The wheels on the bus go round and round....

The wheels on the Moran bus starting rolling at around 10 a.m. Wednesday morning heading to Cincinnati, Ohio. The trip started off well. We hit a few tantrum and crying bumps along the road, but in general it was okay. Stopping several times for diaper changes and bottle feedings and then once at a rest area where we threw out a blanket and let all three of our little piggies roam. Since Kentucky has decided to do road construction THROUGH THE ENTIRE STATE it literally took us 5 hours to get through it which is UNEXCEPTABLE! This sort of put everyone over the edge. Finally we saw the cities bright lights and saw our sign for Mason, OH which is about 20 miles outside the city. The Bradley's were ready and waiting to unload, take kids, entertain, and feed! Pot roast and mashed potatoes did the trick for sure.
Bright and early the next morning Jeff, B, and I loaded up and headed to Children's for her MRI. It always brings back memories walking in to a place you used to roam multiple times a day. You see staff that you used to encounter and those you just recognize their face. It is nice to be entering with a healthy baby.
Once back in the radiology we waited a bit for them to get started. The nurse took Blake and paraded her around the nurses station as she showed everyone her many faces and smile. Then we said goodbye and off we went to our standard spot at the patio in the cafeteria. She was given gas then a IV and sedation. The scan took about 2 hours and another 30 minutes in recovery. When the nurse called us back she was holding her giving her a bottle of apple juice. She was in and out but dead weight. The scan went well and then we headed back to the Bradleys.
Blake slept most of the day so we hung out at the Bradley's, played outside in the nice weather, napped, and ate dinner. Oh and lets not forget yummy Raspberry Chip Graeters! On Friday we again headed out to the hospital to meet with her surgeon Dr. Lim. He met us up at the clinic and took us over to the Fetal Care Center where it all began. We made small talk and he seemed genuinely happy to see us. Commenting every so often about how her smile is illuminating and that she is so happy. The nurses and staff at the FCC all came out of their offices to see us. I had not seen them since I was large and in charge. She put on a show for them by clapping, smiling, shouting, and doing her "ta-da" trick. They ate it up.
Dr. Lim showed us her MRI images and explained to us what we were looking at. He said her anus was still a little off but that was expected and that she had minimal scar tissue and everything looked nice. Her spine was wonderfully aligned (our chiropractor would be happy) and all organs looked to be in place. He then did a internal exam. He felt her bone and he said it felt smooth and that he didn't feel anything unusual. Our plan is to continue AFP blood work every three months and then we will head back to Ohio next August for another MRI. This routine will continue until she is 3, then we will re-evaluate. Such a wonderful report and exactly what we wanted to hear!
He said time will only tell about her bowel and bladder control. We will start to potty train her around 2 and see from there. I would like everyone to pray that she will be one of the rare few that are not plagued with these issues. When she is 3 we will meet with a plastic surgeon to examine her and give us a rough idea of when and how plastics will take place. More than likely she will not have any type of surgery until she is 5 or 6. It will be a long process from our understanding. Dr. Lim said he would refer us to a world class surgeon which two of them happen to be at Children's Cincinnati right now. Jeff and I have decided we will go to any length to get her the best butt money can buy-ha!
After a wonderful weekend of fellowship with old and new friends (especially at the celebrating healthy babies social), a little retail therapy, and delicious food we headed back early on Sunday morning. The trip home was much easier due to no road construction. Glad to be back in Alabama but I always miss my Ohio family. Can't wait to see them soon.