Busy Day Today...

Today has been a very busy and LONG day. I started the day by working with a pattern for a belly band for Ellie for school to make activities easier. We also did a button change for her at the school with the school nurse today.. Ellie's "job" was to "teach" the nurse how to change a button. With the use of the book I made for her she helped feel more comfortable with the process and relaxed for her button change.

Normally for a button change Ellie would be so tense and nervous for the change that by this point she would already be starting to freak and cry. However, today she put on her bravest face possible. She talked the nurse through the whole process and only giggled. The steps she normally tenses the most about I was able to distract her and not let her realize what was happening until those steps were done. Pulling the old button out and putting the new button in have been the hardest for her.

However, today she decided that the old button being pulled out tickled in a silly way. Then going in also tickles in a silly way. Funniest was when I had put in the new button and I asked her what step was next, she responded with "duh mom, you put the water in now..." Once I reminded her that we were teaching the nurse she giggled and told me, "oh yeah." After that the nurse asked her "how much water do you put in your button?" At this Ellie held up two fingers and told her "two, you take the water out, you put the water back in, two times the water." We both giggled at her response knowing NOT to reuse the old dirty water and also the button needs 5cc's or 5mL's of water. I love the perspective of a 6 yr old.

The best part was once we had her button changed, the feeding pump primed, and ready to go and her extension set, she was ready to go to class and all full of smiles. She also left the nurses office so excited because she had been so very brave, her bravest ever as she put it, (not mention giggling that she got to go to class with a hunch under her coat, the feeding pump back pack).

Coming home from school she was even more delighted because not only was she brave at school but she also got to have TWO candy canes! She got one for being so good in the nurses office, and a second one for being so brave (for her) and not screaming, crying, kicking, but instead doing a wonderful job and giggling.