Baby’s Firsts

The first time you ...

held a bottle - 8 months

turned over - 4 months

crawled - 8 months

wore shoes - 10 months

sat unsupported - 7 months

stood up - 9 months

took first step alone - 13 months

tested your own blood sugar - 90 months

When you’re waiting anxiously for your baby to begin crawling or walking or become potty trained, it often seems as if it will just never happen. I've joked about Ben throwing his hairy legs in the air and demanding a diaper change at age 17, lest he be late for graduation. (For the record, we're finally making progress on that front).

I felt the same way about Charlie and testing his own blood sugar. We never pressured him to do it, but it just seemed as if he would never be ready. The slightest mention of a future in which he'd be checking his own blood sugar made him cringe with fear and regress to the vocabulary of a toddler.

"You do," he'd say, putting the meter and test strips in our hands.

And then ... it just happened.

"Dad! I'm 113," he called to me loudly, flashing the slim, green meter across his chest like a hitchhiker's sign.

"Can I have a snack?"

I was on the field playing soccer at the time and had to do a double-take.

"You're what??? How did you??"

I stopped and walked toward Charlie while the soccer game continued around me.

"You tested yourself?"

Charlie nodded coolly like it was nothing. Like it was as routine as sharpening a pencil.

"Uh huh. So can I have a snack?"

"Uh, yeah. Wow, Charlie!"

This is a pretty big moment for Charlie in regards to the management of his diabetes. It's also big for us. We've been testing him about 10 times a day for the last 5 1/2 years. This certainly takes a little bit off our plate.

He’s taking his very first step and we are so proud of him.

This was waiting for us in the kitchen when we woke up this morning.