A Long Story and Then Watch How I Get All Deep on Your A's

When we moved to PA just a few weeks after Ruby was diagnosed with Diabetes, our new pediatric endocrinologist here in PA ordered a myriad of blood tests to be done on Ruby to screen for a bunch of random stuff. We got the tests done but didn't hear anything back, which we didn't think anything of. One doesn't expect to have a diagnosis of Diabetes AND something else simultaneously. What we didn't know then was that the tests did indeed indicate that she had another disease that needed diagnosing: Celiac Disease. But it was overlooked. I don't know what happened, but no one said a word about it. Almost four years later to the day, which was a couple of weeks ago, on a whim, I had piggybacked an appointment for Ruby onto Olive's 15 month well-check for her to have her eczema checked out. A resident pediatrician peered at Ruby's rashy knee and said "Hmmm. I'm not sure this is eczema." Ruby has had eczema her whole life and when written a prescription for the proper ointment, it goes away, but we were out of the ointment and it had flared up again. I inwardly groaned and thought "Rookie." She turned to me and asked "Has she ever been checked for Celiac Disease?" "I don't think so. Maybe. I don't know?..." (Ruby gets blood tests for her thyroid and other things every couple of months, so I really had no idea.) The resident "hm'ed" and "ha'ed" and then proceeded to tell me to put over-the-counter steroid cream on it. "What a waste of time," I thought as we walked out prescription-less.

But that appointment ended up being the opposite of a waste of time. A couple of days after the appointment, I got a call from the resident. "Something just kept bugging me about that rash so I looked back through all of Ruby's labs (which are PAGES, bless her) and found that in 2006 she was tested for Celiac Disease." She proceeded to tell me that the test indicated that she had tested positive...in 2006. Four years ago. Grrrr. She wanted to have Ruby tested agin. I went straight to the internet to start my research. Once you have Celiac Disease, you have it for life and the only way to make it better is to eliminate gluten from your diet, which is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye and is found in...most things, unfortunately. It's autoimmune. It's not uncommon for those with Diabetes to also have Celiac Disease. The main symptoms are GI problems, like chronic diarrhea, which Ruby never had, but she had been complaining about stomach aches which I chalked up to hypochondria and wanting to go down to see her *awesome* school nurse during the day when she was bored in class. She also had complained that her throat hurt most nights, which again, I chalked up to hypochondria and not wanting to go to bed. She also made this weird sound with her throat like she had a hard time swallowing but Ruby is so over-aware of herself and what's going on within her body because of her Diabetes (thinking about if her blood sugar is too low or too high), I didn't think anything of it, other than she had recently become aware of the act of swallowing and was exaggerating the process...if that makes sense. What really perked my interest were the less common symptoms such as mood swings and changes in behavior. All of a sudden, a light bulb went on. This is when the sun broke through the clouds, a chorus of choir boys could be heard and dare I say, I saw a rainbow with a fatty pot of gold at the end with little green leprechauns dancing around.

For the past year, I have asked myself on a daily basis "Where has my child gone?" Ruby has been really, really tough to deal with and our relationship has suffered which has been our main struggle. She's been moody, she's been irrational, she's been extremely difficult. "What if this is the answer?" I thought. We jumped on the gluten-free bandwagon right away. The next day, Go took her out on a date and broke the news to her. He took her to the grocery store and showed her the gluten-free aisle, had her pick out a gluten-free treat and took her to a movie. She's used to having to be more restrictive with her diet than other kids and has always handled it with amazing grace and this was no exception. The next morning we went to a better grocery store and went to town and filled the cart with gluten-free goods. She pointed out things at the store that she loved but could no longer eat with a matter-of-fact attitude. Her strength and her goodness never ceases to amaze me. We took her in to get her blood tested again, per the doc's request and waited for the results. For a week, she was gluten-free and: her rash has almost disappeared. No complaints about stomach aches. No complaints about her throat hurting. No weird sound from her throat. What was the best thing, though, was that her demeanor has improved. She has been more cheerful and more rational and I've seen more than just glimpses of my happy, cheerful Ruby.

And this is why I love her new diagnosis: even though the news of yet another thing being wrong with my child's body was a slam, it was worth it to get her "back."

A couple of days after her tests, we got a call from the ped's resident with the results from the blood test and her antibodies were sky-high, indicating Celiac Disease. So we have an appointment with a peds GI doc this Wednesday, an appointment with anesthesia next Tuesday and she'll get her scope/biopsy the next day, Wednesday. She'll be under anesthesia during the scope, they'll get a biopsy and see what the damage is. For the next week and a half, until her procedure, they want her back on gluten to get definitive results.

I am 100% positive she has Celiac Disease and that gluten is harmful to her body and this is an example of why: Knowing that they want her back on gluten until her tests, today I gave her her first bit of gluten in a week: 1o pretzels. In just 3 hours afterwards, she was itching again, she was irritable, she was complaining that her throat hurt and making that weird sound. This shows me how important it is to stick to her gluten-free diet. It's not going to be easy. It's a HUGE hassle, not to mention a big fat bummer for her. No pizza parties. No Happy Meals. No birthday cake. No pancakes. No refreshments at church functions. No ice cream unless it's gluten-free, which is basically Haagen Daz and Dryers. No normal chocolate chip cookies. No normal bread. No candy bars. No dinner rolls. No pot stickers. No brownies. No sacrament bread. Nothing with flour. Not even a speck. Her own gluten-free bread must be toasted in a separate toaster so that absolutely no speck of normal bread gets on there, because the tiniest bit causes a flare up.

It's so not fun and heaven knows this family doesn't need another health issue thrown into the mix, but that being said, the bigger part of me is SO grateful that the resident went with her gut and looked back in her files and caught this mistake. This could have gone undiagnosed for YEARS, which could have eventually caused cancer and all other sorts of ravaging. But mostly, this is the step we needed to get our Ruby back. All this time, I thought it was me and poor mothering skills. It would keep me up at night, wondering what the problem was, did something happen to her, was there something she's not telling me, what was I doing wrong? etc. I wondered how our relationship could go on like this; if it was like this when she's 6 and 7, how in the world would it be when she's 14 and 15? Now, so many things are making sense. The dots are connecting. So even though the news of Celiac Disease is a hard one to swallow (pun intended), I'm grateful for it, because to me it was a definite answer to my biggest current prayer--what is going on with my child and what do I need to do to improve our relationship? And Celiac Disease was the answer. Once again, I am shown that God is aware of me and my struggles and He's aware of my family. In every hardship our family has had to endure so far, I can honestly say "the silver lining" always ends up being worth it's weight in gold...or, uh silver, rather...

And there you have it.

A New Pump Case. Made Outta Leathah.

If you've spent much time with our family or are a very observant bloggy person, you might notice that Ruby's insulin pump is loosely slung about her waist and hangs down in between her legs. Not a good look, especially on a little girl...

There aren't many options out there for insulin pump cases. Boys usually slide them into a plastic case made by the pump company that has a clip and clip them to their belts or pant loops like a pager. Since Ruby prefers skirts, she has to wear a belt around her waist and hangs it from there. We usually use CaseLogic MP3 cases that fit her pump great, but they have been discontinued. Since then, I have a great pal who sent me some cases and I found some on eBay and we've been using those. But, like I said, they hang down vertically and flap around and it gives me all kinds of heebeejeebees, so last week I set out to make her a new pump case and a new belt. I'm kind of surprised I didn't do this before.

We wanted it nice and sturdy, so after purchasing some leather, Go and I came up with pattern inspired by my beloved Moleskine books, with an elastic band closure. I've never sewn on leather before and was sort of dreading it but our Bernina is a champ. Leather was a totally fun material to work with. We bought several different kinds but Ruby was drawn to the ox blood because it was "smoooooooth." She's a very tactile child.

Here they are together, her new belt and case. Nothing fancy, but I think they turned out pretty good. I'm thinking of adding some sort of embellishment since they're for little girls and then selling them on etsy...we'll see. I've been talking about selling things on etsy about three times a week since its launch years and years ago and still haven't done a single thing so...yah.

This Guy Must Not Have Slept Last Night Either

Me: Hi, yah, I have a question about my daughter's insulin pump.

Customer Service Guy: Certainly. Before we start, could I get some information from you?

Me: Sure.

Guy: Could I have your first name, please.

Me: Annie.

Guy: A-n-n-y?

Me: I-e.

Guy: A-n-n-y-i-e?

Me: No, A-n-n-i-e.

Guy: Ok, thank you. And your last name, please?

Me: Reynolds.

Guy: R-a-n-o-l-d-s?

Me: No, r-e-y-n-o-l-d-s.

Guy: R-e-y-n-a-l-d-s?

Me: o-l-d-s.

Guy: a-o-l-d-s?

Me: No. R. E. Y. N. O. L. D. S.

Guy: R-e-y-n-o-l-d-s?

Me: Yes.

Guy: Ok, thank you. And you're calling about your daughter's insulin pump, is that correct?

Me: Yes.

Guy: And her first name?

Me: Ruby.

Guy: R-u-b-b-i-e?

Me: No, just one b and no i-e, just a y.

Guy: R-u-b-b-y?

Me: Just one b. R-u-b-y.

Guy: R-u-b-y?

Me: Yes! Perfect!

Guy: Ok, thank you. And her last name?

Me: Reynolds as well.

Guy: R-e-n-a-l-d-s?

Me: Sigh.

I Decided

I was at Ruby's Diabetes doctor's appointment today, just sitting there, waiting for the nurse to walk in while the girls were coloring. I was looking around the room at all the pamphlets and posters when my eyes beheld this:

I immediately thought of my last post and burst out laughing. Nick Jonas has Type 1 Diabetes. He wears an insulin pump just like Ruby. He's a positive role model for teeny-boppers with Diabetes, urging them to stay positive about their disease. This officially makes him the cutest.

I pointed this out to Ruby and she was like "Who are the Jonas Brothers?" Then I gave her a big, fat kiss. When the time comes when she does become aware of them, I'm glad that someone she'll probably be in love with will have Diabetes, too.


But really, let's hope this is the last post concerning anything Jonas Brothers-related. Forever and ever.

Raise Your Voice for Type 1 Awareness Day

Did you know that April 14th is Raise Your Voice for Type 1 Awareness Day? You didn't? Well, now you do.


What Ruby (4) has to say about her Type 1 Diabetes:

"I have to care about my Diabetes to make sure I eat no sugary stuff without my Mom there. A lot of my friends know that I shouldn’t have sugary stuff. May-May doesn’t have Diabetes; I’m the only one in the family that has it. When I die, I won’t have Diabetes anymore; they don’t have Diabetes in heaven. When I get to eat something, my Mom pumps my insulin but no one else can touch it and one time Braylen touched it but nothing happened so it was ok. I feel good about my Diabetes but I wasn’t very good about it back when I picked my pump color because I wanted red or pink, not green. I don’t like brown. I like rainbow. I don’t like black. I only like red, pink and purple. And hot pink. But they don’t have those colors. If I knew other kids with Diabetes, I wouldn’t say anything to them about it because I wouldn’t want to hurt their feelings. And if they had a pump, I wouldn’t push any of the buttons, either."


What I, Ruby's Mom, have to say about Type 1 Diabetes:

-it's the pits--the big, stinky, hairy kind but with all things that are big, stinky and hairy, it has made us stronger.

-when I meet a child with Type 1, the first thing I want to do is hug them. The second thing I want to do is hug their mother.

-There is a huge difference between Type 1 and Type 2. Type 2, you can help prevent by eating right and exercising. With Type 1, the Great Wall of China couldn't prevent it. Also Type 1 requires shots. Lots of them, daily. Type 2, you can take a pill. Big difference.

-I've mentioned this before, but let me re-iterate: If you meet someone who's child has Type 1, do not proceed to tell them about how your uncle/cousin/half-brother/etc. who has Type 1 just had his foot amputated/kidney transplant/went blind, etc. Just don't.

-Also, if your cat has Diabetes, don't launch into a pity party and try to compare your situation with my kid's. Because:

a) I hate cats and you will receive not an ounce of sympathy from me.

b) YOUR CAT IS NOT YOUR CHILD. Your cat is your cat. Did you carry your cat in your womb for 9 months? Did your cat make you gain 50 pounds? Did you wake up three times each night to nurse your cat for the first 6 months of its life? Did you sit by your cat's hospital bed and have to try to explain to her why she has Diabetes? Did you have to tell your cat at birthday parties that she can't have any birthday cake but you brought a nice cold string cheese for her to chew on while the rest of the kitties happily dig into their cake and ice cream? Do I really need to keep going?

c) Please refer to letter a.

-The thing about Type 1 that really kills me is this: it never goes away. It's always there. Ruby never gets a break from it. I never get a break from it. I've heard that teenage boys think of sex every 7 seconds. That's me, but with Diabetes.

-We're coming up on Ruby's 2 year diagnosis anniversary and I think, just in the last little while, that I've finally completed the 5 stages of coping...for the 10th time.

-We need to help our children, especially our girls, have a healthy body image, which is hard to do when we, as adults, struggle with it as well. This is particularly important to me, as I have girls and one of them is diabetic. A study in 2005 showed that 25% of all girls with Type 1 Diabetes develop eating disorders. This freaks me out.

-Yes, my other kids have a higher chance of developing Diabetes as well. Sometimes I look at May and wonder if there's a ticking time bomb in there somewhere.

-I just want to thank all of our friends and our families. Thank you for your support, concern and love that you have shown to Ruby. Thank you to my Las Vegas family, who came to see her in the hospital and brought her fun things to play with and didn't make her feel like a freak. Thank you to friends everywhere who sent emails of encouragement and phone calls of reassurance. Thank you to our friends here in PA who think of Ruby's condition when planning a function; you have no idea how much I appreciate the inconvenience, the hassle, but especially the thought. The more children (and adults!) who know about Diabetes, the more accepted it will make Ruby and other children with Type 1 feel so thank you for learning about and teaching your children about Type 1 Diabetes.

To learn more about Type 1 Diabetes, check out these sites:
American Diabetes Association - Type 1
JDRF - Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
Six Until Me Blog

You Know Those Monkeys at the Zoo?

Ruby was a pretty mellow baby and toddler. She didn't throw huge tantrums, she didn't flush my jewelry down the toilet, she didn't smear peanut butter all over the walls; she was remarkably kind to me. Before Ruby was diagnosed with the big D and I was oh-so-naive, May was born. She instantly had health issues and was more temperamental. I remember thinking "Oh, this kid is going to do me in." She got RSV, had asthma, eczema, acid reflux, torticollis and needed physical therapy. Then Ruby turned 3 and just days later was diagnosed. I thought "Oh, so this is why she's been so nice to me. She was saving it all up." The tables had turned and Ruby had become my "problem child." Now a year and a half later, she's on the pump and we've got it all figured out. May has been 2 years old for almost 3 months now. I regret to report that my original thoughts about May being a bigger hand full may have been confirmed as of this morning. I wake up to her screaming. Ruby, who truly delights in being the bearer of bad news, runs into May's room, and runs back out into the hallway hollering "May's naked and everything's covered in poop!" I will go no further with the story, nor will I post any pictures. Your welcome.

Oh, If Only Having a Healthy Self Esteem Meant Having a Healthy Body

Ruby: What number of Diabetes am I?
Me: You mean what type do you have?
Ruby: Yah, like type 4 or type 5. What's my number?
Me: You have Type 1.
Ruby: Number one? Because I'm the best?
Me: Yes...you have Diabetes because you're the best.
Ruby: Yah, I thought so.

We want to (clap) PUMP...(point) you up.

Ruby got connected to her insulin pump today, a day we've been waiting for basically for the past year she's been diagnosed with the Big D.  We started the whole process a couple of months ago, after I was inspired by Josie and her son Ethan (one of Ruby's betrothed) who were also starting the process and we're finally here.  

Shown here on the left is what the first insulin pump looked like.  We've come a long way. That's basically what Ruby's pump looks like now, on the right.  Apparently the person not only has Diabetes but also has Jaundice.

This picture was taken this morning right before we left for the doctor's office sans pump.  

And look Mom, I did her hair.  

The appointment went well, though she cried when I put her infusion set in, which is a catheter inserted with a big, long needle, but that poke happens once every couple of days, opposed to before the pump: getting 4 shots a day.  I like our Diabetes Nurse, though I wish she had more of a sense of humor:

Nurse: (holding the pump, showing me the bells and whistles) And here is where you would go in and program your pump to show its name.

Me: Its name?

Nurse: Yes, some people like to name their pumps.

Me: Oh, ok.  We'll name him Roy, then.

Nurse: Roy?

Me: Sure.

Nurse: um...ok...

The second picture was taken right after we got home from the doctor's. 

These pants look familiar?  We're picking and choosing our battles these days.  And yes, she took her hair out Mother, she has a milk moustache and soup drips all over her, but she's pumping and she's happy.  And so am I.  It will be a rough couple of weeks while we figure out her exact dosing: no snacks between meals for her, me having to wake up and take her blood sugar level at midnight, 3 and 6 am, etc. but it will be worth it.  We're pretty excited.

Insulin Pump Therapy Class

That's where I've been all day long. The good thing is that Ruby will be starting Insulin Pump Therapy in September. For her to be able to be on the pump (no more shots and food freedom), I have to go to five 6-hour long classes, which are basically math and science class all rolled into one.

Happy Anniversary, you stupid disease.

Exactly a year ago today, Ruby was diagnosed with Diabetes. Yes, June 6, 2006. 6-6-06. Coincidence? I think not.

She's in there somewhere.

It is 1:30 in the morning. Please allow me to ramble. Yesterday while pushing the girls in a cart down the aisles of Target, I started singing a silly song that made Ruby start belly chuckling, which then got May going and of course we sang it for the next 20 minutes. It went something like "We love Daddy, yes we do. We love Mommy, hoo-dee-hoo-hoo..." They'd explode with laughter everytime I'd sing the "hoo-dee-hoo-hoo" part, especially since it was sung a la Louis Armstrong. We were having a grand old time. An older lady pushing her cart down the same aisle stopped, smiled, and said "It's so nice to see a mother enjoying her children. I don't think mothers these days play with their children enough." A wave a guilt passed over me. I'm a good parent, I'm responsible and I keep my children alive and pretty happy. But do I play with my kids enough? No. Ever since Ruby got diagnosed with D, I am less playful and I realized I haven't provided her with enough creative or fun learning oppurtunities. I'm totally 100% focused on keeping her blood glucose level in her target range and trying to put some order to my life and my surroundings. The fact that we moved 2 weeks after she was diagnosed didn't help anything - we started a whole new life in every sense and I just never got back into the "Fun Mom" swing of things. My energy for the past year has been spent on Diabetes, getting settled in PA and trying to find some people out here who I connect with which is no easy feat (these girls in PA have gigantic shoes to fill), learning how to be a quazi-single parent and having a high responsibility church calling for the first time -- everything has been so new and to be honest, really, really hard, I just lost sight of what was important, I guess. I am still grieving the death of normalcy and I've been doing it in an unhealthy way--by being uptight all the time, which trickles down to Ruby and makes her uptight and probably May, too. A piece of Ruby's childhood has already been taken away by having to deal with a life threatening disease. I should be protecting her childhood and innocence and alleviating stress, not adding to it. I should be letting her be a kid and providing a life full of beauty, fun, learning and creativity for her. When she got diagnosed, suddenly I had a bigger fish to fry, so to speak and everything about raising her besides keeping her healthy got put on the backburner. Target Grandma Lady gave me a much needed wake up call yesterday. I need to be the mom I've always dreamed about being, not purely "Super Diabetes Mom." I think it's possible to meld the two but it's going to take some work. I've already cleaned out the "Diabetes cupboard" that used to hold all of the paraphanalia (Josie you know how much Diabetes crap you can accumulate) and have made it into the Art cupboard for the girls filled with everything you'd ever want in an art cupboard. Tomorrow we will take a Nature Walk and make a Nature Bracelet (such a great idea, Sara) In the coming days, we will work on letters and numbers, we will go to the zoo and learn about animals, we will bake cookies for the neighbors, we will blow bubbles, play games, we will dance, we will sing, we will swing and climb trees, we will learn about our universe, other cultures, we will dress up, we will dress down, we will have a waterfight, a pillow fight, we will do somersaults and run through meadows. The hills will be alive with the sound of music.

Emotional suppression is way over rated

Today I cried in public. I hate Diabetes, I hate that Ruby has to deal with it, I hate that I have to deal with it, I hate that other kids have to deal with it, I hate that their parents have to deal with it. I hate Diabetes. I hate it.

Hunters and gatherers...and thieves

Ruby and May getting ready to go to a fun Easter Egg Hunt.

Ruby squealing with excitment. I just have to say, she was so, so good at the party -- she didn't even care that all the kids around her were eating gobs of candy. She asked if she could have some and I said "Just one" and she said "Because I have Diabetes?" Today, I was so sick of the stupid disease, I didn't want to acknowledge it, so I said "No, just because I'm a mean Mom." She laughed and said "No you're not. It's because I have Diabetes." and turned around and ran off to play. What a classy broad.

Ruby and May at the hunt.

This was taken right after I told Ruby she couldn't take any of May's pink eggs. Ruby really likes pink. Note May's utter glee.

See that egg in May's basket? She stole it very quietly out of another kid's basket. We've got a pick pocket in the making on our hands. Quick and nimble fingers.

Ruby, showing me an egg she found. Again, with the ghetto coat. Hee-hee -- someone at the party said "Oh, what a cute coat!" (just trying to be nice to "the new girl", I'm sure) and I almost started laughing. Obviously, she doesn't read this blog.

Tour de Cure

Saturday, March 31st is the National Tour de Cure day. Gold's Gyms and other places around the nation will be participating in this event organized by the American Diabetes Assocation. I am voluteering as a spin instructor for part of the day on Saturday at our Gold's in Hershey. I am tempted to wear a big pin with this sweet face on it.

I am excited to be able to contribute to this cause somehow. I heard recently about a little girl back in Iowa younger than Ruby that was diagnosed a couple of weeks ago. My heart hurt for her and her family as I knew what they were going through and the feelings that poor young mother was having. She would be mourning the death of normalcy, trying to get a grip and figure this whole disease out without getting too freaked out, get as educated as she could as fast as she could and try to be brave and fake smiles when her newly diagnosed daughter looked to her for strength and comfort. This disease has changed our whole family's life. This is what a normal day entails for Ruby:
-Ruby wakes up and immediately needs to eat.
-I check her blood glucose levels, which involves poking her finger to get a drop of blood. I check these to determine what dosage of insulin she needs.
-She gets a shot of insulin, usually in her little bum which is now covered with little scars.
-She eats breakfast after I measure out all of her food so that she gets exactly 40 grams of carbohydrates. No more, no less. We now have several sets of measuring cups at our house.
-She gets a snack exactly 2 hours after breakfast to help the insulin tie her over until lunch.
-Two hours later at lunch we do the 2 pokes - the blood glucose check and the insulin injection again, and she received another 40 grams of carbohydrates.
-She gets a snack exactly 2 hours after lunch again.
-Two hours later at dinner, we do the same 2 pokes again, glucose check and injection and she gets another 40 grams of carbs
-Two hours after that, right before she goes to bed, I check her glucose levels again and she receives her last shot of the day, followed by a fatty, carby snack to hold her over at night
-For the first several months, we'd have to check her at midnight and at 3-4 am to make sure her glucose levels were ok. It was like having a newborn again. Thankfully that part is over.
But our lives have changed in many other ways other than the constant poking, the blood, the regimented diet and timing of meals, etc.
-Ruby now wears this medical bracelet with the word "DIABETES" embossed on it. It never comes off.

In the corner of our kitchen is a "sharps" dispenser - usually an old milk carton. Very lovely.
She must always be in some kind of organized sport or activity, to encourage her to have a healthy and active lifestyle. Activity keeps her levels where they should be. So far we've switched off between gymnastics and swimming lessons.
We have many sugar free/low carb foods around the house. Here is Ruby enjoying a sugar-free popcicle.

-Insulin is a growth hormone, so my tall girl is even taller than she normally would be.
-Her behavior is very dependent on her blood glucose levels. When she is acting naughty naughty, she is usually high. Constant high levels leads to problems later on like kidney failure, lost limbs, etc. When she is acting tired and whiny, she is usually low. Lows have a more immediate cause to worry - seizures, comas, etc. Needless to say, to keep her healthy, we have to run a tight ship. It is challenging though, when she starts acting up--is she really to blame? It's a hard thing to deal with.
-I carry the following things with me wherever I go: Blood glucose monitor, insulin, syringes, glucagon pen, glucose gel, and candy - all in case of emergencies. I've had to use everything but the glucagon pen. Let's hope I never have to use that - that is a last resort, if she was unconscious and couldn't swallow. I have to assume it will happen one day, so I will be ready.
-I never noticed how much candy she got offered before - at the store, at the mall, at the gym, at Church, etc. She is so good about it and always says "No. Sorry, I can't. I have Diabetes." With her lisp, it's even cuter. "Di-ah-bee-thee-th."
-At birthday parties, church functions, etc where desserts are served, I usually have to bring something else for her to eat instead. And she's always excited. "A sugar-free Jello cup! Oh boy!" She's so so good about it. She is my hero.
So if you're inclined to participate in a good cause this weekend, consider the Tour de Cure Spin-a-Thon. That's where I'll be.
In other news, I finished the underwater mural! Cash money millionaire!

Hand Foot & Mouth Disease

This is the latest little germ that's been hanging around our house. My children are petri dishes, I've decided. It doesn't matter that we go through economy sized antibacterial soap bottles faster than you can, I don't know, tie your shoe. With a husband who has O.C.D. tendancies when it comes to washing his hands, I'm pretty sure it's not Brandon bringing the little bugs home. I was going to post a picture off the internet of what Hand Foot & Mouth disease looks like just for kicks, but then I thought that those of you reading this that have not been exposed to the same horrific medical school text book pictures that I have might be grossed out. As for me, I am now desensitized from all things guts and blood. The picture I was going to post was of a child's tongue covered with dime sized pussy sores, which is what is currently covering my Ruby's mouth. Needless to say, the absolute LAST thing she wants to do is eat. But people, especially children, with Diabetes HAVE to eat every two hours so she has literally been crying all day and all night (2 nights ago she finally fell asleep at 3:30 am, last night at 2 am and of course still wakes up at 6:30 am anyway) and there's nothing I can do but keep giving her non-effective Tylenol and force her to eat so she doesn't end up in the hospital. So, as I sit here on the brink of insanity, what do I decide to do? Blog, of course!