The 12 (or so) Days of Christmas

I fear O might be confused about how this whole Christmas thing works, seeing as how we have been celebrating for about a week now. We've had dinners and get-togethers with multiple combinations and permutations of our Extended Re-Mix Family and there have been presents and goodies at each one. Needless to say, she's had a great time, playing with all of her uncles and aunts and cousins and grandparents. We took a bit of a break today and just chilled out with her new kitchen, but things will start back up again tomorrow when my step-father's kids visit from Nashville.

So, while we are done with the carols and the over-indulging in treats, the tree is still up and there are still a couple of presents to be opened. Things are still merry and bright around here. Hope yours continues to be a wonderful holiday as well!

There is a secret place in my heart where I nurse the belief that this is simply a temporary condition, something she will outgrow. We have days like today when she is having so much fun, playing so hard and is so distracted by all the things that should distract young children; during these days checking blood sugar, counting carbs, giving injections - it all just seems like a temporary inconvenience, like changing diapers or picking up that sippy cup for the 30th time. It feels for just a moment like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I think, "Why, she's so young...she will hardly even remember all this. She'll be amazed when we tell her the stories about what she went through."

There is no cure for diabetes. Yet.

Olivia seems to have cut out her nap. A moment of silence please for my sanity.

Our entire routine is undergoing adaptation as a result of the change and so, of course, she is having all kinds of highs and lows. The first couple of nights we gave her a typical dinnertime dose of Humalog, which is meant to cover dinner and a snack, but she was asleep well before snack time and low by 8:00p. My experience has been that if I have to wake her up because of a low not long after she has fallen asleep, it is very hard to get her to eat anything. This played out the first night with a low in the 50s and she absolutely would not eat or drink anything. For the first time, we had to get out the cake icing and squirt it into her mouth. She was livid and I am not using the word lightly. To hold her down and force her to eat like that, when she was so angry...it made me feel like I was violating her in some way. There is so much that she has to tolerate...the sticks and the needles and the constant talk about numbers and not being able to eat what other children are eating...this finally just seemed like too much.

Olivia seems so angry sometimes...spitting mad when I tell her no or am not able to play. I know that a lot of this is just typical toddler behavior, but sometimes I wonder if all that she has to go through plays into it, as well. She's so powerless over it; it's a wonder sometimes that she doesn't flinch everytime we come near her.

How to Ruin a Couple of Days

or "Oh Crap; a play in five short acts"

Act 1

While taking your sleeping child out of the car, slam your thumb in the door.

Whimper and weep all night with your hugely swollen thumb wrapped in bags of frozen vegetables. Pace the floor when the nausea no longer allows you to stay in bed. Curse your husband for sleeping so soundly through your misery.

Act 2

Cry bitter tears and beg for mercy while your husband drills a hole (or three) in the black nail, in an attempt to bleed the nail before your thumb explodes.

Act 3

Answer endless questions from your two-year-old about the door and your thumb and the bag of corn on your thumb and Daddy making a hole in the thumb and Mommy crying and the door and your thumb. Feel ashamed for being so weepy and whiny in front of her.

Act 4

Continue to feel wiped out and slightly vomitous; encourage your child for the first time in her life to watch DVDs all day long.

Act 5

Stay up later than you should, typing blog posts with two fingers because you dread lying in bed all night while your thumb throbs and your husband snores. Weigh the benefits of attempting to take your socks or pants off without using said thumb. Decide it's not worth it, grab a bag of frozen peas and fall into bed with much muttering and gnashing of teeth.

Getting into the spirit

Making cookies...

 

Waving to Santa at the parade...

 

Finding the perfect tree...

 

And hanging every ornament on the bottom third of said tree...