Teeth Update

I need to take a few pictures of the teeth because it's been a while.

I have an appointment next week, August 1, which is very, very close to my 1 year anniversary in braces. I got the spacers Aug 2 last year and the top braces on August 9. So I guess my August 1 appointment next week will be 51 weeks in braces?? I lost count a while back. I need to recount to be sure.

I'm trying to decide if I should take pics before the appointment or afterwards. I guess I can do both. The time difference is so short the teeth won't have changed at all, but I can get a pic with the first square wire on the bottom before I go in next week. Then, if Dr. Stewart changes the wire or anything, I also can photograph the new wire.

Ring Drama

Andy called me early this week to say the ring had come in to the distributor, but the jeweler told him there is something wrong with it and it will have to be remade -- taking an additional 2 to 3 weeks or so! Rats!

I guess his plan was to give me the ring on my birthday because Dad and Margaret are leaving town on my birthday (tomorrow) and were anxious for something to happen before they left. Now, we all have to wait a little longer. The good news is, at least now I know he actually ordered the ring! My dad was worried I would be really upset about the news, but I had no idea what was going on with the ring. At least now I have confirmation Andy is serious and wasn't just pulling my leg about getting married!

Which is just as well because we ordered my dress last week! It's going to be a surprise for Andy so I can't post a picture of it here, just in case he ever reads my blog. It's beautiful, and WAAAY too expensive based on our overall budget. But it's the only dress I saw in my search that I fell in love with, and when I tried on the sample at a recent trunk show, it looked brilliant on. My step-mom and I talked and talked about ways to save money on other things so I could make the dress a reality. A discount also was on offer that weekend because we were shopping during a trunk show and I needed to make a decision quickly so as to not miss out on the savings!

Andy about had a heart attack and immediately said "no way" when I mentioned the possibility of me ordering the dress. In the meantime, my dad and Margaret talked and agreed to front some additional money (over and about what they originally offered towards the wedding) so I could order the gown. I have agreed to sell it after the wedding and will repay them with whatever I can recoup. I have no need to hang on to the dress. If money was no object, I guess it'd be nice to keep just in case. But I'll never wear it again, and the odds of me having a daughter who may want to wear the dress if she gets married aren't very good. So, no need to keep it. It's a designer gown and I'm hoping I won't have too difficult a time selling it to someone else who loves it, but isn't crazy enough to pay full price!

It goes without saying that I am incredibly grateful to my Dad, and Margaret (Dad said she was my big advocator!) for offering money over and above what the initially offered towards the wedding. It's a wonderful and much appreciated gesture.

So, no ring for now. But hopefully the proposal will happen in the next few weeks. And if it doesn't and all else falls through, I'll just have to find some other occasion on which to wear my fancy dress.

Dr. Stewart's Plan

I'm very overdue to blog about this, but at my last appointment — June 20, 2006 — I told Dr. Stewart Andy and I were talking about getting married at the beginning of the year and asked how my treatment could be worked around this date.

Dr. Stewart said the top arch is basically set now and aside from minor tweaks to perfect individual tooth placement, there's not much left to do on the top.

But, the bottom still has a ways to go.

Once each arch is close to set, the Sure Smile scan is done, then the custom arch wires are created. At this stage, the treatment can't be halted without unecessary expense and time wasting. So, Dr. Stewart proposed he get the treatment as far along as he can prior to the Sure Smile treatment. Then he'll remove the front brackets that will show. I can get married and won't have to worry about the brackets showing, and also Dr. Stewart won't feel pressure to meet some date he's promised and can't comply. Once the wedding festivities are over, he will reattach brackets, perform the Sure Smile scan and complete my treatment with no time pressures.

The best news is that he said he would do all of the extra work as a wedding gift for me free of charge. Which was a really nice gesture. I figured we could work something out, but that I'd be paying additional money for changes to the original plan.

So, we're looking at Jan.13, 2007, as our wedding date and I don't need to worry about the braces. Of course it would be nice to have the treatment completed so the teeth are perfect in the photos, but I think they'll look pretty good by Jan. next year anyway.

Of course, Andy still has to ask me yet, and I need to say yes!! I still know nothing about the ring and if he ordered it, when it might arrive or anything else. It's killing me!!