Having a small child with Celiac

Kate and Trey

Kate will be 3 in April. She does a great job of not whining when she can't have something other people are eating. We say "It will make your tummy hurt" and almost always she will be happy with a substitute (which is key).

Here is my frustration...the other night she woke up over and over. She complained that her tummy hurt. Unless she snuck into something hidden around the house, there is no way it was from eating gluten. She may have had a bug or something, but no one else was/is displaying anything similar. Which makes me wonder if she has figured out it works for a great excuse (like to be able to sleep in my bed). She has said it on occassion during the day lately like when we are cleaning up her toys, or she doesn't want to finish dinner, or just when she wants some more attention. She definitely gets one-on-one time, but maybe she is craving some more? How do I differentiate between a real tummy ache and her just avoiding chores or wanting attention? I don't want her to be treated any different from other kids. Not extra special and not neglected, just normal.

Any parent of young kids out there with a similar problem?