thinking that he was gonna take a look at my grill and tell me that I just needed the implant in the way back and I'd be good to go... set up the appointment, maybe try and coax some teeth whitening out of him, and BAM, I'm a new woman! Another tip off, should have been when they made me watch this video on ways to correct your smile and bite. Huh? So, I watched it... somewhat entertaining at best. Whatever, right? So, then Dr. Carter makes me sit in the chair. You know, the one where you feel like you're going to slide down, head first at any moment, and the dentist's tools will somehow jab into the roof of your mouth as your dentist and some dental hygenist try to save you from certain death... of sliding off the chair. I sat in the chair, opened wide... oooh, did you know that they now make bubble gum scented gloves... cuz that makes your positively horrific dental experience so unforgettable. He continued to poke around at my teeth, pushing them around, seeing how my gums would bounce back (I have healthy gums apparently)...all this time, I'm thinking "If the word 'braces' escapes his mouth, so help me!" Sure enough... "well Annaliza, I think we're gonna need to put some braces on your bottom teeth." No joke, first words out of my mouth - "Do I qualify for Invisalign? If not, how much are the clear braces? What are issues if I don't get them at all?" Luckily, he didn't tell me that I needed them on both the bottom and top and that I couldn't at least have clear ones, or I may have used the dental tools as weapons. As we went through "the plan", I began to sweat. Not only do I have to be a 32-year-old nerd with braces, but GEEDEEMIT, they are EXPENSIVE! Again, THANK GOD, I'm not getting both top and bottom! I think Dr. Carter noticed my uneasyness because he later told the coordinator to give me the clear braces for free... then he proceeds to tell me that I only have to have them on for 4 to 8 months (best/worst case)... god bless him.
Cut to 2 weeks ago... I'm in that same chair. Whoopdeedoo! The place the CLEAR brackets on, they start to add the wire, and my orthodontist reminds me that this will be a Love/Hate relationship. Then... he tightened the first wire... ok, not so bad, WHATEVER. Then... he tightens the next set... HOLY CRAPBALLS. It felt like my teeth were crunching in on each other and that they were going to rip themselves out to save themselves! Then the braces were all in and Dr. Carter realized that I would also need a retainer because one of the braces was in such a place that would not allow me to close my mouth all the way. So, after putting the braces on, I had to do another impression so that they could mold my retainer. The cool thing about that was I got to pick the design of the retainer. No surprise... I got Winnie The Pooh on it! Heehee!
For the first few days, I couldn't chew at all and my front teeth were very tender. You really never realize HOW you use your individual teeth (incisors, molars, etc) until you can't use them any more. I basically had to take all food and place it in the VERY back and chew it for a minimal amount then attempt to swallow. And all of this caused lots of pain... but I dealt... a girl's gotta eat, right? A week past, and things weren't too bad. A few more days, and I was ALMOST back to being able to eat normal foods again. But OH, the annoyance of having to floss. I floss religiously. I will never go through root scaling ever again!!! Do you know how to floss when you have braces? It's an irritating, painstakingly, tedious job that HAS to be done. With braces, flossing has gone from a quick and painless 2 minute process, to a 5-10 minute chore that causes soreness for a few hours. Hm! =(
So, this morning... I had my appointment at 8am. I was to get my retainer that would fit the back teeth that couldn't take the braces because of their location. I was excited to see what this retainer would look like, but not excited about having to wear it all day, every day, and only getting to take it out during mealtime. Dr. Carter came out and began the process of fitting the retainer in my tiny mouth. This task proved to be convoluted and agonizing... as with every snap in and snap out, it felt as if he was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, all within the small confines of my mouth. When he finally grinded things down and bent things in, the fit seemed to work, but BOY was it excrutiating. He said that it's not supposed to hurt. Pressure yes, pain no.
The more he looked at it, the less he liked the idea... and finally realized that the only thing that would work... would be the original plan. To place the brackets on the back teeth and place a "Power Chain" to pull the worst bent tooth over, then adjust the bracket after that... HOWEVER, in the meantime, because of how the brackets fit, I will not be able to close my mouth all the way to chew. It is LIQUID DIET CITY for yours truly. I mean, I was TRYING to get back to the gym to lose weight... well, at least I've got the "how to" answered. Dr. Carter says that it should only be like this for 3-4 weeks... (sigh)
So, today, I've had a cup of tea, half a cup of soup, and a smoothie from Juice It Up. Cory is on his way to the store as we speak to buy me some broth of any kind, mash potatoes, and stuff to make smoothies... Needless to say, my stomach has been growling all day - if you saw my Facebook status... It sounds like I swallowed Chewbacca and he is now trying to get out!!!
Anyone got any other suggestions of what I can eat?
Hi, my name is Annaliza, and I am a 32-year-old married woman with braces.
For whatever asinine, juvenile reason, I wanted braces as an adolescent. I saw most of my friends getting them, saw the coordinating colored rubber bands, and thought, "WOW... how cute are my friends with their shiny, silver braces, and HOT PINK rubber bands - I WANT!" BIZARRE - I mean, isn't that the time that we are all struggling with our identity? How would a mouth full of enough metal to pick up magnets help that? What were we thinking???
Obviously, getting older, you start to value the fact that you never had to wear them... that you took care of your teeth, that you were blessed with straight pearly whites, and that you never had to deal with snapping rubber bands and forgetting to take the wax off of your braces before eating. You never imagine that you would hear those words, "Invisalign won't work for you, you have to wear braces." When my dentist referred me to Dr. Carter to talk about my dental implant in the WAY back of my mouth... braces never entered my mind. I never figured that there would be an pre-work that needed to be done... who me?
I remember this day vividly... all of two weeks ago. I was naively walking into an ORTHODONTIST'S office (not sure why that didn't tip me off), thinking that he was gonna take a look at my grill and tell me that I just needed the implant in the way back and I'd be good to go... set up the appointment, maybe try and coax some teeth whitening out of him, and BAM, I'm a new woman! Another tip off, should have been when they made me watch this video on ways to correct your smile and bite. Huh? So, I watched it... somewhat entertaining at best. Whatever, right? So, then Dr. Carter makes me sit in the chair. You know, the one where you feel like you're going to slide down, head first at any moment, and the dentist's tools will somehow jab into the roof of your mouth as your dentist and some dental hygenist try to save you from certain death... of sliding off the chair. I sat in the chair, opened wide... oooh, did you know that they now make bubble gum scented gloves... cuz that makes your positively horrific dental experience so unforgettable. He continued to poke around at my teeth, pushing them around, seeing how my gums would bounce back (I have healthy gums apparently)...all this time, I'm thinking "If the word 'braces' escapes his mouth, so help me!" Sure enough... "well Annaliza, I think we're gonna need to put some braces on your bottom teeth." No joke, first words out of my mouth - "Do I qualify for Invisalign? If not, how much are the clear braces? What are issues if I don't get them at all?" Luckily, he didn't tell me that I needed them on both the bottom and top and that I couldn't at least have clear ones, or I may have used the dental tools as weapons. As we went through "the plan", I began to sweat. Not only do I have to be a 32-year-old nerd with braces, but GEEDEEMIT, they are EXPENSIVE! Again, THANK GOD, I'm not getting both top and bottom! I think Dr. Carter noticed my uneasyness because he later told the coordinator to give me the clear braces for free... then he proceeds to tell me that I only have to have them on for 4 to 8 months (best/worst case)... god bless him.
Cut to 2 weeks ago... I'm in that same chair. Whoopdeedoo! The place the CLEAR brackets on, they start to add the wire, and my orthodontist reminds me that this will be a Love/Hate relationship. Then... he tightened the first wire... ok, not so bad, WHATEVER. Then... he tightens the next set... HOLY CRAPBALLS. It felt like my teeth were crunching in on each other and that they were going to rip themselves out to save themselves! Then the braces were all in and Dr. Carter realized that I would also need a retainer because one of the braces was in such a place that would not allow me to close my mouth all the way. So, after putting the braces on, I had to do another impression so that they could mold my retainer. The cool thing about that was I got to pick the design of the retainer. No surprise... I got Winnie The Pooh on it! Heehee!
For the first few days, I couldn't chew at all and my front teeth were very tender. You really never realize HOW you use your individual teeth (incisors, molars, etc) until you can't use them any more. I basically had to take all food and place it in the VERY back and chew it for a minimal amount then attempt to swallow. And all of this caused lots of pain... but I dealt... a girl's gotta eat, right? A week past, and things weren't too bad. A few more days, and I was ALMOST back to being able to eat normal foods again. But OH, the annoyance of having to floss. I floss religiously. I will never go through root scaling ever again!!! Do you know how to floss when you have braces? It's an irritating, painstakingly, tedious job that HAS to be done. With braces, flossing has gone from a quick and painless 2 minute process, to a 5-10 minute chore that causes soreness for a few hours. Hm! =(
So, this morning... I had my appointment at 8am. I was to get my retainer that would fit the back teeth that couldn't take the braces because of their location. I was excited to see what this retainer would look like, but not excited about having to wear it all day, every day, and only getting to take it out during mealtime. Dr. Carter came out and began the process of fitting the retainer in my tiny mouth. This task proved to be convoluted and agonizing... as with every snap in and snap out, it felt as if he was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, all within the small confines of my mouth. When he finally grinded things down and bent things in, the fit seemed to work, but BOY was it excrutiating. He said that it's not supposed to hurt. Pressure yes, pain no.
The more he looked at it, the less he liked the idea... and finally realized that the only thing that would work... would be the original plan. To place the brackets on the back teeth and place a "Power Chain" to pull the worst bent tooth over, then adjust the bracket after that... HOWEVER, in the meantime, because of how the brackets fit, I will not be able to close my mouth all the way to chew. It is LIQUID DIET CITY for yours truly. I mean, I was TRYING to get back to the gym to lose weight... well, at least I've got the "how to" answered. Dr. Carter says that it should only be like this for 3-4 weeks... (sigh)
So, today, I've had a cup of tea, half a cup of soup, and a smoothie from Juice It Up. Cory is on his way to the store as we speak to buy me some broth of any kind, mash potatoes, and stuff to make smoothies... Needless to say, my stomach has been growling all day - if you saw my Facebook status... It sounds like I swallowed Chewbacca and he is now trying to get out!!!
Anyone got any other suggestions of what I can eat?
Monday, August 3, 2009
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!!!!
Everybody stop and wish my Pops (aka - Dad, Tito Eddie, Mr. Victoria, Mahal) a FANTABULOUS...
My dad is celebrating his 58th birthday this year... doesn't look a day over 40 if you ask me...
LOVE YOU DADDY!!!
My dad is celebrating his 58th birthday this year... doesn't look a day over 40 if you ask me...
LOVE YOU DADDY!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)