Bells, Whistles and Beeps-- Oh My!

Day 3- Today was a "big day" according to the nurses. It's the beginning if the weaning process of the epidural and the removal of the catheter (Allelujah!!!) All machines were turned off...no more beeps!! But then we had whistles and bells going off on the PEDS unit cuz the fire alarm was malfunctioning. At first, I thought my sleep deprivation had hit an all time high and it was all in my head. Glad to know I still have some sanity left.  Most of the day, Connor was comfortable and even managed to give us that great smile again. Since Connor was doing so well, I decided to head home for the night and spend time with Emma and Callie. Scott stayed with Connor. It was so great to embrace my girls and have some snuggle time with them. Watching Emma and some neighbor friends doing the rain dance outside yesterday brought a smile to my face. I cherish those giggles and squeals so much more now.
Later in the evening, I checked in with Scott and was sad to hear that Connor had taken a few steps backward with pain. Connor was extremely upset and scared. As much as I wanted to spend more time with the girls, I knew it was best for Connor to have mom and dad by his side to help him get over this hurdle.  My heart was torn but knew it was time to go. Thankfully, the girls have been loving their time with grandma and papa and didn't skip a beat. I arrived back in Baltimore around midnight. Connor finally got settled around 3am. Slept for a few hours before the nurse came in again. So, needless to say, it was a sleepless night for all. Today (Saturday),  Connor is a little better, just exhausted. The pain is manageable again. He did have an awesome moment with PT today. He got himself up out of bed and took 6 small steps, to the wheelchair. All with minimal assistance. Just to give you an idea of how much work it is for him to do all that took approx. 15 mins. WHAT AN AMAZING ACCOMPLISHMENT!!!