A Yawner

Thankfully, the past year has been full of good health in Graceland.

Our favorite four-year-old continues to grow, which was more than evident when she tried on her Fall clothes from last year.   (Sadie, hope you like last year's fashion next year.)

One of the recommended tests for a toddler with Down Syndrome is a sleep study to ensure that your child is getting a good amount (and the right quality) of sleep each night.   If sleep apnea is detected, it could mean having tonsils and/or adenoids removed, or requiring Grace to wear a sleep mask each night to give her a constant flow of oxygen.

Grace went into the overnight study just beaming.   It started at 8:30pm, which might have been the latest ever she had been allowed to stay up in her lifetime.   All the nighttime sounds and lights of the city were all hers to take in.

When we got to the hospital, Grace was already in love with her room: A) a grown-up bed with only short barriers on each side; B) no sister singing while she's trying to sleep; C) all the fixins from home, including favorite PJ's and bedtime snuggle buddies.

This was going to be a great night!

And more sass....

....before the....

...the electrodes were attached.   A lot of them!

Grace is very sensitive about her hair.   Even some hair washings can draw a tear or two.  Especially if she's tired.  And she was tired.  It took awhile to get everything hooked up so by the time it was light's out, it was about three hours past her bedtime.

But Grace eventually settled down, and fell asleep.  There were a few times during the night where the technician had to come in and check a wire or two, and Grace stirred a little.   I have no idea how they measure a typical night's sleep this way.

And then, at 5:30 in the morning, without any warning, LIGHTS ON..."all right, time to wake up"!  And then all the electrodes have to come off, including the one's glued to her head.  But a little music and at least a few hours of sleep helped keep the Gracer's mood in check.

yes, that's a wad of glue still stuck in her hair

The most exciting thing about the night was the results we got back a couple of weeks later.   We got the paperwork in the mail a few days before the follow-up appointment.  It said her sleep efficient was in the mid-90% range.  

The doctor said all looked great (her quote - "you must be thrilled"), and even though we will schedule another sleep study in a few years just to have on record, we can rest assured each night that Grace is resting.