Day 20: No Staples, More Hosp

Sunday night was another night with little sleep until 6am.  After 6am labs, I tucked her in bed next to me and we had a whole 2+ hrs straight of sleep.  It was fun waking up next to her too.  Her face was about 6" from mine, she opened her eyes, looked straight at me and smiled.  Nothing like that sweet smile to wipe away the stress of the night.  Grandpa showed up and we did our normal routine of breakfast together in the family kitchen then he gave her sugar solution meds while I showered.

A glum Nahum (Hilary left yesterday) showed up a little after noon.  I got to spend some time with him while Shayna slept and grandpa took her down to her ultrasound.  Nahum wasn't feeling so hot with an increase in pain Sunday night and a slight fever so called his doc for an appointment today.  Shayna's numbers were continuing to not improve (hence the ultrasound) so we were also facing the possibility of another biopsy today and the hospital stay extending into January.  They're still not sure exactly what is causing the elevated numbers because, as usual, Shayna is being unusual.  The numbers should go up if the rejection or bile duct constriction gets worse or down if things get better.  Her numbers are high, but not dramatically, and not moving in either direction so the doctors are puzzled.  Is it continued rejections, bile duct constriction, something else or nothing.  It was a depressing day all around medically.

On the outside, Shayna continues to get better with each passing hour and much more smiley and laughy than I ever remember her being.  She doesn't cry every time a someone enters the room, but waits to see what they're going to do and 60% of the time she doesn't cry at all as long as I or Grandpa are there and explaining things to her.  (Even though she's only 10 months, it really seems to help her when I tell her what's going to happen before it does.  I wouldn't want someone just grabbing and poking at me with no explanation, and neither does Shayna.)  She's getting her little baby bicepts back and I think I see some meat on her thighs too (a big difference in just 2 days).  When I pull her from sitting to standing she engages her feet sooner with each time and she pulls her head up when I take her from laying to sitting with no pain what so ever (she had her last dose of Methadone Sunday morning and doesn't need any supplements).  She started sleeping on her belly again while in bed with me Monday morning, which means she's taking more than a 30min nap when she sleeps during the day (makes everyone happier).  In the afternoon, Shayna got her staples pulled.  Grandpa Michael and I got to watch.  It didn't look horribly painful, just pinchy and uncomfortable, but of course Shayna did her usually writhing and shreiking.  Her belly must be much happier without them.

After our visitors left us, Shayna and I went down to Austin's Playroom on the 6th floor to play.  She really likes balls and there was a nobbly rubber one down there to peak her curiosity.   She also stood for several seconds at a time at one of those baby music tables (could not have done that 2 days ago).  She seemed to love being in a different place, checking out the new toys, and her usual people watching of everyone that came and went as she was smiley and chatty the whole time.  So, while it was a medically depressing day, it was a very fun day with the baby.  Oh, and her teeth are now semetric as I noticed a 6th tooth poking through this weekend so complete her toothy grin.