FYI: Kiera has changed rooms

Just want to let you all know in case you try to visit Kiera that she has moved to the room next door, #8. Thought I'd warn you so you wouldn't be surprised by the empty space in room #7. Otherwise, not much news to report. We're just chugging along.

It's A Date (we hope!) July 9!

We met with the docs times three, a couple of nurses, and the discharge planners: and if everything goes ok Kiera comes home on July 9!!!

So the fine print: Kiera has to do well on the home ventilator for about 2 months. The home vent is akin to a propeller plane, when she's been jetting around on the hospital's "jet airplane" of vents. In otherwords, Kiera can psych out the vent just by not breating consistentally. So there is a very good chance she will move that date back.

Kiera is smiling all the time, she loves the kisses and blow-faces on her neck, and played peek-a-boo with mom today. She is responding more to her surroundings, swatting at her dangling toys and is still facsinated by her "scary sheep" mobile.

Therese and I were at the hospital last night until 11pm... Therese arguing with the nurse about the causes for Kiera's heartrate (bradys), and then her oxygen. Today the docs took her off the home vent, just in case it was the cause--as much as it disappoints us, as we don't know if this means her date is pushed back only 3 days after we were given it--Dr Glasser, her pulminologist warned that often babies will go on and off as they work their way up to the lower tech home vent. So, it's not a setback (it's not...it's not...it's not...it'snotit'snotit'snot!), and we hope Dr Glasser gets her back up to speed when he gets back from vacation on Monday.
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Again, this post brought to by the fine steak -y folks at Great American Steakhouse, an Albuquerque, NM restaurant at Tramway & Indian Scool Rd. http://steakandwine.com great American steahouse, where: It's all about the meat!

Kiera Sucks! (her paci)

Kiera has had a very good week developmentally. She has still had her heart rate drop at least once a day almost every day this week, but has come back up easily with "bagging her" (manually giving her breaths). Here's the good stuff: the physical therapists are almost ready to promote her to the 3 month developmental level. Not bad for a 9 month old baby or even her adjusted age of 6 months old! :) She's moving much more fluidly. She just needs to kick her legs more and start raising her pelvis to lift her legs up. The other things she did today that were exciting: she started grabbing and reaching for some of her toys that we hang over her head. She has, until now, been content just looking at them, but had not attempted to grab them herself, although she has always held anything you place in her path (like her trach tube). Finally, I was able to get her to suck her pacifier for 10 minutes straight tonight. I held it for her, but ever since her coma, we have been unable to get her suck back. She would just push the paci or a finger around in her mouth without truly sucking. I held her paci and held her face with my palm to try to calm her and something just clicked. We'll have to see if it's repeatable.
On a side note: her psuedomonas has cropped up again, and she's on antibiotics again. Hopefully, it won't get too bad this time around. I've attached a few cute pics taken in the last month. Kiera is over 14 pounds now.

Love, Therese