teeth, not eating.. oh, and not chewing

On Tuesday (geez, only two days ago), Zoe got an "appliance" glued to her 3 molars on the top.. one that will slowly spread her top jaw so that it is as wide as it is supposed to be (it is currently quite a bit smaller than the bottom and all her teeth are crowded.  She has a sort of loose front tooth, hopefully this device will make room, and they will fall out on their own. Additionally, only these molars are the ones that contact when she shuts her jaw.. her teeth also need to curve down more (slope of her top jaw relative to the bottom).

Every night for two weeks we get to turn this key like thing and move it .25mm out. Then another orthodontic visit to see how its going.  Then 6 months of wearing it.  Then probably a retainer.

Anyway, it has been okay for her, aside from her having to massively change her eating habits.. she mostly ate raw carrots, tomatoes, apples, crackers, granola bars, etc.. all things that are taking her some time to figure out with only these molars touching.  She has eaten a fair amount of smoothies, cheesecake, yogurt, canned fruit, mashed potatoes, etc.  I've given her soup for lunch each day, and she has begrudgingly ate it.  I, of course, feel these things personally and deeply, it reminds me of the time I gave her vitamin drops at just a few days old and I felt so terrible, like I had done something wrong to her.. I feel that way again.  Its probably harder on me than her.

Tonight she was so hungry (I think she misses the crunching), and while Bruce was taking the kids home, she grabbed a wintergreen life saver.. in the midst of leaving the store, she aspirated it.. and ended up throwing up a bunch.. Bruce took her to the emergency room where he called me and said, "We will be a little late." "Why?" "we are in the emergency room".. "why?" [time enough for me to freak out, panic]  "Zoe aspirated a winter green life saver".. as I'm quickly trying to figure out how to get down there, he tells me to stay home... there weren't in for long, the nurse figures she coughed it back up, probably swallowing it.

She seems fine, all is well.. I am exhausted.