Yesterday, Ashton and I started insulin pump training. It was a nerve-racking three hours that culminated in me sticking a long needle into my son’s stomach. He cried, I cried. He stopped crying, I kept crying. The good news is that once we all get the hang of this, we will be able to be more flexible with schedules and with meals. Up to this point, Ashton has never been able to sleep in, eat when he wants, and not eat when he isn’t hungry. We will soon be able to do all of these things without keeping such a tight schedule (but I love a good schedule, so that won’t change too much!). Right now we are in practice mode and the pump is filled with saline. Next week we get the insulin and for now Ashton is counting down to Syringe Free Living by pulling off a paper syringe every time he gets his insulin injection. We only have 10 to go.
The first thing Ashton said to me when I picked him up from school was, "I listened to what the teacher said." And this is where the Q&A begins:
Q: What did she say?
A: The rules to keep you safe.
Q: What kind of rules?
A: I don't know, and she did like that (he puts both hands on top of his head).
Q: I know that you had some concerns about the bathroom- how did that work out for you?
A: Good.
Q: Did you have to use the facilities?
A: Yes. I didn't let anyone go in with me cuz that was the rules, right?
Q: (I shrug) Earlier you mentioned a sign, what was that about?
A: You turn it to red.
Q: For what?
A: For when you have to go pee or poop.
Q: I see. Did you play with any other kids?
A: Yeah- but I tried to play with Mr. Potato Head and I helped a guy and then lots of guys helpded.
Q: Did you see anyone there that you know?
A: I saw Connor. But Ben, Trent, and Hayden didn't come. There are a lot of guys there.
Q: What was your favorite part of school today?
A: When I gotted to turn the sign on the bathroom red and green. When your done you turn it back to green. That's my favorite part of school, when I get to turn it red or green when I go poop or pee. But you have to get the teachers help cuz guess what? Because they don't have a potty seat!
Q: Good thinking. The teachers told me that you like to talk a lot. How do you feel about that?
A: Good.
Q: Is there anything else about school that you would like to tell me?
A: Nope. There's nothing else to tell you about school.
Q: Please tell me about this drawing you did.A: This is me and I'm sad because I got shampoo in my eyes. (At school, he told one teacher that the drawing showed him with broken hands. He told the other teacher that it was a broken arm.)
Q: What's this other part [of the drawing]?
A: It's for bad guys.
Q: What do bad guys do with it?
A: I just turn it on and they die. And then something happens to their legs and eyes. And I'll take it to someone's house and if they turn into a stranger I'll use it and then they'll die.
Ashton ended the interview at this point, but mentioned that his post should have a picture of him and Connor. So, here they are. Ashton and Connor have known each other since they were born, and live right next door to each other. They are both very excited to be in the same class.
His first year was like most babies-poopin', eatin', not sleepin'. The kid didn't start sleeping until he was 5 months old. And he had "mild colic" which means that he couldn't digest milk, so it was no dairy for mama. I was fine with most soy products, but the soy ice cream was unbearable. Ashton loved to look at his hands. He was amazed by them. He also loved books and was alw
ays very gentle with them. He always had a book with him and was content to sit at his bookcase for long stretches of time. He seems to really love language and I swear to you that he loved listening to me read Chaucer to him. His first word was mama. The theme for his first birthday was Books because it was his favorite activity during his first year.
His second year started out well, with a few bumps along the way. Ashton was a big hitter and pretty much abused me everyday. It was a very hard habit to break him from. He also decided that he absolutely would not sit in a cart, so we started what I called "cart training." There is a local store where it typically has screaming children and mothers, and at 7 am we would go, Ashton and I, to work on his issue. I would strap him into the cart, hold him down with one arm, and proceed to "shop." We never bought anything, but he learned real quick that he wasn't getting out of the cart because of some (embarrassing) screaming. Although he still wasn't walking, his language was developing rapidly. This helped us a lot when he was diagnosed with diabetes at 19 months old. 
He doesn't know it, but him being able to communicate to us what he wanted and needed while in the hospital was a great help. But this is not what I want to write about. So, Ashton started walking at 14 1/2 months old. Don't ask Chadd, he will tell you the wrong time, but who really asks Chadd much of anything of real importance? And after the walking came the immediate love of sports ('Ball' was his second word). Football was the theme for his second birthday.
p a little bit: He is now a very smart and sassy 3 year old. We had a "Cars" theme because that was the first movie he saw at what he called "the movieater." He loves all sports but seems to be particularly interested in football (anyone guess why?). He loves dinosaurs and has a dinosaur room. The Children's Museum in Seattle and the Museum of Natural History in New York were awesome for him because of all the dinosaur exhibits. If you ask him his name he will respond, "Ashton the Big Brother." He loves his sister, but he loves her even more when she doesn't touch his stuff. He is a sweet and sensitive boy and not a day goes by w
here he will at least once just say, "mom, I love you." He will be starting preschool within the next week or so and he is excited, but he is pretty perturbed that he will not be riding a bus. He tells anyone that will listen that "I'll be 4 on my next birthday." He thinks that he wants to have a puzzle theme for his next party.
