My heart hurts....

This will be a bit jumbly, but I have so much that I have to get out of my head and my heart that I can barely stand it. Last night we returned home from Children's Hospital here in Dallas with our perfect little G happy as a lark. She didn't know she was sick and couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about....the day before we were given the news that we were hoping to never hear about our sweet girl. Like her daddy and her big sissy, G is diabetic. To type that word after her name pains me, brings tears to my eyes and my heart hurt. We knew that her chances increased having both a sibling and a parent with Type 1, but the odds (on paper anyways) were in her favor to not end up with it. We recognized the symptoms, started random testing of her blood sugar and started the search for a new pediatrician and referrals to an endocrinologist. Her admittance to the hospital went just like Jamie's did - the pediatrician agreed that she needed to be seen at the hospital. We drove there, spent 7 hours in the ER while we waited for a room in the diabetes wing, G was poked, prodded, and hooked up to an iv for fluids. She was given a hospital issued gown - and was the cutest little thing you've ever seen in one, BTW. We had excellent care, from the EMT to the doctors, this hospital is awesome. Since we are seasoned parents in this arena we were put on the fast track with the education and nutritional education. Due to the small amounts of insulin that is required for Gabby and the fact that we are used to giving shots to little ones, we were sprung last night after dinner. Normally the routine is a minimum of 2 nights and 3 full days of education - there were 3 other children admitted on Friday with diabetes so there was a need for focused, detailed education more so for them than us. The nurses loved G and I think were somewhat sad that she was leaving since she was such a good patient. She only cried when they put the iv in - not during the finger pokes or the shots in her little belly or legs - she was pretty much a model patient and we were told that over and over again how different from most littles her age (22 months)she is. Of course they truly got to see her silliness when sissy showed up with Auntie E to visit (and E could get some training on how to do shots, etc). My girls were so happy to see each other, they laughed and hugged and immediately went about playing. Ms.J showed her big sister side and was very protective of G, grilling the poor nurses over every little thing they did with G - it was very sweet to watch.
The bottom line is that we have the same attitude with G's diagnosis as we did with Ms.J's - you deal with it and incorporate it into their lives simply as a part of who they are and never treat them differently. Diabetic kids can do everything other kids do, they just need to monitor their sugars. We have a great support system here in Dallas, just like we did in Sacramento and I am SO grateful for our family. If this is what God has given us to handle in our lives then I will take it happily. There are parents that were in that hosptial with their children and they don't get to be home for Christmas, some haven't seen the outside for months on end -there is always someone with more to handle than we do, I need to remind myself from time to time of that.
My girls are happy, healthy and the best things Wayne and I have ever done and they are the light of our lives. They are good girls and we are blessed with every smile, dimple, hug and kiss from them.
Oh yeah - and can I just say that I can't wait for this miserable year to be OVER??
2009 has to be a better year - greedily I say that it's our turn for some good luck.