Airica, You Rock!

May 24, 2009

WOW!  That was all I that I could say today.  Airica was awake, moving around, communicating, and as you can see smiling.  She couldn't talk because of the breathing tube, but she sure could communicate!  I was so happy, laughing and soaking up every minute of her silly self while she was awake.

Today they were also going to turn the settings off on the breathing machine.  She would still be using the breathing tube to make sure that she got oxygen, but as far as the work of breathing, that would be her.  They were very cautious this time before attempting to remove the tube, but I knew it was close.

Once the machine was off it was a little scary.  Her normal breathing was not as calculated and not as perfectly rhythmic like it was on the machine.  But it was her doing it.  Again I was glued to the monitors watching each breath she took on her own.  Praying that she was ready to take on this huge task of breathing...that we sometimes take for granted...but sustains life.

Airica, now breathing on her own, alert, communicating, and smiling, was incredible.  She even wanted to watch Disney Channel again.  She was still in and out of sleep, but when she was a wake she wanted to hold my hand, and make sure that Hannah Montana or Phineas and Ferb was on her TV.  So you can imagine how her little face lit up when I told her that we had bought her favorite movie for her, The Nightmare Before Christmas.  

It had been a very busy, awesome day.  I really felt like I was getting my girl back.  We settled in for the evening, but not before she motioned to me to play her new movie for her.  I put in NBC (as she called it) and before it began my sweet girl was sound asleep.  I smiled, cried some tears of joy, and watched her sleep, and breathe...on her own.