shhhhh... maren's doing really well...

I didn't post yesterday because I was freaking out too much. After Maren was extubated, she was having a hard time breathing... so it seemed to me, anyway. She was pulling pretty hard and at times she was even flaring her little nostrils. It broke my heart! I was told several times that she was okay-- all of her numbers and labs were good-- but it still killed me to watch, so I didn't. When I wasn't walking around the hospital in tears, I was in the room, sitting in the corner where I couldn't see her.

Randy stayed with her last night and when I came in this afternoon, things were looking good. In fact, I'm afraid to say it too loud, but Maren's doing awesome! She's breathing much easier today. Her heart has been awesome-- rate, blood pressure, blood gasses, etc. She even woke up and is asking for juice :) She keeps making the sign for more, but we need to take it slow. She's asking for food, too. I keep giving her things off her bed to hold on to, hoping it will distract her, and she keeps trying to eat them-- things like those pink mouth washers, and her little suction cup thing that they use to pat her back and chest to help clear her lungs-- bless her heart :(

Right now we are struggling with her potassium levels. They're very low from peeing so much. She had this issue after her last surgery. They've discontinued her lasix/diuril drip and put her on a K-sparing diuretic, so hopefully that will be resolved soon.

Thanks for reading; thanks for all your prayers; thanks friends and family for all the visits and cards; and thank you, awesome nurses and doctors for taking care of our sweet little girl and her paranoid and crazy mom!

Keep keeping our fingers crossed that we'll have more good news tomorrow :)