Larissa - from expander to retainer

Last December, just a mere DAYS before the churchwide Christmas program (which Larissa had a SOLO part in), she got her Helix-expander. She could not talk for days. Or eat. She was so mad, all she would do was mumble, "Take it out". I could not take it out. It was cemented in.
Poor child.
But as the days progressed, she "got used" to it. She learned to eat with it, to talk, and she did her solo.
Here she is with it.


Well, this week she GOT IT OUT. She is so happy. She now has a retainer, which she got to pick out the color - its a sparkly blue.


Here she is wearing it. She LOVES to wear it! She is supposed to wear it at night and for a few hours each evening. Braces are in her future, probably when she's 11 or 12.