Pearly Whites and the Backseat Driver

Pearly Whites
Yesterday was Gabe's first trip to the dentist! He did awesomely!! If you have a child, and have the option, I highly recommend a pediatric dentist over a regular one. First off, we went in a little "consult" room where I had to sign our lives away and give up my credit card info, all in the name of keeping my little one's teeth from one day rotting out! But in that room, there were tons of toys and cool stuff and there was even a "Mr Chris". Mr Chris was our "distraction". I guess that's his official title? He is basically there to play with Gabe, make him a happy little man, and distract him enough to make him think there is nothing but good times to be had when visiting the dentist office. He showed Gabe a movie about a little dog's first trip to the dentist. He played football with him, gave him a cool new matchbox car and let him take a ride in the chair! Gabe did great and as always and wowed everyone with his infectious laugh and his astute personality. Everyone got a kick out of his funny expressions and how sharp he was with the questions he asked and things he said. He really did impress me and everyone with how he didn't seem to be scared at all and he was so cooperative. He DID decide he was ready to go when "Mr Chris" tried to recline his chair. He didn't think that was too cool. But when the dentist came in, she showed me how to hold him in my lap, with her knees to mine and lay Gabe down between us with his head in her lap. She was able to "count" his teeth and scrape a little bit of plaque off each one.

He got a good report! No cavities! He does have a little spot on one of his back teeth that is where the enamel didn't form good and it could potentially turn into a cavity, but for now it looks fine. He also has an abnormal frenulum in his upper lip. The frenulum is the piece of muscle that attaches your lip to your gums (stick your tounge up there, you should feel it). His attaches abnormally close to the tops of his front teeth and that could potentially cause problems because that area is overly sensitive to trauma. That means he could have pains when he is brushing his teeth because of it. It could also be a problem should he ever have a bad fall that involves his mouth or gets hit there. There is a procedure they can do to clip it if needed but we'll cross that road if we need to. That, and the one under his tounge that is also a little longer than normal and that is probably what makes him say some of his words so cute-like. Like the way he says "duckling" with a heavy German-like accent (DUCK-kling)! Personally, I think it's adorable but if it's something that needs fixing one day, we'll certainly do it.

The wonderful way he acted and the way he strutted around the office like he'd been there a million times and then wrapped the entire staff quickly around his finger, makes me so proud to say that he's mine...

Backseat Driver
On the way home from the dentist, it was raining and nasty. A car stopped in front of us to turn left. I saw the car and slowed down for the car. I guess it felt like to Gabe that I wasn't slowing down enough because all of a sudden I hear "STOP" from the backseat! I was a lot suprised and somewhat unsure that I heard him right and that he was even talking to me and not the Wonder Pets movie he was enthralled in, so I said, "What did you say"? And in his normal, nonchalant manner, he said, "I said stop mama". Ah, my little backseat driver! Just wait til you're a teenager my son...