I made the mistake of peeking over at a few other blog posts today -- writing about my non-d girls is just as emotional to me as writing about my little d-boy.  After reading Candy Hearts, The Superhero and the Princess and Justice's Misbehaving Pancreas I am already in tears.  How am I going to get through this post without full on sobbing?  I have no idea but here we go . . .

On diagnosis day our lives and our family changed forever.  Diabetes is a family disease and it takes it toll on everyone in our family.  I've blogged many times about how it has changed me, my marriage and my body. I've touched on how it has changed Jim and in his post he talk about his feelings about diabetes.

I'm not sure that I have ever written about how diabetes has changed my two beautiful girls, Emma and Sophie.


Emma was five and Sophie three when Nate was diagnosed.  It amazes me everyday how much these sweet girls love their brother.  There is no anger, no resentment and no jealousy -- they understand that Nate sometimes has to come first and they completely understand.  The girls have learned how to check his sugar (with assistance), they help with pod changes and Dex site changes.  They like to sing to Nate when he is having his sites changed.  It is the sweetest thing you have ever seen/heard.  They are very aware of the different DexCom beeps and they will both come running to tell me if he is high or low.  They know where we keep the juice, fruit snacks and bananas and are happy to help me with anything diabetes related. Both girls are learning to count carbs and make better food choices for themselves and for their brother. 

As a mom it is heartbreaking to not be able to be there for one of your children.  Heartbreaking.  The wants or needs of the girls are often put on the back burner because Nate is high, low, needs a pod change, needs a juice box, a bg check, a ketone check . . . the list goes on and on.  The girls never complain but it is so hard for me to make them wait while I care for Nate. 



Nate gets a lot of attention . . . he is our little Super Hero . . . Super Nate!!  The girls LOVE it.  I worried that they would resent all of the attention that he gets but so far they think it is absolutely wonderful.  It is our new normal and they have embraced it.



My sweet Emma loves her baby brother so much and is often so afraid that something bad is going to happen to him.  She is so protective and loving that it both makes be so proud and breaks my heart.  She wishes daily for a cure and was devastated when there wasn't a "cure" at the JDRF Walk for a Cure.  In her mind we were raising money to go 'get' the 'cure' at the walk.  Sweet Angel!  I have seen her mature over the past year in so many ways.  I love to hear her tell people about her brother's diabetes and she will happily explain to anyone she hears ask about his pod.  Emma is the sweetest girl I have ever met -- she has so much love, compassion, empathy, generosity, faith and trust that I hope she never changes --- not even 1 little bit. 
I know she will always look after both Sophie and Nate and she will always be Nate's biggest advocate and supporter.  Emma makes her mommy so proud each and every day. 



I think the above picture is appropriate as we move on to Ms. Sophie . . .

My beautiful, sweet and very precocious Sophia Elizabeth is so much more than just my middle child.  She is smart, funny, beautiful, loving, compassionate, and a little bit naughty.  She is both my sugar and my spice!  She can certainly be a handful but I wouldn't trade her for the world.  She, like Emma is so in love with her little brother that it makes my heart overflow with pure joy.  Where Emma will always be there to educate and help others learn about diabetes I see Sophie being there too but heaven help the person that ever crosses her.  I have this image in my mind where some little stinker says something mean or hurtful to Nate about his diabetes and Sophie punches them right in the nose!!  She does everything 100% --- the girl does not know how to do anything 1/2 way.  Sophie, sweet, sweet Sophie loves to rub Nate's back when he is low, sing "you are my sunshine" when he is not feeling well and is always there with a great big hug for Nate whenever he needs it.  Sophie makes me the happiest mommy in all of the world.