3 month post-surgery check up

We went for our 3 month post-op visit on 1-12-2011.

Dr. Buckmiller was pleased with how Mari-Grace's palate has healed.
It looks like we are definately on for her lip-repair on March 29, 2011.

MaMa is dreading another surgery. We are just now getting into a routine of sleeping most of the night again. (Just now as in day 4)

Dr. B says that she suspects we will have a great outcome from the lip repair, based on how the lip adhesion that was done in September 2010 looks.

So ... what does the lip repair involve?? Right now, her lip is attached only thru the skin layers. The muscle of her top lip is not attached, and therefore the top lip doesn't function properly.
The next surgery will attach all of the muscle layers so that she gets proper lip function.
We she'll also get a bit of cosemetic things done ... like the creation of the cupid's bow on the top lip ... the scars will get lined up so that they look more natural.

In making the lip more even, and cosemetically appealing, Mari-Grace's nose will be flattened out even more than it is now. MG has a flat nose as it is. SO .. guess what .... I'll have a 3 year old with a nose job. Dr. B says that 6-9 months after the lip repair, they will do a bit of nose work to lengthen the piece of nose that divides the 2 nostrils so that it is not so flat.

One of my customers at the pharmacy laughed and said " A nose job at 3 ... will she get boobs at 5 ???"

We also had her speech evaluation at the same time as the Dr's post op visit.

She scored a 90 (normal is 80-120) on receptive language ... that means she is understanding english and understanding what she is hearing.

On expressive language she scored a 70 (normal 80-120). She is understanding what she hears, but not completely able to communicate what she wants us to know.

We will be starting speech therapy twice a week in a few weeks.

Thank goodness ... my insurance is awesome and will pay all but $25 each visit, and we are not limited in how often we go. Some insurances limit you to 26 visits per year ... my insurance does not. We can have a visit whenever we need it. I am also going to check into some early intervention programs to see if we are eligible for any.

Let's see ... what else.

She started at 24 lbs and 31 inches tall.
She is up to 32 lbs and 34 inches tall.

She has gone from a size 5 shoe to a size 7 ... almost a 7.5.

Just proof that what a little attention and a lot of love can do !