Old McDonald...

Well we were checked out of the hospital yesterday as some of you may already know. We are staying at Ronald McDonald house across the street from the hospital. We will be here another 4 weeks or so until it is time to remove her ex-fix from her hips and suprapubic tube from her bladder. The RMH is a really nice place it holds up to 78 families and there is always something going on from food being cooked to massage and spa days. We met this really nice family last night from New Jersey, The Burgesses, their daughter has a birth defect really similar to Gabby's and has had some of the same surgeries. Bart and I had a really good time talking to someone that we actually had similar medical issues with Gabrielle. Home health stopped by last night to make sure that we knew how to work the feeding tube machine that connects to the NG tube. We are supposed to be meeting with urology sometime tomorrow to address some questions we have about the NG tube and the suprapubic drain tube. We thought getting out of the hospital would help Gabby rest better but she still cried and moaned most of the night. Poor thing, she has lots of things going on between not being able to sleep on her stomach like normal and having the NG tube hooked up at night. She is miserable and tired and in turn so are we. When you ask her what is wrong she just stares at you. And then the BIGGEST part of it is that she is 3 years old with a new sibling. I keep telling myself "this too shall pass" but when?  

Ronald greets you as you walk up the front steps.

Blessings I am happy for is that we are in fact out of the hospital. Gabrielle is starting to talk to us again. We are at Ronald McDonald house instead of a hotel. We are able to take her places the hospital gave us a car seat that she is able to fit in with the ex-fix on so we can get out and go places.

A really pretty water fountain that is outside on one of the patios.

Well I need to get going, time for pin care and bladder flushes, oh joy! Please pray for peace for Gabrielle. Also she is still not eating much by mouth only a bite or two here and there. The sooner her appetite picks up the sooner we can get rid of the NG tube, thus hopefully getting back to our little girl sooner!

A view walking from the hospital to RMH.