Baby Babble

Today Ellie and I took Lyla for her first dental appointment.
I filled out some paperwork then we were called back.
The dentist started out with some questions about pacifier use and bottles and some other stuff I actually don’t remember because I was trying to take pictures. This was a FIRST! I can’t believe it, but, I became that parent.

In any case, my wonderful dentist wants us to try and wean Lyla off the pacifier (fine by me) and the bottle (also fine by me).
Now, I have tried to get Lyla to drink out of sippy cups. Seven different kinds of sippy cups in fact. Sigh. So, the dentist suggests giving the bottle only at bedtime and sippy cups at meals and snack times. That’s with milk. She can have a sippy cup with water whenever she wants. This all sounds good to me. She also suggested against giving Lyla juice. This is, again, fine by me. I don’t drink juice anymore. It’s too sweet. So, if I think it’s too sweet then it’s got too much sugar for my kiddo.
Then the dentist looked over Lyla’s teeth — she has about eight at this point — and did some things with a wipe that I apologize and feel horrible for not paying more attention to what she was doing. I do know that she got a fluoride treatment and can’t get her teeth brushed today.

We were also informed that Lyla needs to have her teeth brushed at night, as well.
I admit, my dental education was not good, so I really don’t know what is the right thing to do for Lyla. Thank goodness we have a great dentist. Anyway, I had no idea little miss eight teeth needed to be brushing at night, as well. You learn something new every day.
Ellie held Lyla while the dentist had Lyla’s head in her lap.
Lyla did not like being restrained. She cried and squirmed. But, we were informed no kid likes it and Lyla was quite mellow compared to other kids. OK. Well Lyla is pretty mellow so any grumpiness is a lot for her.
The whole thing was over in oh, 10 minutes, including the questions and information.
Here is Lyla trying to get a grip on what just happened.

After we were done, Ellie let Lyla walk around in the waiting room, I handed over some paperwork that I had filled out and signed a form I didn’t see on the clip board then we made another appointment for the kiddo for August.
Overall, I feel pretty good about it. I’m not sure how getting Lyla to drink from a sippy cup is going to go because my girl is stubborn. Ellie said it may take a few days, but, Lyla will take to it once she realizes she doesn’t have any other choice. Ellie thinks Lyla is the smartest kid on earth and who am I to ever disagree with her. Not that I’m biased or anything.
Next up is another doctor’s appointment for Lyla in a couple weeks. I am hoping she is up to 20 pounds so we can turn her car seat around to forward facing. I’ll keep you posted.