#newbeginnings | edUconnections

BlogGlowworm2

Remember that cute little Glo Worm® toy that parents would buy for their kids so their children would feel safe at night from the soft glow it illuminated? I confess…I never bought one of those for my kids when they were little. Sorry kids.

Well, I’ve been redeemed…my 30-year old daughter received her first “glow worm” on Sunday. 🙂 And if I do say so myself, he is the cutest little glow worm I’ve ever seen.

Please allow me the pleasure of introducing you to the newest addition to our family…my little (big) grandson, Tyus…

BlogTyusGlowWorm

Isn’t he one of the cutest glow worms you’ve ever seen? 🙂 Tyus decided to show up a few weeks early and has been in the NICU since Sunday. He is the biggest baby in there. He weighed in at 10 pounds 14 ounces. Big boy…and a fighter.

Because my daughter is a Type I Diabetic, Tyus was getting lots of extra insulin while in the womb. Now that he is on his own and no longer getting his mommy’s insulin, his blood sugars needed to be stabilized. Tyus also had a little fluid in the lungs so needed some extra help with O2, and today his jaundice got a little bit worse; which has made him become that cute little glow worm in the picture above. He is making great gains each day, though, and for that we are grateful. Our hearts glow with love. God is good!

Tyus is our new addition. A perfect gift for the upcoming New Year. He represents new life and isn’t that what we all need in the New Year…new life? I know I certainly do.

A new beginning.

A chance to start over.

A time to let go of the old, and start with brand spanking new. A new year…what a great opportunity for me. What a great opportunity for you. For all of us.

I mess up EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Some days way worse than others. But, with God’s endless love and grace and mercy and forgiveness, I get a new beginning each day. And so do you. Just like our new sweet little baby boy is the perfect gift for our family, God’s gifts of infinite love and mercy and grace and forgiveness are the perfect gifts for all of us.

To Tyus…my prayers for you are to keep gaining strength so you can go home with your mommy and daddy real soon. Keep fighting, little buddy. Grandma will keep praying.

To my daughter and son-in-law…my prayers for you are a peace of mind that passes all understanding, a massive faith, and an abundance of patience as Tyus continues to get stronger and heal.

To our readers…my prayers for you are to be blessed with new life and new beginnings in 2016. May you find that soft glow of love too.

Lastly, to my blogging partner…my prayers for you are that you are enjoying rest and relaxation on the beach in Cabo. I’m sure you are a cute glow worm as you soak up the sun’s rays. 🙂

Small request to ask…if you believe in the power of prayer, maybe throw one or two up for Tyus, will you? My heart will glow with thanks.

Happy New Year everyone! May you be blessed indeed in 2016! ~Wendy

TyusMommyDaddy

Stay Calm & Lead On!
Profs Dr. C. & Dr. V.

My daughter, Jamie, turns thirty on Sunday. I know…not a big deal. We all have these milestone birthdays. So why do I choose to write about this special birthday of hers? Because my 30^th was a major life-changer…for her and for me! And, it seems like it happened just yesterday.

I spent this crazy day back in October of 1989 at the Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD with this special daughter of mine. She was four years young at the time and was given the life sentence of Type I diabetes on my 30^th birthday. And so began our new normal…

For a week, we lived in the pediatric wing of this hospital learning how to take care of our newly diagnosed diabetic child.

We learned how to give shots of insulin by practicing sticking the needles in our own bellies. Then we had to stick them in hers.

We learned how to test her blood sugar by practicing on our own fingers. The first time I tested her blood sugar, I missed her finger and caught her fingernail. My four year old cried and cried, and then said “I do it.” She’s been ‘doing it’ ever since. It brings tears to my eyes just writing about it. Sorry Jamie. I never meant to hurt you. I know you forgive me. 🙂

In case of an extreme low blood sugar, we learned how to give the glucagon shot by practicing on an orange. I never did get to the point of being able to do this. I always called the ambulance. I even joined the ambulance crew for a few years thinking that would help. It didn’t.

We learned how to squirt gel into the side of her mouth so the gel would absorb and enter her blood stream quickly to help her recover from low blood sugars. She’d bite her teeth together and lock her jaw when we actually had to use the gel during a low blood sugar. It was a lot easier when it was just practice.

We learned what a low blood sugar looked like by the nurses inducing a controlled low blood sugar by not letting Jamie eat. When they’d feed her to bring that blood sugar back up, she would inhale her food. She still does. 🙂

My daughter has grown to be a beautiful young woman. As she grew and went through life challenges coping with her disease, she learned to be in control of her diabetes, instead of her diabetes controlling her. Today, she is still in good control with her A1C’s being between 6.8 and 7.2. Excellent, proud of her!!

Jamie was an outstanding athlete in high school who worked hard, and then went on to Boise State University to play D1 volleyball. She is now head volleyball coach for her high school Alma Mater while teaching young adults with special needs. See! Diabetes can be controlled.

She was married last August, and yesterday began another ‘new normal’ for her. This new adventure will take her through education classes once again. These classes will teach her how to take care of herself. These new classes are happy classes. She is learning how to take care of herself as a diabetic mom-to-be. A miraculous NEW normal. 🙂

Ah, yes…happy 30^th birthday, beautiful daughter. What a birthday present you’ve received. ~Wendy