A good day:)

Today I left the hospital feeling more encouraged than I think I've felt in almost 4 weeks. Grace stayed very stable all day, I've realized that even if we aren't making giant leaps, stable is still a very good thing. About a week ago they started Grace on a paralytic drip, whereas before she was only getting PRN's of it, which would only last about 20 mins or so. She could not be awake without getting so worked up and drop her sats and raise her blood pressure. We didn't have any open eyes or arm or leg movements or finger squeezes (I like to think when she squeezes my finger, she's telling me she loves me, and knows it's me)while she was on the drip, but today they STOPPED it! She was able to wake up some today!
When I got to the hospital she squeezed my finger and she was starting to open her eyes a little but not much. I left for a bit and when I came back, Jamie her nurse said that she had been awake while I was gone! I missed it! Later on though, I had went back to the Ronald McDonald house with the boys and Adam and was getting them ready to come back here and Adam's dad was visiting Grace. He called and said she was starting to wake up, so I RAN back to the hospital and those sweet little eyes were open and her little legs and arms and hands were just moving around!!! And she stayed awake for about 30 mins without dropping her sats at all! Her breathing was a little uneven and over the vent but her sats didnt drop! I was able to clean her mouth for her and she tolerated it, and I she looked at me while I talked to her. It was just so amazing.
Earlier in the day they needed to change the blanket on her bed, there was some type of drainage on it, that we never could figure out where it came from. To change her bedding, one person gets the new blanket ready and the RT hold her ET tube (her breathing tube) and then somebody (or 2 or 3) lift Grace a bit off the bed, while one person switches the blankets out quickly. When she was on ECMO it was alot harder to do this than now so we didnt get to help. Yesterday Jamie asked if I wanted to help and I was able to put one hand under her head and one under her  and help lift her a few inches!! It doesn't sound like alot but it so amazing to have both my hands on her, to feel her soft little skin on mine. I am so glad I was there.
I have more I want to write about but will later since ive been trying to publish this post for almost 24 hours!