Zach's 6th birthday

For Zach's birthday, I went and picked up some of his friends (two of whom are also cousins) and brought them back to the house to play. Then we went and picked up Happy Meals for everyone, had our lunch, cake and opened presents. It was a simple party, but the birthday boy had a blast and was smiling so big I thought his face would crack! Thank you, everyone, for his gifts and well wishes.

Zach. We continue to pray daily that he would be healed of diabetes, but in the meantime we refuse to feel sorry for ourselves (although we do feel sorry for him, but that is something we don't ever show...we let him know that we are sorry that he has to deal with it and that we are proud of him for being so brave). We are always focused on healthy eating, and we all eat like Zach. Mychael has gotten to where he won't ever eat anything Zach can't have if Zach is around, and sometimes even when Zach isn't around. Zach is so good about letting me know if his pump alarms, or if he thinks he sees an air bubble in the tubing, and he never sneaks food. He is very routine-oriented, bordering on OCD (not really, but we joke about it), which serves him well as far as diabetes. He likes to have all of his testing supplies, etc. set up next to his bed for when we check him at night (we take turns setting our alarms to check him no less than twice a night), and has other routines like always brushing his teeth BEFORE he gets in the tub, or the underwear ALWAYS goes on before the shirt. Another thing we laugh about is what a great butt Zach has, which also serves him well since that is where we put his sites (a needle inserts a very small plastic cannula which stays in place, then the needle quickly withdraws leaving only the cannula, this all happens in a fraction of a second...to the cannula we attach the tubing via which the pump delivers the insulin). He's doing well learning to read, but like his brother, Nathan, he is a math wiz (they also both happen to be lefties). Also, he will play LEGOs for hours, and amazes me with his creations. All 3 boys are signed up for LEGO classes at the science museum, which get into the use of moving parts, batteries, and eventually the use of a computer with LEGO robotics. Zach is also taking karate with his brothers and I, and is like the Looney Tunes Tazmanian devil when he spars! We thoroughly enjoy "the Brick," he is just a very special child, absolutely precious (his brothers call him a suck up, but I certainly eat it up!).