The Sweet Spot - Warning: Rated R for Some Nudity

We finally found the best spot for Nate's pod.  We like his arm, we love his thigh but have always struggled with his bum because of his diapers and his tendency to poop in them.

After some trial and error we finally found a spot that doesn't bother him and where the pod stays fresh as a daisy for 3 entire days!!

Here it is . . .

This is day 2 for Pod on Bum!

And the cutest part of it (as if that cute little bum isn't cute enough) Nate started saying "Pod on my bum" "Pod on my bum".  It's so cute.  I'll try to get a video of it because it really is THAT cute.

Beautiful Texas - A Post for Joanne

Joanne, I thought of you today as we were driving south on highway 45. There were beautiful Texas wild flowers everywhere & I thought about this post & thought I would dedicate my post to you.  Love you!!!

I love springtime in Texas!!  I've lived here my entire life - - - that's right, Friends - - - I've never left THE LONE STAR STATE. Anyway, back to my point - - - spring time in Texas is BEAUTIFUL.

We have the most beautiful wild flowers EVER and here are some pictures to prove it:

Oh yea - and some pretty cute kids live here too!!  :)

You may not love the Lone Star State but people in Texas love you (Fred, Fred, Jr and Elise too)!!!

No longer there . . .

Today was Sophie's parent teacher conference at her pre-school. I was not expecting any big surprises, she's a good girl and very, very smart like her momma. :)

Ok, the last part of that sentence was a little joke - she gets her smarts from her daddy. Seriously.

Here is an awesome self-portrait that she did in school -

Anyway, I walked into the school and saw her teacher right away. She was holding her conferences in a different class room. I knew the room right away and instantly got teary eyed. It was Nate's classroom. His picture used to be on the door but it was no longer there. You see, Nate had only gone to class for 2 weeks when he was diagnosed with T1. He was dx on a Thursday after I picked him up from school. He had soaked his clothes while there and it was right then & there that I knew I could not deny his symptoms anymore.

He went back to class once more after he got out of the hospital for school pictures (I stayed with him) - - -

You can't really tell from this picture but he was pretty skinny. He had not gained any weight from his 12-month check-up to his dx date which was 9/17/09. He was days away from 15-months. After his diagnosis he gained 7lbs by his 18-month check-up.



And here he is my little chunky monkey now - - -

I was sad while I was there for a moment but then I thought about all of the fun that Nate and I have had hanging out just the 2 of us every Thursday & it brought a smile to my face. We will give preschool another try next year if it feels right.

I actually like looking at these 2 pictures. Nate has grown into such a big, strong, healthy all boy kind of boy. So far, D has not slowed him down and I expect it to stay that way. I know we will have hurdles along the way but we take them one at a time and worry about them as they come.

It is just strange how sometimes D can just punch you in the gut unexpectedly.  It happened today with a sad memory but I quickly recovered and thought how blessed I am to have my sweet son here with me.   

Treading Water

Today I read the guest post on Six Until Me and thought about how it applied to my life as the mom of a child with diabetes (CWD).  1st - let me say it is a wonderful post and if you haven't read it yet - Stop! Go. Read. It. The guest blogger is Amy Free a lifestyle/editorial photographer and a Type 1 diabetic.

I have read a lot about teens and adults needing to take a break from their diabetes. I have even read that some doctors encourage it for a short time.  Diabetes is a hard disease that requires a lot of work with little reward.  I guess the reward would be good health and a good A1c but most people without diabetes don't have to work as hard for those things.  As a mom of a CWD, a baby really (ok, ok - I know he's almost 2 but he's still my baby) there is no break, no vacation, no day off from diabetes.  It is my job every. single. day. to keep my son alive.  Although I am happy to do my job because let's face it the alternative is something that I cannot even think about it - - - it is still exhausting.

We are only 7 months into our journey with diabetes and it seems like it has been a lifetime. I have met so many great parents along the way that have lifted me up and offered support but I think about these parents that have been doing the D dance for a year, 2 years, 5 years and even 10 years.  How have they survived without a break?  I'm 7 months in and feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and still very sad about Nate's diagnosis.  Don't get me wrong - - - things have gotten SO much easier and SO much better but it is still feels like I am treading water.  I guess that is better than the drowning feeling that I was feeling 7 months ago!!


Here is a portion of the last paragraph from Amy's post -

I have accepted that diabetes is a part of my day... all day, every day. It’s not something that I can just take a break from or ignore without serious long term consequences. Sure there are ups and downs, highs and lows along the way, but I’m learning accepting and learning from those things is a part of the healthy management process. The learning curve is a steep one, but I’m on the climb and I love to connect with others who are in their own various stages of the process.

I love that!   It's great the way that people going through similar experiences think so much the same way.  This IS part of my life.  I cannot take a break or ignore it but I am accepting it and working on becoming okay with it.  I'm not quite there but I am working on it.

  I do it for Nate the Monkey!!

My all BOY little boy!

What I wish I could say . . .

Today was one of those days that just did not turn out the way I had planned.  You know the ones!
It started with Nate's 3:00 AM check - he was at 79 which is not terrible but he had been at 180 (perfect) at 10:00 PM, then 158 at 12:00 so I knew the arrow was pointing DOWN.  I fed him 7g of yogurt and he stayed steady at 178 the rest of the morning but sleep just doesn't come very easy when my mind starts thinking about lows.

I did finally get back to sleep around 5:00 am so when my alarm went off at 6:15 there was no way, no how I could roll myself out of bed.  Jim got up to wake Emma for kinder but then Nate woke up around 6:45 and I like to do his AM check and bolus before breakfast.  So, no shower time for me before Emma and I had to head out the door at 7:30 for school.  When I returned from taking Emma to school it was time to get Ms. Sophie ready for pre-school, check & snack Nate and then head out again by 8:40. 

Nate and I have a date to take a 2 mile walk to the park while Sophie is at school and then head over to pick her up around 10:45a so STILL NO SHOWER.

Once Nate and I picked Sophie up from school it was time for lunch. We head home, I prepare lunch, BG check, bolus, eat and then time for Nate's nap.  At this point I normally shower if I have not already.  Today I just hit a wall.  I was so tired I just had to lay down. I felt like I was going to throw up I was so tired.  I can go for about 5 nights with no sleep and then BLAM I hit that wall and cannot take one more step.  So, I rested and dozed off and it was peaceful.  Well, it was peaceful for about 5 minutes until the lawn service started weed-eating right outside my bedroom window.  That was that and there was just no sleep for me.

I decided to go to the grocery store because well, because I was supposed to do that on Monday and I still hadn't made it there!  At the grocery store I felt like everyone was staring at me.  Were they?  Was this all in my head?  I have no idea but when I got back in the car I just looked at myself and realized - - - my hair is a mess, my clothes are a mess, no make-up, & dark circles. Quite the picture of loveliness if I do say  so myself.

It was then that I thought - - - I wish I could just tell everyone - - - Hey, I'm not supposed to look like this.  This isn't really me.  I'm not really sure who this crazy looking person is but it isn't me!  I want to tell everyone --- Hey, I haven't slept in 7 months - - - really,  I haven't slept!!  My son is sick and I don't sleep.  I haven't always looked like this --- I promise.

But, then I thought oh well!  This is me and I don't sleep, and I do look like a crazy person but I guess there are worse things that I could be!  I am just happy to be me --- crazy hair, dark circles and all.

Friends with Benefits

Joanne, Jessica and I had a play date on Friday.  It was so nice to be around moms that understand all the D stuff.  We talk about other things too but somehow the conversation usually leads back to D somewhere along the way.  They are truly the perfect friends.  We can laugh, chat, eat and hang out and they totally get all of my crazy fears, emotions, successes and frustrations.

I believe it is so beneficial for the kids too.  Sophie loves to play with Elise and Liam & Nate just loves to chase them all around.  Sweet Payton just laughs and giggles!  Where else can they hang out and be just like the other kids in the room?  No one stares at the finger pricks, remote control pumps or shots.  I think it is so great for Emma and Sophie to be around other D kiddos too.  They have become so empathetic and wise beyond their years.

Friends with Benefits!