We have always been very open with the girls about everything that is going on with Sadie. We make it as simple as can be, not to give too much info to scare them, just the basics. We let them be free to talk about whatever they want, whenever they want, to whomever they want. I don't hide my emotions from them so they know it is ok to show their emotions. At first, I was a little worried about how to answer their questions, but I soon found that they (kids in general) are very simple thinkers. What I thought was going to be a big discussions with difficult answers turned out to be a few sentences, easy answers and that was it. I was pretty relieved and welcomed the simplicity of their minds. It is kinda of refreshing. I do not have to go into much detail and thought with them like I do with adults.
Over the last year I have watched Chloe and Aubrie grow and blossom into amazing, big hearted, sweet little girls. They are always thinking about Sadie and watching out for her every little move. They are her biggest cheerleaders and her biggest protectors. If she does anything, and I mean anything, they cheer for her. "Yay, Sadie smiled" "Yay, Sadie lifted her head" "Yay, Sadie pooped" "Yay, Sadie looked at me" "Yay, Sadie grabbed her toy". You name it, they are cheering for her. I love to see the love they have for her. They would even tell strangers in the store when we first brought her home from the hospital "Don't touch her, only look with your eyes, she's fragile and she does not need your germs." At first I thought we created little monsters, but it was cuter coming from their mouths rather than mine. It gave them a sense of responsibility for their sister and made them feel like they had an important role as an older sister. I would just smile at these strangers that the girls told to stay away. They also would notice when people would stare at her feeding tube coming from her nose. They would say to them "that is how she eats, she is not sick." I am always amazed at how wise beyond their years these 2 little girls are.
I also have noticed how they play with their dolls. They play with their dolls the same way I "play" with Sadie. For example, we used to have to hold a syringe up attached to her NG tube to gravity feed her. One day I noticed Aubrie holding her arm up like the statue of liberty, I asked what she was doing, "feeding my babies". I laughed. But why not? That is how she sees me feeding her sister, that is her normal. I also would see them over by my breast pump holding the tubes up to their chest "why" I ask. "I am pumping milk for my baby". Or how they always are putting their babies on their tummies and patting their bottoms (that is how we had to sooth Sadie down most of the time) or they would pretend to put eye drops in their babies eyes. All normal for them.
This is a doll that Chloe "made" for Sadie. To most of your eyes it looks like green paper taped to a dolls nose. But it is really an "NG tube". She taped it under the nose and by the ear just like I did with Sadie. When she gave it to Sadie she said "now you have a baby the looks just like you". Tears flowed from eyes. Really?! Most adults wouldn't have thought to do something like that.
Aubrie goes with me to every Dr's appt with Sadie. Every ABM appt. Every test Sadie has to have done. She sees everything, asks a million questions, and is just very observant. Aubrie is always playing Dr with her babies and always just being a little mommy to them. Well last night I found her playing with her baby. Not playing Dr, not playing mommy, but playing therapist. She was pretending to be Miss Amy who is the ABM (Anat Baniel Method) practitioner that works with Sadie weekly. It was so sweet.
So why most kids are playing house and doing their dollies hair and feeding them with a bottle, my children are feeding their babies with syringes and doing therapy with them. It's allllll good,cause it is alllllll normal for them. At least they will be well rounded human beings.
More lessons taught by Sadie, but this time to her sisters.
Over the last year I have watched Chloe and Aubrie grow and blossom into amazing, big hearted, sweet little girls. They are always thinking about Sadie and watching out for her every little move. They are her biggest cheerleaders and her biggest protectors. If she does anything, and I mean anything, they cheer for her. "Yay, Sadie smiled" "Yay, Sadie lifted her head" "Yay, Sadie pooped" "Yay, Sadie looked at me" "Yay, Sadie grabbed her toy". You name it, they are cheering for her. I love to see the love they have for her. They would even tell strangers in the store when we first brought her home from the hospital "Don't touch her, only look with your eyes, she's fragile and she does not need your germs." At first I thought we created little monsters, but it was cuter coming from their mouths rather than mine. It gave them a sense of responsibility for their sister and made them feel like they had an important role as an older sister. I would just smile at these strangers that the girls told to stay away. They also would notice when people would stare at her feeding tube coming from her nose. They would say to them "that is how she eats, she is not sick." I am always amazed at how wise beyond their years these 2 little girls are.
I also have noticed how they play with their dolls. They play with their dolls the same way I "play" with Sadie. For example, we used to have to hold a syringe up attached to her NG tube to gravity feed her. One day I noticed Aubrie holding her arm up like the statue of liberty, I asked what she was doing, "feeding my babies". I laughed. But why not? That is how she sees me feeding her sister, that is her normal. I also would see them over by my breast pump holding the tubes up to their chest "why" I ask. "I am pumping milk for my baby". Or how they always are putting their babies on their tummies and patting their bottoms (that is how we had to sooth Sadie down most of the time) or they would pretend to put eye drops in their babies eyes. All normal for them.
This is a doll that Chloe "made" for Sadie. To most of your eyes it looks like green paper taped to a dolls nose. But it is really an "NG tube". She taped it under the nose and by the ear just like I did with Sadie. When she gave it to Sadie she said "now you have a baby the looks just like you". Tears flowed from eyes. Really?! Most adults wouldn't have thought to do something like that.
Aubrie goes with me to every Dr's appt with Sadie. Every ABM appt. Every test Sadie has to have done. She sees everything, asks a million questions, and is just very observant. Aubrie is always playing Dr with her babies and always just being a little mommy to them. Well last night I found her playing with her baby. Not playing Dr, not playing mommy, but playing therapist. She was pretending to be Miss Amy who is the ABM (Anat Baniel Method) practitioner that works with Sadie weekly. It was so sweet.
So why most kids are playing house and doing their dollies hair and feeding them with a bottle, my children are feeding their babies with syringes and doing therapy with them. It's allllll good,cause it is alllllll normal for them. At least they will be well rounded human beings.
More lessons taught by Sadie, but this time to her sisters.
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