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The next few days were quite a blur of activity.. we met with Jane from Alberta Health Services who explained diabetes to us as well as the kind of care Hudson would need from now on.  She answered our questions and made us feel like we were not alone... we had support.   She went through what Diabetes was... how it wasn't our fault that he has it.. it wasn't because he didn't get the flu shot this year.. it wasn't because he was snacking more than usual.it wasn't because I couldn't hold in my pre natal vitamins when I was pregnant with him. he just had it.. plain and simple..  She went through the explanation of insulin, how it works, how to give it to him.  She showed us the pens that we had to use 4 times a day to inject his insulin into his thin little arms, legs or stomach.  I got a little bit light headed thinking that I would have to be the one to give my son needles every single day 3 times a day for the rest of his life!!!  I couldn't wrap my mind around the thought!  It seemed so unreal to me.  She than went through the glucose monitor and showed us how to prick his finger, how to suck up his blood with the strips, what numbers were normal for him, what numbers were dangerous..  It was alot to take in in just a few short hours.  We were to expect daily calls from her for a while once we got home so she could check Hudson's levels and adjust his insulin intake accordingly which was perfectly fine with me since I am not the best person to ask for any kind of math related advice :)  We had a ton of visitors who made us feel so loved and so supportive!  I can't say it enough how many incredible friends we have!  Hudson woke up from his nap this afternoon with a terrible cough.  It sounded so croup like that all the visitors and friends of Hudson's who had gathered in the playroom waiting for him to wake up had to be sent home.  Just in case it was the croup, they didn't want any of the kids to catch it.  I felt so bad for everyone who drove all the way to the hospital, just to be sent away.  We were given some care packages from Rene's Oma, with tons of fruit in it that came in handy alot since alot of the meals brought to us looked kinda iffy :) And that way Hudson still got in all his carbs he needed
The day brought with it more and more tests... more pokes.. more blood.  The nurses fell in love with Hudson... and took such amazing care of him... from bringing him stickers each time he got any kind of poke or needle, to a puzzle where he would earn a new piece each poke.. so many great ideas to keep him distracted. Each night, if his sheet was full of stickers, he was allowed to pick a prize out of the prize box.  The whole time.. throughout the trauma of the afternoon, Hudson still sang his song "My God is so BIG!.... "

I am so grateful for that ward with its incredible nurses as well as student nurses.  They made us feel like no answer was too stupid.. no tear was worthless or silly, and when I needed to leave the room when the lab took more blood, they walked right with me down the halls as I cried.  An incredible, supportive group!
Hudson ate like a caveman that first full day as well.. devouring anything that the kitchen brought him.. he was so incredibly hungry that it just made us laugh at how much he was packing in his tiny frame.
That night, was one that any Mother dreads.  Hudson began to have nightmares..  He would cry and scream and wakeup in cold sweats yelling" NO MORE POKES!!" "please don't poke me" it was heart wrenching to say the least.. but the nurses still had to wake him up to test him every few hours.  I made sure I was right by his bed the whole time as they woke him up, as he thrashed around in the bed, fighting them as hard as he could, and than settling his shaking little body back down for another few hours of sleep.
The next morning was a happier one.  It was Friday.  Hudson's heart monitoring stickers came off his chest as well as his toe monitoring one so that meant that he was little bit more mobile... and was hooked up to just his IV and not 2 other machines.  We ventured out our door to the play room that Hudson was dying to play in for the last day and a half because it had a play kitchen!  We played in there for most of the morning.. and trying to remind Hudson that wherever he went that his IV had to follow him or it would really hurt if he took off but the machine didn't follow.  Hudson's favorite student nurses also came in and out, checking the beeping on his IV machine as well as helping him set up ramps for the cars as well as tracks to play with.  

While we met with a dietician who came to visit us, Hudson and one of the RN's went for a wagon ride downstairs in the lobby. Hudson's IV was free to be un hooked, with just the main line still in just in case.   We found out later that he gave her quite the workout.. making her run and chase him on the circles :)
The dietician calmed alot of my fears of not knowing what to feed Hudson.  Explaining that we just have to do portion control, and watch how much carbs he ate and try to reach his carb goals at each meal.  She explained that some of the foods such as meats, veggies, eggs, and cheese were all free.. meaning they had no carbs in them.. so when we ate our staple of pasta and sauce for supper we would just have to measure out the amount of noodles Hudson got and make sure he ate them :)  Such a relief!!
This was the last time Hudson's baby sister, Tenley would be allowed to visit Peds since there was a growing number of babies being admitted who had RSV.  We were advised not to let her come back up in case she caught it, since she was so young.  It broke me again not being able to see and hold my baby girl, but I knew she was in great hands with my mom back home.
After naptime, Hudson's Grampa, Great Gramma and Great Grampa came up for a "Birthday" visit!  Hudson had a blast putting together the huge Thomas puzzle he got.  After more tests,and having his IV re hooked up, we all met down in the cafeteria and had a pizza party! I was so excited to learn that yes, my little boy can still enjoy pizza!! 

 After everyone had left, my mom brought Tenley in for a visit.  We sat downstairs in the atrium of the hospital where Tenley was free to visit!  I fed and held my baby girl, who is such a mommy's girl that she needed some Mommy time, and Hudson LOVES his Gramma so he took her up to his room.  It was a nice quiet hour spent with me and my sweet girl.. Tons of cuddles, of whispers, or tears and sweet baby smiles!  I needed that probably just as much as she needed to see me. 
Once everyone had come back down to the atrium, after Hudson was done showing off his poke stickers, Hudson began once again, running around on the circles, as much as he can with an IV hooked up to him.  There was a man, sitting, playing the piano, so we made a special request for him to play "Happy Birthday" for Hudson since the next day would be my little boy's 3rd Birthday.  Hudson LOVED it! Enjoying every second of the attention given him.  Once Rene took Hudson back up stairs to get ready for bed ( little did Hudson know, that he was still allowed to have his favorite snack of Kernels popcorn, which the gift shoppe sold right in the hospital, and that was his special treat before bed) I sat once again in the atrium with my little girl.. feeling all the emotion of the day.  A little family walked by with a box of timbits.. and that set me off.. I just sat and cried.. remembering how much my little Hudson LOVED timbits and would be so excited if a box of them were brought to him.. and now, he can still have them.. but just one. Not a box of 5.  Just one.  I tried to act as normal as anyone can while they cried.. but it just got me.  Right in the heart .

As they left, I glanced outside... thats the night the Snowflakes Fell!!!