Shivam, you have grown up so fast

Shivam had another back poke and sleepy room visit today for some chemos. Generally, these OR visits are planned for early morning so that his 6 hour no food restriction happens during the nighttime. Unfortunately, this one was for 3 PM. Man, it was hard to keep him away from water and bhujiya. Yes, all he wanted from the morning was bhujiya.

We thought we were smart by not eating our breakfast and lunch in front of him. Well, he was smarter. Around noon, as we were planning to leave, I was gobbling down my lunch downstairs while he was being "entertained" upstairs. Suddenly, he came down and saw me eating. And then he tells Mummy in a whispering, conspiratorial tone: "I am not going to have any food now. I have to go to sleepy room today. Once I come out, I will have bhujiya". Oh, that sweet innocence. And that understanding. And sacrifice. I did not expect this level of maturity from a 3 year old. But then, how much experience do I even have...

Another sign. While we were waiting in the hospital room for the Dr. to come in, Shivam innocently asks: "Why do we not have the automatic (purell) dispensers in each room?". I had no answer and I told him to ask the Dr when she comes in. And he did ask her. She did not have an answer either and she called the attending Dr. Dr. Thompson took his request with full seriousness and discussed few reasons on why that might be the case. They both talked for a minute (like adults) and then in the end Dr. Thomson promised him to raise this issue to hospital. Cool.

One thing that I learnt from this is to let him voice his opinions. Not stub him or tell him this is how it is. Just because something is the way it is, does not mean he cannot change it. This is America.