What Julia wants for Christmas....

Joey, Connor, Julia, and Shane with St, Nick
Connor, Joey, Shane Sr. and Julia decorating gingerbread
Houses at the Christmas party
Julia, licking the frosting off of her thumb after putting the final touches on her house
We went to the mall to see Santa yesterday. Julia, when it came her turn bounced up onto Santa's lap, and pulled out her letter that she had written all on her own. When he asked what she wanted for Christmas she opened it up, and started to read it to him. "Dear Santa Clause, Thank you for the horsies you sent me last year. I have been very good this year. I know you are magic, and I would like a cure this year for Christmas." Santa, looking a bit alarmed asked "a cure for what?" "Diabetes" Julia says, looking at Santa like he should know this. This mall Santa, who had just been asked for a Red Ryder Bee Bee gun for Christmas by Julia's 12 yr old brother Shane, and who I might say pulled it off without skipping a beat, saying you'll shoot your eye out, paused for a moment, I am sure thinking what to say. He then looked at Julia, and told her very sweetly, and sadly that he hadn't figured out how to use his magic to cure Diabetes yet. Only for a moment did the twinkle leave Julia's eyes, she then replied, then can I have a doodle bear, or a care bear? (I think at that moment Santa would have even agreed to a real live pony.) There was some discussion to colors of care bears, and Julia hopped off of Santa's lap with the coloring book Santa gave her, we headed for the clowns who make balloons for tips, and pass out cards in hopes of lining up business for the next year, Julia asked for a monkey on a hat, and then we went to Mrs fields to get some of their mini cookies. Julia didn't say anything after that about a cure, and she didn't seem disappointed. She was her normal, happy, bouncy self. I really expected her to be down after that, but she wasn't. She is so strong. She is my hero.

She is also the hero of a little girl..... We went and had Julia's ears pierced on Saturday. Julia was both excited, and nervous. She asked if it was going to hurt, and I told her it probably would, but would be like putting an infusion set in. There was a little girl a few years older with pierced ears who was watching. When they pulled the triggers, and the ear rings went into Julia's ears she didn't so much as flinch. Julia's dad Shane was standing next to the little girl, and overheard the little girl comment on Julia's bravery. The little girl then walked up to Julia, and told her that she had cried when she had her ears done, and that Julia was her hero for not even crying a little. A man who was paying for some jewelery told Julia she had nerves of steal. Julia was so proud. She then told me that having her ears pierced does not hurt as much as changing an infusion site. Julia ran a little high for the next 24 hrs. I was thinking it was from piercing the ears, but low and behold, last night the inside of Julia's right ear started to hurt. I gave her some Tylenol, she had a slight fever, 100.5, and she was able to sleep. I did a 11 b/g check, and she was normal. I decided at 1 to check again b/c I could hear Julia moving around. She was 454!!! She had small ketones. I corrected, wondering if it was the pump, or illness. She was still a little high 2 hrs later, 253, so I increased her basal by 30% for the 4 hrs until breakfast. She was then 136 at breakfast. Her ear no longer hurts, so hopefully that was a minor virus that was easily taken care of.

We went to the Christmas party for our local Diabetes Youth League. It was alot of fun. The kids got to make ginger bread houses, sock snowmen, and ornaments out of a dough made with apple sauce, Cinnamon, and Elmer's glue. They pressed all spice into the ornaments to decorate them, and they smelled really good. We had a yummy dinner, and desert, and then Santa showed up to pass out presents. We went home after that. Julia was getting tired and moody. It was really close to bedtime.