Last night was our long awaited sleep study with Keira at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.  

This was the study that the doctors were going to use to determine what Keira's respiratory needs are....or more specifically, determine if we can GET RID OF THE OXYGEN AND MONITORS FOR GOOD!

The study began with my anxieties pretty high.  Steve ended up having to do a work presentation that night and would not be able to stay overnight with me, it was pouring rain and I was driving into Philly with a ton of traffic that got us to the hospital 35 minutes late.  After Keira and I got settled into the room and I changed her and fed her, the technicians came in and attached electrodes to her head, face, chest, stomach and legs.  They then wrapped her head in gauze to hold the electrodes in place.  Belts were wrapped around her chest and abdomen.  A cannula was placed in her nose and a pulse ox probe attached to her foot.  And last but not least, little casts were velcroed on her arms to prevent her from bending them and reaching to pull at the wires.  This also kept her from sucking her thumb.  :(  Needless to say, it was horrible.  Keira cried and screamed and kicked and looked at me with the saddest eyes while reaching for me.  I felt so helpless.  My heart, completely broken.  When the techs were done attaching her to the monitors, they left me alone in the room with a completely distraught baby.  I rocked her until she finally fell asleep.  Her little legs were wrapped around me just like she used to do when I *kangarooed* her in the NICU.   I couldn't help but think about just how far we've come since then.

Here are pictures of her when I put her back into her crib.

It was a very long night.  She woke several times, only to be consoled by being rocked back to sleep.  At 6:15am, the technicians came in and detached her from the monitors.  Keira was all smiles as we watched Elmo and I fed her her breakfast before bringing  her home.  Later in the day, her pulmonary doctor called with the news that Keira did great and that they are probably going to release her from the supplemental oxygen and monitors!  (I say probably because they won't get the official reading until early next week)  I  cried my eyes out when I told Steve the good news.  Our baby girl is free!  Can you believe it?!  

Keira must have felt the new freedom too because right after I got the doctor's call, she CRAWLED!  For the first time!  On all fours all the way to my laptop which was lying on the floor!  After all these months of physical therapy and all my worrying, she did it!  Someone please pass me some tissues.  I've been a weepy mess all day.  All these ups and downs in just 24 hours and this mommy is spent!  Whew!  Oh, and a glass of wine would be nice too........  ;)