So, we’ve not only graduated from the car seat situation in the last month, but we’ve also leaped into the world of orthodontics.  Last week, my daughter entered “Stage 1″ with a palate expander.  Every night, we use a “key” to stretch the roof of her mouth half the width of a piece of floss.  I say we, actually I should say he.  I can not do it.  I feel like I’m breaking her.  There’s no audible sound of breakage, but the idea of it gives me the heebie jeebies.  And let’s be real, half the width of a piece of floss?  That’s really not that much, is it?  But, think about it:  in thirty days, her mouth will have stretched fifteen pieces of floss.  That’s a good inch at least!  In addition to all the stretching, we’ve had to endure her adapting to the contraption.  Things like speaking and eating have a whole new procedure these days, not to mention the side effects that leftover saliva seems to cause.  We’ve taken our before pictures, and in less than a year I’m guessing we will have an amazing after picture.  As a non-graduate of orthodontics, this is a whole new world for me.

And, it’s a little scary…