Back to CPAP trials...FINALLY!

Hey there! I have still been so, so busy! I agreed to teach both sessions of summer school which has consisted of 9.5 hour days and trying to cram 6 chapters of Algebra or geometry into 3 weeks of 4 hours a day classes. Little high school brains are exploding everywhere. Now the first session is over Tuesday, and the next one begins. The 4th of July holiday has provided a teensy break to try to catch up on important things like mopping the floor in my kitchen and breathing. :)
Kiera finally got to start her CPAP trial up last week and is doing GREAT! She is full of energy and very BUSY. I turned my back for just a bit about 30 minutes ago, and the following picture is evidence of her busy-ness.
I wonder how often the health care equipment companies get ventilators returned with purple crayon scribbles all over them? i haven't cleaned it yet cuz I think it's freakin' hilarious! Plus it gives her a personal touch, don't you think?

I will try to start planning Kiera's 4th birthday party soon. It should be the weekend following Aug 12th, but I haven't even glanced at a calendar yet. I am in a bit of denial over the fact that she will be 4!!! (It reminds me of the NICU nurse practitioner who said she thought a worst case estimate could be that Kiera could be trached till she's 5. I remember thinking it was a bit extreme, and now she probably needs a pay-off on that bet.) It will be a Little Mermaid themed party. I framed some Little Mermaid posters that I have had since the movie came out (20 years ago!). In fact, I think one was the free poster I got for going to see Little Mermaid on it's release date! :) They were kind of beaten up and rolled up in a box in the garage, but Hobby Lobby did a fantastic job of fusing them to a board and making them look like new. I pulled down some of her nursery decor and started transitioning her room to a "big girl" room. I found a great Disney princess toddler bedding set at Other Mothers (thrift store). Kiera loves seeing her favorite princesses on her sheets and pillow cases. I hung the posters last night, and it was so cute to see her gazing at them fondly this morning. She is such a doll.
She is learning lots and lots of sign language, but still only makes airy sounds at best verbally. Kiera is also more interested in exploring food finally. She likes crumbs! Her favorite food lately is parmesan cheese. She also enjoys breaking crumbs off graham crackers. She will also chew on a bottle nipple with about 10 cc's of juice or milk in it to get tastes. It certainly doesn't qualify as drinking by any means, but it does help distract her from her more destructive chewing.

Well, I guess that gets us up to date, and pretty much where we were ventilator-wise in October! C'est La Vie! Cross our fingers, say some prayers, and keep on chugging along toward that ventilator free day in the future.