The Ice Cream & Chili State

I made it back to Alabama safe and sound! It was a bittersweet homecoming for me because I missed Justin and Murphy Brown so much but I wanted to be with my sister as well. But, I knew I needed to get back to work and be with my hubby, which I was very excited about! My journey back to the South was a bit long but not too bad.

My sister, Dad, and me had a great time together in Mason, Ohio which is where my sister, Jeff and Ashlyn Kay are staying for now. A wonderful and generous family named The Bradley's are who has taken my sister and our family in for these next long months ahead. I know many of you have wondered how all this came about and I finally have the answers! Before I was not quite sure myself but finally got the complete story from both sides! So here is the story of how this came to be! A college friend & fraternity brother of Jeff's, named Tyler, mother's best friend Diane has a sister, Laura Bradley, who lives in Mason, Ohio. Tyler and his wife are pregnant with twins as well and are due around the same time as Kristen's real due date in October. Tyler told his mother about Jeff and Kristen's situation and she then told her best friend Diane and then Diane told her sister Laura Bradley. After Laura heard about them she then knew she wanted to do something to help them because Mason is literally 20 minutes out of Cincinnati. So after talking with her husband and family they decided that they wanted Kristen, Jeff and AK to live with them whenever they needed during this whole process. So that is when Laura contacted my sister through facebook and invited them to stay, etc. So that is the story of how this all came about.

Last Monday was my sister's first appointment since they were back in Ohio and that is when they received the negative news. So after hearing everything and found out my brother-in-law was having to come back to Birmingham to get everything ready for him to go ahead permanently move as well I made the decision to go to Ohio. My father was in Oklahoma and decided to meet me in Louisville, Kentucky and then we would drive the remainder of the trip which is only an hour and a half. We arrived on Tuesday afternoon and my sister was so happy and excited that we where there. The Bradley's were very welcoming to us and we are so happy that my sister, Jeff, and AK are staying with them. My Dad stayed until Friday and then headed back to Georgia and I stayed until Sunday. My sister had her doctor's appointments on that Thursday so my Dad and me went with her to them and we were so glad we got to go and it really did help us understand everything a lot better. As you all know I am very curious and need every single detail. I know when someone leaves out something and I have to have all the facts. We spent all day walking from one side of the hospitals to the other. We got to meet a few of the doctors that are working on the twins case. After all the appointments we had a meeting with the Pediatric Surgeon, Dr. Crumplehorn (?), crazy name huh! Haha. He is the director of Pediatric Surgery at Children's Hospital Cincinnati. He went over everything with us and explained the situation and gave us the latest game plan. Luckily, everything looked 110% better than it had on Monday so everyone was much more positive about the twins. Even though they do have to remind you of all the negative things that could happen which then brings you down again. But, my sister thankfully has decided to only focus on the positive side of everything and has made up her mind that everything and everyone will be perfectly fine when all of this is all over. It will be very stressful on everyone I know once they twins get here because so many things can happen to pre-mature babies but we know in our hearts that both babies and my sister will be safe and will make it through everything. The arrival of the twins are still up in the air for now and will most likely be that way until they come. My family all hopes we can plan it as much as possible so we can all get there in time for the delivery but we can't ask for everything to go our way. So what we are asking is to keep my sister and both babies safe and for everyone to be stable, healthy, and to be home as soon as possible. So overall my trip was great and it was very reassuring after I could see where my sister was staying and I could see for myself that she was fine. My sister and me have never been in different states for a long period of time and now that we are it is very hard for me. I never thought it would be as difficult as it has been on me so far but it is and it makes me nervous, anxious, mad, sad, and every other emotion you can think of. I am not usually an emotional person but here lately I have been about this whole situation that is for sure.

Ohio is very nice, friendly, and they love ICE CREAM and CHILI. Oh and the weather is a whole lot better than Alabama's this time of year. It was in the 80s and breezy everyday. That might sound hot but let me tell you it is not! I required a cardigan in the mornings and afternoons. CRAZY! We did sample out the ice cream on a few occasions but we never made it to the chili. But, my sister did try some chili spaghetti?!?!? and said it was awesome! The love chili there so much that they have a fast food restaurant called "Gold Star Chili". In Alabama you see a McDonald's on every corner, in Ohio there is a Gold Star Chili on every corner! I did someone eating something from there at the hospital and they has a chili dog and chili cheese fries! Now that's my kind of food! Not only do they have this Gold Star Chili but my sister and me saw two other places called blank chili. We were amazed. Kristen did ask why they have so many chili places and the Bradley's told her it was just there thing. So there you go! My next trip up there I will be sampling all the chili places and will get back to you on how it is! The other thing I did like about Ohio is that everything in the bathroom is so sanitary. It does not matter where you go every restroom we went through was nice, clean, and hands free operated! Every stall has toilet seat cover dispensers, all toilets are hands free, the soap dispensers and the paper towel machine are hands free. Now yes many places in Alabama do have these same things but most do not! My sister and me came to the conclusion that someone made it there priority to make sure the restrooms are nice and are made for germ-a-phobs like us because everywhere you go they are like this. So it must be a law or something but I like it!

The only down side to my trip was on Sunday when I spotted the plane I was flying on. I do not fly very often but the past few years I have flown have not gone very well. First off I have never ever flown alone. I conquered that last Tuesday and it was fine. I was a bit nervous and over cautious about making sure I was going the right direction and at the right place but it was fine. Secondly not only was I flying alone but I was frozen in shock once I got to my gate Sunday and spotted the plane. Yes, I know I was not flying out of huge airports but I was flying Delta and I had never seen a small Delta plane. I knew they have smaller planes for Southwest and going to Mexico or the Caribbean but all other times I have flown on a nice comfy plane. This plane was so small that we had to walk out our gate down some stairs and then walk to our plane. This plane was so small that you were not allowed to take your carry on with you because there was no room for it. I had to give my carry on to the attendant and they then stowed every one's carry on's under the plane!! This has never happened to me before. No one notified my this would be taking place. Luckily they did allow me to take my bag I was using as my purse with me on the plane. But, this plane was so small that you could not walk down the isle with you bag on your shoulder. You had to hold it out in front of and hope not to knock any one out. This plane was so small that there was no cart that came down this isle to offer you a cold beverage, because the isle was too small! The stewardess carried around a bottle of water and cups and asked you if you wanted a swig! I was terrified the entire flight which was not very long thank the lord! We thankfully made it safely and I had a lay over in Memphis, TN. So I was hoping that the plane would be a bit bigger but guess what, NOPE! The same size and procedures occurred on this flight as well. So I tried to be a bit calmer on this flight but it was very hard because I was more towards the back so I could hear everything so loudly that it was freaking me out. I know I scared the girl half to death next to me because every time something made a loud noise I about jumped out of my seat! I made it back to Birmingham in one piece and was very thankful to be back on the ground.

My sister is back at her appointments today and will find out everything late this afternoon. Jeff and AK are there with her at the Bradley's and they are having a blast. I know my sister will update her blog tonight before she goes to bed so check it out to see what the latest news is. Also if you want to know more details about her last appointment you can read her last post she posted.

The link to her blog is www.ohbaby2010.blogspot.com

So long for now.......