A New Deal

So, my dear Samuel and I stayed up a bit later than Miss Trinity this evening to have a little one-on-one hangout session. We discussed the day's events and tomorrow's activities over fresh salads - Samuel's with "pink" dressing (aka raspberry vinaigrette) + Mom's with "white" (aka blue cheese), largely because we had both used up the "orange" one (roasted red pepper).

We discussed how Samuel had decided he does NOT like getting his tube "popped on"; and that he is very scared to go down there again to have that done. At this point, he wanted to know again why we have to keep going down there "every day" (toddler reality); so I reiterated that we are going to the Children's place every week for the rest of the year so that he can get his special medicine. When he said again how much he was afraid of getting his tube popped on, I pointed out that of course he had a choice, but the only other alternative was getting poked with a needle every week - and the nurses + I had figured he would much rather NOT do that, so they gave him the port instead.

Needless to say, Samuel agreed that a port was definitely a better choice! We talked about what we would do in the morning to make sure I put enough "lotion" (EMLA cream that numbs the skin over the port area) on his port so that he wouldn't feel any stingy pains, just maybe the pushing/pressure feeling. Of course, Samuel made sure that I understood I shouldn't put TOO much on or else it would get all over the place and leak out from under the "paper" (press + seal wrap we put over the cream so that it doesn't rub off - or get all over his t-shirt).

We also agreed that after he gets his tube popped on, he will put one of the big bandages on Mommy's chest, too; and then he can take it off of me all by himself so he can see that it won't hurt me. (We also practiced putting on + taking off bandages this weekend, and I'm believing we're making progress on that traumatic front).

So, the deal is on. Mommy will be his patient, and we'll both be brave together to prove that we can have a great time on our trips to the Children's place and no longer need to be scared of any part of our standard procedure.

THANK YOU for being in agreement with us in prayer about all this! He was so much more calm + relaxed tonight before bed (which, by the way, he declared himself to be ready for + kindly informed me that we could "talk about this some more in the morning" because he was tired of talking - haaaa!). Man, I love him. Too funny.