We are not in control

The past week has been a whirlwind at our house. I have so many thoughts and emotions I could write about, but this will just be the simplified version.  After a month or so of Addie going to the bathroom way more than normal and my "mommy alert" going off, I brought her into the doctor with a high suspicion of what I would find.  Hoping it wouldn't be but I guess I did know before I got there, just needed the proof to get her some help.  At the doctors office they checked her blood and her urine and found high sugar in both.  High blood sugar is typically around 80 and she was over 500.  They sent us to the ER.  We were blessed to go to St. Rose hospital that has an amazing pediatrics ER and Pediatrics department.  They found the high sugars as well and confirmed our suspicion that she had Type 1 Diabetes.  They got her on an IV and then she got her first insulin shot and her blood sugar started to come down.  Despite her high sugars, they said that we caught it pretty early.  Some kids have much higher sugar levels and are more sick.  Addie was a bit more mellow and tired but not really sick. 

They got the IV in and she had to keep her arm straight for the next couple days we were there. That was really the only part of being at the hospital that she didn't like. The staff there never let her have a dull moment. They have play rooms and so many fun things to do. There were also random people that would stop by and give away pillow cases and other goodies. The nurses came to check in on her every few hours.    She had fun ordering her own food and moving her bed up and down.  I'm glad they were so positive.  She left the hospital thinking it was fun!

Despite not living here very long we feel so blessed with the support and love we have felt from friends here.  It just made Addie light up when people came by to visit, especially her sisters that she asked about so much while we were there. 

Shaun would come after work each night and let me get out for a little bit.

We don't know what we would have done without our good friends who adopted Rachel and Summer while I was at the hospital with Addie.  They came to visit one night and really made Addie so happy. 

We are adjusting to a new routine of checking sugar and giving insulin throughout the day.  Addie was scared of shots a week ago but you wouldn't know that today.  She has been so brave and optimistic about this change.  We just try and be as brave as she is!  I have never been so grateful for my degree, which is in Health Science, I learned about Diabetes so much and worked with Diabetes Educators for my internship.  I still have to live it now but I feel confident going forward.  It's not easy but as we are meeting and talking to others we know that life will get back to normal. 

A special thank you to all our family and friends that have had us in their prayers throughout this week. We have felt lifted and blessed.  We are so happy to see our little Addie feeling better.

Fun weekend!

Addie was recognized as the Mustang of the month at her school. She loves school and has really excelled. We are so proud of her.  

Despite some health issues my parents made a trip down to see us!  We brought them to the Hoover Dam  and to see the new bypass bridge.   Then we were lucky enough to have Shaun take us up on a helicopter ride to tour over the Dam.  This was the first time we have got to go up with him since we have moved here.  I didn't think that the girls and I would get to go but he surprised us and we got to go, too!

Here's the view of the Hoover Dam from the sky. 

Buggie

Shaun decided he needed a project to work on when he was off work. So over the past month he has turned this... 

into THIS!

He did take over the 3 car garage for awhile but the girls love it and have had so much fun helping him fix it up.  I'm sure he's not done working on it but from the outside it looks great!

Update

I wanted to get a quick update posted.   So here is our girls staring with Summer.

 Summer is such a  fun toddler and always making us laugh. She pushes chairs all over the house so she can get into things.  Lately she likes to find ways to get hold of pens and markers.  When we were getting ready for bed one night she found some and made a master piece on her belly!  I had to get a picture and when I got out the camera she opened her mouth to show me her teeth.  We have been taking pictures of Addie's teeth since she has been losing some and Summer figured I must want a picture of her teeth too.

Rachel is growing up so fast and loves the preschool we are doing.  She always helping me in the kitchen and plays so great with her sisters.  She is still good about taking naps and asked me one day if she could take a nap in her dolls bed.  I told her she could but figured she would try and not be able to sleep but when I checked on her she had fallen asleep and took a great nap all scrunched up in the doll pack-n-play!   We  went fishing a few weeks ago and she got to use her fishing pole she got for her birthday in May. After her dad had got the line ready and explained that she needed to sit and wait she tried that then told me she didn't like fishing that way.  She just liked casting and reeling the line in not the waiting part. When she starting casting and reeling the line in she starting catching fish.  I guess we will let her do her own fishing.  She caught her first fish and was so excited about it. 

This is Rachel's preschool group with the Fire Engine's they made this week!

Addie loves being in first grade this year! Sometimes it's hard for me to realize my oldest is in first grade.  So far she still lets me hold her hand and I can help her with her homework, that might change one day.  We live close enough to walk to school.  We love the time to spend together and despite the hot weather enjoy the walks.  Supposedly it does cool off in the next month!   She lost her first tooth in August and lost her second tooth in September. She felt like she had been waiting for a long time to lose them.  Her permanent teeth started to grow in before she lost her baby ones so we were really encouraging her to wiggle those teeth!  The one pictured below was SO loose.  She refused to let anyone help, unlike her first one that her dad pulled out with pliers!  The tooth spent a  couple days in that horizontal position before falling out on it's own.  Since this is the first experience with losing teeth at our house it has been quite exciting.  She never had a toothless smile but we got a picture of her new big kid teeth growing in!

What we did this summer

We really have had a great summer seeing family, exploring our new neighborhood and spending time together.  It's always hard to see summer break end but we are excited for school, too!  So here is a quick update on our summer break.

Girls already for bed:)

We spend lots of time traveling.

We made a visit to the local Bass Pro Shop.

These girls love bubbles!

Explored with cousins.

Painted toe nails!

Wheel barrel rides with Grandpa.

Family Reunion

Played at Bear Lake beach.

Ran the Newton Dam Run (Shaun & Amber and Kelli)

Cotton Candy

Played in the Foam at the 24th Celebration

Got Face paint

School hair cuts

Summer exploring...again

Facials!

Big girl bed for our little Summer!

Lots of Slurpies

First lost tooth!!

 Hoover Dam

Walked on the new bridge

Fun mornings with cousins

Picnic in the backyard

Parades!

Bellagio fountains.

Chocolate Factory

Rocking climbing in Prescott, AZ

We also made a trip to Rexburg which I didn't get many pictures of, swam at the local pools, spent many afternoons at splash pads and parks.  We love the Summer even in Henderson where it's much hotter than we were used to.