Baby Wise: Re-Write

So we have climbed our first mountain and now I feel as if we are sitting in the valley running through the wild flowers. We have been having an o.k. week with Samantha Grace's blood glucose levels (BGL) are concerned. If I would have to rank our days thus far, I would have to say that today has been one of the most frustrating (just in comparison to the others).

I feel like I am playing a cat and mouse game with her BGLs. I so want her to have restful and full night of rest, yet at the same time I know that if I allow her to sleep too long her blood sugar is usually going to start to steadily fall due to the continual flow of slow acting insulin. So I see it as a catch 22 scenario. The same scene plays out throughout the day with her naps. I either make sure she eats her snack, if it is time, before her nap or I lay her down before snack time and wake her early. As many have expressed so far, this too shall pass...

I feel like now after having to be on a pretty rigid eating, sleeping, shot giving schedule that I should write the authors of the book Baby Wise and suggest that I write a book titled Baby Wise: An Infant with Diabetes. I also feel bad at times, now thinking back, on the times closer to our diagnosis that I would let Samantha Grace cry herself to sleep. I thought all along that I was teaching her how to fall asleep on her own. Little did I know that she may have been battling severe pain. That is why, again, I want to write my own version of Baby Wise.

While I am on my Baby Wise kick, I will address the section on hunger. This is the section that I am still pondering. You see before our diagnosis, I have to admit that I did not follow a rigid eating schedule with Samantha Grace. She is what I would call a "grazer". (Hence the picture of her in the refrigerator at the top of the post.)She acted much like the cows in our back yard. She would never eat a HUGE meal but little meals with LOTS of snacks inbetween. Now that we have to "count carbs" we following much more of the original Baby Wise techniques. However, I have to say that when I hear ear piercing screams or I see Samantha Grace lying on the floor at a peculiar time of day, I assess her BGLs and usually give her real juice and a few pick-me-ups to kick her up a few notches.

I have to say that my opinions on a lot of foods have changed. I am realizing that sweets are NOT a necessary part of the human beings diet. I am learning that this whole idea of "clean" eating may not be such a bad thing after all. (I am still in the beginning research stages of this one.) I also fully support that 6 small meals a day are better than 3 large ones. This one I take note of because I try to eat when Samantha Grace eats, especially when we are at home together, therefore, I am generally eating 6 times a day unless preoccupied by other things.

I know that this entry is pretty much pointless to many of you reading. But let me restate that much of this is not only a means of communicating the progression of Samantha Grace, but it is also the perspective/therapy of a mommy who feels all of the stresses, joys and pains that her precious little girl cannot express yet (except through tears and smiles).

I also want everyone to know that I have not forgotten to post the song that my loving husband has written about our journey. He just finished the piano accompaniment yesterday and has sent it to his "editor" last night. We have hopes to have a final product sometime next week!

P.S. Samantha Grace took a total of 4 steps today by herself. Each day we are a little closer.