She looks like me!

This is my oldest daughter Sara. Beautiful, isn't she. This picture was taken in December after she had just lost a tooth--it was where the hole is.

This, of course, is me. It was taken in December also right after the haircut. See the resemblance? It's okay; I don't either. Ever since she was born I've been searching for some kind of physical symbol that she is my kid. Up until yesterday the only thing that has surfaced is the freckles--we've both got them. Yesterday though it became obvious that she is, in fact, in a physical way my kid. She's missing a tooth. You are probably thinking "of course she is, she's 7 and that's what happens to baby teeth. They fall out." Well, I'm not talking about baby teeth. I'm talking about permanent teeth. If you don't know me real well, you may not be aware that I am missing two permanent teeth in the front. They are the two on either side of my top two front teeth. I have a bridge on each size. It's genetic and yesterday at the orthodontist we discovered that Sara is missing one of the same teeth that I am. (I should also tell you at the this point that Joe's sister happens to be missing the same two teeth that I am, but I claim the fact that Sara is missing hers. I'm her mother!). Anyway, that was the bad news. The good news is that she also got her dad's small mouth so they think they can correct it without implants or bridges. Yeah! Unfortunately that also means that we are starting down the road of expanders, braces, retainers, etc. Ashley had all her teeth but there is no where in her mouth for them. So she is going to have baby teeth pulled, expander, night gear, retainers, etc. If we didn't do this for her I think she would literally have three rows of teeth on the top and on the bottom. I literally gasped at the bill and found at least 10 more gray hairs on my head when I got home. I was feeling blessed that I still had my hair--I thought for sure it was going to fall out from the shock!