Squeaky Clean Teeth

I haven't been to the dentist in almost 3 years. I have a slew of excuses, but the truth is the more I procrastinated, the more scared I became. I was scared of the number and extent of cavities that were multiplying in my mouth. I was scared of the poking and prodding. I was scared of the inevitable lecture of flossing (I do floss just about every day! I swear!)
So I finally made an appointment at a local dentist. In the waiting room, I sat at the edge of my seat, anxious and ashamed of my lack of regular dental visits. But when my name was called and the dental hygienist led me into a room, I was suddenly hopeful.
Instead of sterile metal equipment and bare white walls, the equipment was cream and the walls were a warm caramel color. The blinds on the window were wooden as were the cabinets. It felt warm and inviting. And The Today Show was playing on an LCD monitor in front of the chair. And as the dental hygienist lowered the chair to look into my mouth, I noticed the normally blinding fluorescent lights were covered with a coral reef scene complete with 44 fish (I counted).
The dental hygienist was gentle and kind. When it came time to polish my teeth, she asked me which flavor polish I would like. I expected my choices would be mint, cherry, or bubble gum. But on top of those three, she offered me strawberry, cinnamon, grape, raspberry, or cookie dough! Yes, cookie dough. Apparently it is very popular with the kids. I chose raspberry and it was wonderful!
Dr. Pat came in to examine my teeth. I expressed my concern about a particular tooth. He took one look and then said he would show it to me on the screen. He put a little camera in mouth and played the video on the LCD TV screen. I saw my troublesome tooth. This was new and fascinating.
To my relief, it wasn't a cavity. However, I would probably need a crown in a few years. I have a large filling in that tooth. And my grinding has made the tooth flat. So little fissures have developed in my tooth.
I love my dentist office! I never thought I would say that. I have some awful memories associated with the dentist. I remember being in high school, getting a filling, gazing out the window during an ice storm. The window overlooked Hwy 172 in Green Bay. The ice storm was so intense, I watch car after car slide into the ditch and down the hill. It was awful to witness and I knew I would have to drive in it soon with a numb, drooling mouth.
Then in my early 20s, I had another filling. The dentist injected Novocaine into my gums. All was fine until I went to work that night and my cheek swelled. I called the emergency on call dentist. Apparently the dentist who injected the Novocaine, shot it into my nerve. And there was nothing I could do, but take a few Tylenol and wait it out.
So Albertville Family Dentist, you are awesome!

First Week Back

Last week was my first week back to work. It was a mess. Lots of damage control. Tons of paperwork.
I thought I would cry the whole 26 miles to work. I thought I would miss Christian to the point of a meltdown. But I was so busy, I barely had time to dwell on the fact that I missed him so much. Only when I pumped twice a day, did I have a chance to think about him. I used that time to call and check on how he was handling our separation. He was, of course, just fine.
I am very lucky. My mom came to stay with us for two weeks while I return to work. This made my life so much easier. My anxiety level was not nearly as high as it would have been if he went right to daycare. My mom is awesome with Christian. He loves her so much. They have a great time together. We're both going to miss her when she goes home this weekend.
Next week, he starts daycare. Our daycare provider, Shannon, is a wonderful person. And I know he will be well taken care of at her house.