T1D 365:6

Dinner.... When you are 4 years old and your BG has been over 400 for the last 4 hours.

Finding New Real Estate...

Some of you will have already read my previous post, Sensor Error... BAD Sensor!  If you have, you know that we had a very frustrating sensor night earlier in the week.  Part of the problem, I THINK, is that every time we have changed out the sensor for our CGMS Sugar Boy has bled... it has steadily gotten worse and worse.  After talking about it and thinking it through, Sugar Daddy and I think it may be the reason the last sensor failed the way it did.  When we pulled it, it had quite a bit of blood on and around the sensor. 

We have always used Sugar Boys bum for his sensor site.  He is very thin, and its one of the few places on his body where there is enough fat to provide the proper amount of sub-cutaneous fluid needed to take the glucose measurement.  I had made the suggestion to him once or twice before that maybe we put it on his arm.  I even reminded him that his friend, The Superhero has his CGMS on his arm, and that it works great there.  He wouldn't budge.... the prospect of us exploring new real estate was just not appealing to him.

So, Wednesday night, knowing I really really wanted to have Linkie back and attached to Sugar Boy so that I could keep a better tab on his numbers during Thanksgiving, I sat down to do our normal sensor change on his bum.  The second the sensor went in it started bleeding.... badly.  I pulled it back out.  What to do now?  I knew that his bum was going to need a much longer break than just two days.

I suggested we try the arm again.... I was met with a very strong and firm, "NO!"  The kind that comes with a scrunched up face and a pouty lip.  (Seriously, my son has MASTERED the pouty lip... really quite cute when its not totally frustrating.)  ANYWAY... this is when I decided that it was once again time to pull out the big guns..... I bribed him with a new train.

That night and for Thanksgiving we got the BEST, most accurate sensor readings we have EVER gotten from Linkie.... AND the ISIG (the measurement of the amount of sub-cutaneous fluid) is the highest its every been.  It was TOTALLY worth the bribe!  =)

I’m Thankful for….

My husband… he is my rock.  He is my partner.  He is the love of my life.  I honestly don’t know where I would be in this world if he had not come into my life and changed it forever.  SO Thankful!

My kids… who knew that such joy would come from two little people.  They radiate that joy, and I cannot imagine my life without the two of them in it.

Our church…. We are fortunate to belong to a wonderfully spirit-filled worship community that has truly opened its arms and enveloped our family in warmth and love.  I am so thankful for all of the rich experiences we have there.

Insulin… without it, my son would die.  Insulin is what keeps him alive and with us.  I worship the stuff, plain and simple.

My job… as much as I complain about being a working mom, I have to add this one in.  Because the fact of the matter is… without it, we wouldn’t have everything we need.  And especially in this economy, I am so very thankful to be one of the ones that IS working!

My fellow D Mama’s…. I get so much of my strength from them.  We lean on each other… we bounce ideas off of each other… we support and love each other.  It is truly a gift from God that I have these wonderful women in my life!

A Thanksgiving Treat

Have you ever been in a pre-school classroom?  I know most of you have.  I know that a couple of you have worked or do currently work in one!  It has to be the most sensory stimulating place in the entire world.  Sugar Daddy, who is pretty in tune to stuff like that anyway, gets positively jittery when we go to visit the Sugar Kids’ classroom.  =)

Yesterday we were invited to arrive a half an hour before the end of class for a “Thanksgiving Treat”.  We had no idea what to expect.  We knew the kids were going to be cooking… but that was it…. and the kids weren’t telling!!!

So we arrived, much to our surprise as soon as we walked through the door we could smell pumpkin!  It was heavenly… My first thought… “Oh dear God, she has them BAKING?!?!” 

Have I ever mentioned that Mrs. A (their teacher) is AMAZING?  She is.  Not only is she a wonderful D Mama fill-in for when Sugar Boy is at school, she manages to have 20 four year olds at her beck and call every day!  I seriously don’t know how she does it.  They listen to her in ways that I KNOW they don’t listen at home!  And because of that she does things with them that simply amaze all of us parents.  Really – the woman is a saint. 

Anyway – I digress.  Back to the Thanksgiving Treat!

So, once we were invited into the classroom… I saw the Sugar Kids sitting together at a table.  I made my way over to them.  They were wearing little headbands that they had made with a single feather sprouting from their foreheads…. SO cute!

And that’s when they started to tell me about their day…. They had made Pumpkin Bread!!!!  They each measured and added the water, oil and eggs… stirred the mix and poured it into little foil bread pans.  They even got to put it into the oven!!!  Clever Mrs. A had labeled each bread pan with the child’s name who made that bread so that the correct bread would get back to the correct child.  The kids cut the bread and served it to us.  It was SO good!  =)

Mrs. A, came up during our treat (just as I was SWAGing the carbs for the bread in my head) and handed us the box that the mix came out of.  She let us know that each box of mix had made 4 loaves of bread.  The woman is COOL, I tell ya!!!  No guessing needed… we gave Sugar Boy exactly what he needed in insulin…. Seeing as how he ate almost ¾ of his loaf all by himself!  =)

After we were done eating, the kids took us around to show off their classroom some more.  I really loved visiting the place where my kids are learning SO much.  It was a GREAT way to spend a half an hour of my afternoon!  =)

Sensor Error….. BAD Sensor!

Ugh…. I HATE SENSOR ERRORS!!! 

Last night we did our CGMS change-out where we remove the old sensor and insert a new one into Sugar Boy’s bum.  We do this every three days.  I LOVE our CGMS… I mean really…. It gives us the peace of mind that can only come from being able to check Sugar Boys’ number anytime of the day or night by simply glancing at the pump.  (We have the Medtronic CGMS that is integrated with our insulin pump).  When it works right (which truthfully is like 99% of the time!) it is MARVELOUS! 

BUT

When it doesn’t… It makes me want to scream and pull my hair out.  Last night was one of those nights.  After inserting the new sensor you have to wait for two hours to do the first calibration.  We usually do our sensor change right before Sugar Boy goes to bed, we check his sugar via finger prick to make sure he is stable and then tuck him in.  Two hours later when Linkie (that is what we named our CGMS) starts beeping that it needs calibration, we head in there and prick his finger again, and based on that reading we calibrate, and we are good to go… until his next calibration which we do doing his night check, usually around 2am or so.  Easy Peasy… except last night was one of the exceptions.  I had a feeling when I inserted the sensor that something wasn’t right.  And sure enough after we did the 2 hr calibration Linkie started beeping about 2 minutes later saying “Sensor Error”.  I re-calibrated.  “Sensor Error.”  UGH!!!!

An hour later… “Bad Sensor”

Well, Hell!

He has been having some soreness on his bum where we put the adhesive that holds his sensor down, so maybe this is a sign that we just need to leave it off for a couple of days.  That means A LOT more finger pricks today and tomorrow… and it means that he is at school without it.  But, I think that’s what we will do.  We’ll put it back on tomorrow night…. Because I REFUSE to be without it for Thanksgiving!  Who knows what all that kid will end up eating!!  =)

Hang On Tight.... Its gonna be a week!!

You know it’s going to be quite a week when you look at your husband in the morning and just say, “Ok – we are going to get through this… we just have to remember to be patient with each other… and we just have to remember that its only one week!!!”

Really…. Just how much stuff can you cram into one week???

Monday – Bed delivered, Mom and her hubby came to visit for the week.

Tuesday – Moms appointment with surgeon to determine if she needs back surgery, Thanksgiving Treat at the kids preschool, Taking Mom and her hubby out to dinner sans Sugar Daddy because he has Tuesday night choir rehearsal.

Wednesday – My mom and my mother in law are together… all day…. at my house…. while I’m at work.  *sigh*

Thursday – Thanksgiving… mass in the morning, dinner at my sister in laws in the afternoon.

Friday – Hanging lights and decorating the house in the morning, Sugar Daddy gone in the afternoon to play a funeral, and farewell dinner for my mom and her hubby Friday night.

Too Much Stuff!

Today was frustrating.

We were bed shopping.  For our spare room.  When I woke up this morning we didn’t have a spare bedroom.  We had a play room.  Now we have a spare bedroom. 

Why is it that you move ONE thing in your house and this domino effect takes place?  That’s how it was tonight.  We had to move the sleeper sofa out of the playroom, so it had to go into our den.  Well, that meant that the exercise equipment (that I have not used in a year) had to go to the garage.  Too bad the treadmill wouldn’t fit through the door… it stayed in the den.  It actually looks pretty good the way we finally got it together… and who knows maybe I’ll use the damn treadmill again someday????

Anyway… then there is the play kitchen that was in the playroom… which had to be moved to Sweet Girls room, which meant moving her dresser so the darn thing would fit.  What were we thinking when we bought that HUGE play kitchen????

I have come to the conclusion we that we have a 2050 sq ft house, but we have 3500 sq ft of STUFF!!!

Date Night!!!!

We are going to mass…. Then out to dinner…. Then to see Harry Potter!

I love date nights…. I love my mother in law who keeps the kids for us so we can have date nights!

Anyway, seeing as how it IS indeed date night…. This is all the post you are getting for today!!!

=)

Family Photo Shoot

It’s that time of year again!


Every year in November we make our way over to Portrait Innovations and make it through the family photo shoot. =)
This year had its challenges… I made the appointment just this morning! I had called to ask if I could make an appointment for a week or so later and was told that they were pretty much booked through Christmas. Then the guy said, but I can take you tonight at 7pm. Oh Boy.


So I rousted the family and made arrangements for Grandma D to feed the kids an early dinner. Rushed home from work and found matching outfits for all of us. Took a quick shower…. did my hair and make-up…. and then Sugar Daddy and I ran to pick the kids up at Grandma D’s, got them dressed and ready…. and flew to the portrait studio. Before we left Grandma D’s we gave Sweet Girl some Benadryl for her drippy nose. We got to the portrait studio… where, of course, they were running behind… and we waited. And waited some more. Did I mention that Sweet Girl had Benadryl for her drippy nose???? Ummmm yeah – she was ready to fall asleep by the time the picture taking started. LOL Luckily our photographer really knew what she was doing and woke her back up!

One of the things I LOVE about Portrait Innovations, though, is you get your pictures right away!


Here’s how they turned out!

Cuddly Bear Goes To The Doctor!

There is a little stuffed bear that floats around the Sugar Kids' preschool classroom.... its name is Cuddly Bear.  Basically the way it works is every day someone different takes Cuddly Bear home with them.  At first this made me nervous - sounded like a great way to spread germs from one kid to the next, if you ask me.... but when I witnessed for the first time the absolute delight on each of my kids faces when it was their turn to bring Cuddly Bear home, I decided not to be such a ninny.  =)

Cuddly Bear has been to our house a few times now.... after all there are two kids that Cuddly Bear comes home with to our house so we have Cuddly Bear twice as much as any of the other families!

Tuesday Cuddly Bear came home with Sweet Girl.  Now, this was a very special treat this time because there is no school on Wednesday!  So she got Cuddly Bear a whole day to herself.  Imagine my surprise when Cuddly Bear never even made it out of the bag!  I think that the delight of taking Cuddly Bear home just might be wearing off.  Well, here's the thing.... Cuddly Bear also travels with a journal and a bag of clothes to be changed in to each day.  Mom and/or Dad have the responsibility of writing in Cuddly Bear's journal and recounting what Cuddly Bear did while at home with your child.   I was joking with Sugar Daddy that I was going to write about how Cuddly Bear stared at the inside of his bag for the entire time. 

But alas, Cuddly Bear DID get to do something.... this morning, before school, Cuddly Bear got to go to the Doctor!!!

The Sugar Kids had their 4 yr check up today.  They did GREAT!!  Especially considering that Sugar Boy got 4 shots and Sweet Girl got 5!  She had not had her flu shot yet.... Sugar Boy had gotten his on an earlier visit.  Neither of them cried!  So proud of my big kids.  Of course the bribe that we would go and get a toy at the toy store if they didn't cry played a pretty big role, but hey - I have said it before and I'll say it again - I am NOT above bribery!!

Here are some pictures of Sweet Girl with Cuddly Bear at the Doctors!  =)

Re-Post: A Little Thing

For today's post, I decided to look back to earlier this year... I went over to my "old" blog and found a post that made me smile... since a lot of you weren't reading my other blog back in March, I decided to re post it today for you.... maybe it will make you smile too.  =)

Monday, March 1'st 2010

Yesterday was WONDERFUL!! My friend J and I spent three - count them - THREE hours at the spa! Pure heaven, I tell ya! Sugar Daddy stayed home and played dress-up with the kids, kept them entertained with a movie and I was awarded some blissful mommy-time! =)

I decided to get my nails done. A little thing, right? Yeah - a little thing that had me feeling like a million bucks as I left the spa. I have not had acrylic nails since before the twins were born. I sat in the car on the way home admiring how pretty they made my hands look. It was wonderful.

When I got home Sugar Daddy got ready to go play the Sunday evening mass (he is a music director at a church) and he reminded me on the way out the door that Sugar Boy had a site & set change for his pump due that night. "No worries" I said, "I've got it!" Usually he and I tag-team Sugar Boy's site & set changes... he pulls the new reservoir and I change out his site. In fact, since Sugar Boy got the pump almost a year ago, I am the only one who has done his site... Sugar Daddy knows how but is not at all comfortable with it, so I just do it. Sugar Boy and I have this little routine that we go through every two days (his site & set changes are a little more frequent because he swells easily around the site and day 3 numbers are always high if we leave it in for three days) and we have that routine down pat!

I was still admiring my pretty nails when we were having this conversation. My very pretty VERY LONG nails. Oh crap! *Smack on the forehead* What was I thinking? I have trouble buttoning my pants when I have nails - how the heck was I going to do a site & set?? Oh shoot! I voiced this to Sugar Daddy, who said "Uh- well - I don't know if I can do much better?"

OK - deep breath. I can do this. I was suddenly as nervous about doing a site & set as I was the very first time. As soon as Sugar Boy finished dinner I got all my stuff together to do the S&S change before I bolused him for the whopping 57 carbs he had just eaten (it was pizza night).
Pulling the res was no problem, nothing got in the way... but actually "changing his sticker" (that's what he and I call it) was a little bit interesting. Thank goodness for my very calm, very laid back 3 yr old. He just let me tough through it, without stressing me out more than I already was.

Once it was done, I couldn't help but realize how this was just yet another "little thing" that thanks to D was made into a very BIG deal!

Writers Block

NaBloPoMo Day 16

Well, you know it was bound to happen!  Those of us that have been participating in NaBloPoMo are half way done.... so that's 15 solid days of blogs under our belt.... and I'm starting to run out.

Actually, that's not true.  I have some GREAT ideas for posts that I want to write.... I just can't get them out of my head and on to the screen.  Maybe I'll go to sleep tonight and pray to the blog gods to help me with that little bit of misfortune.  Surely there must be blog gods, right??

In the meantime, I will leave you with my favorite picture of the Sugar Kids on WDD.  =)

T1D 365:5 The Insulin Pump

Oh how we struggled to make the decision to get an insulin pump to manage Sugar Boy’s Diabetes.  As a mother it was the thought of having something physically attached to my son that I couldn’t handle.  I remember one night about a week before we got our pump.  We had gone through the approval process with our insurance, we had already ordered it, and I knew it was on its way.   It was nearing bed time and I was getting jammies on the twins (they were almost 3 yrs old at the time), and Sugar Boy got away from me as soon as he was completely naked and started running around and doing the "nudie dance".  While laughing at his antics I remember looking at his perfect little body and thinking, "Never again will he look like that... after we get the pump it will be attached to him and that will be it."  I was overcome with sadness at the thought, despite the fact that I continued to laugh and clap to his dance.   Beyond that, I was concerned about people staring at him and noticing the lump under his clothing where his pump pack would be attached around his waist.  I absolutely HATED the thought of having that thing attached to him.    

We had chosen the Medtronic insulin pump, not because we felt it was the best one, but because it’s the one our Endo said we should go with.  Honestly we were surprised when we learned there were other options out there.  At that time we were not yet connected with the DOC and Sugar Boy was the only child we knew with Type1 Diabetes, so we just sort of blindly trusted our Endo to lead us in the right direction.  We were lucky.  He did indeed choose the best pump for us.  Later when we did the research we probably should have done PRIOR to purchasing the pump we were able to confidently determine that if we had chosen for ourselves, we would have chosen to go with Medtronic.   

 The first pump training meeting we had with our CDE consisted of learning how to work the pump, insert the infusion set, and figuring out the best way to contain the tubing that travels between the pump and the site on his tummy where the infusion set attached.  I was adamant that I didnt want the tubing visible... and I was also concerned that he would catch it on things (like his sister!!!) while he was playing.  We ended up coiling it up and tucking it into the pump pack along with his pump.   I remember walking out of the hospital and thinking it didn’t look as HUGE on him as I expected it to.  But it was noticeable.  He was quite proud of it.  He had already forgotten about the ordeal we had just gone through to insert the infusion set that first time.  My hands were still shaking…. But he was completely over it.  The first place we went after that was to watch Sugar Boy’s cousin at one of his swim lessons.  His uncle and other cousin were there.  Sugar boy showed them his pump.  That’s when I knew that it didn’t matter what it looked like – it was going to be okay.

For that first week the pump had saline in the reservoir instead of insulin.  So, we continued to manage Sugar Boys Diabetes with MDI’s and we practiced using the pump by delivering saline into his body.  It was STRESSFULL!  That entire week all I could think about was getting through that week because we were now doing twice the work!  And when you are a working parent, with three yr old twins… that’s HUGE!  The worst part of it was it was like re-learning Diabetes all over again.  Suddenly basals and bolus ratios and insulin sensitivity levels took on a whole new dimension.  I remember not trusting the pump to decide corrections (Hell, who am I kidding?  I still don’t always trust it… but darn if the damn thing is not usually right on the money!).  We had gotten so used to doing the math ourselves (and looking back I can now admit that we were often over-zealous in some of the corrections we were giving on MDI, causing wicked lows) that it was a hard move giving over that control to a piece of equipment that felt foreign and cold.  We made it through our first home site change and Sugar Boy didn’t shed a single tear.  When we were done he said, “That not hurt Mommy!!”  with a HUGE smile on his face.  My big brave boy.

We went back for our second bit of training and we filled the reservoir with insulin.  We have never looked back.  Right away the freedom we experienced in being able to let him eat freely without worry of how many shots he would need to receive was amazing.  We found that quickly blousing from the pump at a restaurant beat having to do the math, fill a syringe and give a shot any day.  It was only after doing this a couple of times that I realized that my worst fear – the one where people would stare because he was wearing a pump – was so silly because we now actually attracted a lot LESS attention being able to quickly dose him from the pump.  We have now been on the pump for almost a year and a half.  And it was honestly the BEST decision we have ever made regarding Sugar Boys Diabetes and how we manage his care. 

Tara wins the Great PJ World Diabetes Day Giveaway!

Drum roll, please...

The winner of The Sugar Kids Great PJ World Diabetes Day Giveaway is:

TARA!

Please email me at sweetmomma@sugarkidsblog.com within 48 hours, so that I can get your coupon code and you can get snuggled in to a new pair of PJ's ASAP! A new winner will be selected if the prize has not been claimed within the 48 hour window.

Thank you Komar and PJs for the Cure for sponsoring this Super Sugar Bolus!

If you didn't win, please consider purchasing a pair of PJs for the Cure!
100% of all sales go directly to JDRF!

The following blogs have been rolling out winners from the Great World Diabetes Day PJ Giveaway hourly throughout the day. Be sure to check and see if you are a winner!! 

Beta Buddies (9am EST)

Candy Hearts (10am EST)

D-Tales Blog (11am EST)

Houston Family We Have a Problem (12pm EST)

I am Your Pancreas (1pm EST)

Life is Like a Box of Chocolates (2pm EST)

My Diabetic Child (3pm EST)

My Sugar Bugs (4pm EST)

Our Diabetic Life (5pm EST)

The Princess and The Pump (6pm EST)

The Superhero and The Princess (8pm EST)

The We CARA Lot Blog (9pm EST)

Fellow D- bloggers don't forget to submit your blog for the Blogger Basal by next Friday, November 19th to Misty at Life Is A Box Of Chocolates! You can submit your blog by emailing Misty at BoxOfChocolatesBlog@hotmail.com. This is a great way to get to know other bloggers in the DOC. I know that personally, I have connected with many other D' Rents and PWDs via the Blogger Basal.

AND...

HAPPY WORLD DIABETES DAY!!!

T1D 365:4 Strange Fridge Fellows....

The Sugar Kids' Great PJ World Diabetes Day Giveaway!

Welcome to
The Sugar Kids'

Great PJ World Diabetes Day Giveaway!

This contest comes to you courtesy of PJs for a Cure.

Komar donates 100% of the money from the sales of these special PJs to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

Yep, you read that right! 100%  Isn't that great?!

The wife of Komar CEO Charles Komar was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and thus, Mr. Komar founded PJs for the Cure in an effort  to raise $1 million for JDRF.

Wouldn't you like to snuggle up in your very own set of PJs for the Cure?

Well, Komar contacted several of us bloggin' D mamas with an opportunity to give away free PJs, and we united for a mega giveaway to celebrate World Diabetes Day! It's a Super Sugar Bolus!

(Just so you know...My fellow D mama bloggers and I are neither getting paid by Komar nor are we receiving free PJs for hosting our giveaway contests. This is simply a fantastic opportunity to spread the word about the great work that Komar is doing to support the research for a cure!)

You can view the entire collection of PJs for the Cure at www.pjsforthecure.org.

Here's how to enter the contest:

Leave a comment on this blog post before Saturday, November 13th at noon EST. Please include your name.

Only one entry is allowed per person.

The winner will be chosen randomly at www.random.org and announced on Sunday, November 14th.

Don't forget that I'm not the only D mama celebrating and holding a contest! Komar generously donated 13 pairs of PJs for this World Diabetes Day Super Sugar Bolus!

So, visit my fellow D mama bloggers listed below and increase your chances of winning! You can enter to win on all 13 blogs!

(But you can only win one pair of PJs. Once you win on one blog, you are disqualified from winning on another blog. We gotta be fair and spread the PJ love!)

Beta Buddies

Candy Hearts

D-Tales Blog

Houston Family We Have a Problem

I am Your Pancreas

Life is Like a Box of Chocolates

My Diabetic Child

My Sugar Bugs

Our Diabetic Life

The Princess and The Pump

The Superhero and The Princess

The We CARA Lot Blog

Remember, you only have until tomorrow, Saturday, November 13th at noon to enter The Great PJ World Diabetes Day Giveaway on all of these blogs. So, start clicking and commenting!

We D mama bloggers will announce one winner per hour, starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 9 p.m., on World Diabetes Day, Sunday, November 14th.

Good luck!

And, if you don't win, won't you please consider purchasing a pair of PJs for the Cure? It's for a good cause!

We Celebrated!

Last night, to mark two years with Diabetes, we had a celebratory dinner.  =)

On the menu:
Naan Bread and Hummus
Pomegranate Salad with Blueberry / Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Middle Eastern Chicken Pot
with Butter Almond Cous Cous
and Tapioca Pudding with Baked Apples and Caramel Sauce for dessert.

OK - not the most kid-friendly meal (although, the Sugar Kids LOVED it!!) but I had a bit of a stressful day at work, and when that happens, cooking is my therapy.  Needless to say by the time dinner was done, I was VERY relaxed.... of course that also could have been the wine.... hmmmmmm....

Before and after dinner the kids played Candy Land with Grandma and Grandpa.  Laughter and high energy  filled the house.  When it came time to put on PJ's the kids were so wound up and had the giggles so much we couldn't even catch them to get them undressed and dressed again.  As you may have guessed, as a result of all of our revelry, Sugar Boy got two glucose tabs before bed.  =)

It was a GREAT night! 

Two Years

On November 10, 2008 a life was saved.  Sugar Boy was one of the 40 children in the United States who was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes on that day. 

What does two years with Type 1 Diabetes look like?

It looks like this:

Approximately 5,840 drops of blood taken from Sugar boy’s fingers

Approximately 1,080 insulin injections (in just the first 6 months after diagnosis)

Approximately 370 boxes of Juicy Juice (to bring up a low)

Approximately 250 infusion set insertions (once we had the insulin pump)

Approximately 120 sensor insertions (once we had the continuous glucose monitoring system)

But even more importantly….

It looks like THIS:

Happy D Anniversary to my handsome boy! 

Today, we CELEBRATE your LIFE!   

D Blog Day - A letter to Diabetes

Today is the 6th Annual D Blog Day...

I have had a letter to Diabetes kicking around in my head for two years now.  Almost two years to the day.  I thought that today may be a good day to finally get it down.  Get it out. 

Dear Diabetes,
Two years ago, in November, you moved into our family.  You weren't invited.  We didn't know you were coming, and you were most certainly unwelcome.  But these things didn't concern you then any more than they do today.  You just barged your way in and set up house inside my son.  My beautiful little boy's body became your home.  We were forced to accept that you were to become a member of the family. 
You require quite a lot of attention, don't you?  And when you feel that we have become complacent with having you in our lives you like to stir things up.  It really drives me nuts when you do that. 
If you had your way you would take over completely. 
If you had YOUR way - you would take his life. 
But guess what?  You aren't getting your way.  I'm the Mama in this family, and its Sugar Daddy and I that make the rules.  And we say that you mind your manners and remember your place.  Got that?  Good - because this is how it's going to be from here on out.... 
You know that handsome, incredibly loving little boy that you inhabit?  He comes first.  He gets to be a kid, and have a happy care-free childhood... and then we will see about you.  And I will make it my mission every day for the rest of his childhood and for as long as he wants me to, to make sure that you do not win the war you are constantly battling inside of him. 
Because I am smarter than you...and while there may be days that you have me cornered, I will ALWAYS fight my way out... and that sweet little boy will never know what it costs to keep you in your place. 
One day he will be ready to take over the fight.  And he will learn how to fight you too... he will learn from me and from his Daddy... and he will be even better than we are against you... because having lived with you from the age of 27 months, he will know you better than we do.  He will know your quirks and your personality in ways that his Daddy and I will never understand. 
He will be able to truly FEEL you... and he will kick your ass. 
And so that CAN happen, his Daddy and I will make sure that he is kept healthy and STRONG. 
So, just so we understand each other.... you may have forced your way into this family, but you will NEVER totally get your way.  I'll make sure of that. 
When it comes to you, Sugar Boy comes first... he always has and he always will...

Yours Truly,
Donna
Sugar Boy's Mama

Monday Lightened Up!

I decided that we needed something fun for Monday... because truthfully, this Monday is not feeling very fun.  So, lets lighten it up.

Comment with answers to these questions:

1)How many computers are in your house?
2)What is the FIRST thing you do when you go online?
3)Who is the first person that you met online that is currently in your "real" life?

My answers:
1) 3
2) Facebook!  =)
3)Sugar Daddy!  We met through a personals site 8 1/2 years ago! 

T1D 365:3

Interesting Life We Have Here....

I have been spending quite a bit of time lately reflecting on life.  My life to be specific. 

I remember before Sugar Daddy and I had kids (he was Sugar Hubby then...  ;o) and we would talk about how life would change once we had a baby, and in fact we put off having a baby for a few years because we were anticipating that change and not totally sure if we were ready for it.  We acknowledged that the sleeping in till noon on Saturdays would no longer happen, we would have a lot less money and we even figured that things like sex would become much less frequent.  But really WE HAD NO CLUE how things would change.  I have to think that if we had known, we would still be childless.  Now don't get me wrong... I don't regret for a second having our kids.  They are amazing little people that are truly the light of our lives.  Its just that when I look back on the couple that we were, I don't think we would have been brave enough to sign up if we really knew how parenthood would change things... change us.  Thank God we didn't know!  =)

Now that we are parents... parents to two AMAZING 4 year olds that I would gladly give up every comfort and bit of spare change for just to ensure their happiness... I have found myself reflecting.  On where we have been.... where we are... and where we are going.  I have to say, all in all, we are doing pretty good.

I think we are entering that time in life when you just sort of coast.... we have worked hard to build what we have... and there have been additions to the building that we never anticipated (like twins and type 1 diabetes), but I am ready for these "coasting" years. 

It will be interesting to look back in several years and see if we are indeed just coasting, or if there are new and unexpected "additions" (and NO I am NOT talking about more kiddos) to come.... I guess time will tell.  =)

T1D 365:2 Night Time Lows

He never even woke up, I just prop up his head and down it goes.... Even after almost two years it amazes me how he can suck down 4 oz of juice in his sleep. 

Meri at Our Diabetic Life tells of how moments like this feel from a D Mama's perspective in her recent post "A homage to the nighttime check."  She describes it perfectly.

T1D 365:1

Day 4 of NaBloPoMo

I have been inspired by Jen over at I Am Your Pancreas.  Have you visited her blog?  Do you know of the absolutely AMAZING pictures she takes? 

So, here we go:  The beginning of my own Diabetes 365 project.

I took this picture over the summer – when I was making an instruction sheet for my mother in law on how to do a site and set change while Sugar Daddy and I were away for 4 days on vacation.  Because Sugar Boy still requires so little insulin we dilute our own at home.  Every two weeks Sugar Daddy mixes a new vial (25% insulin, 75% diluent) and labels it with a two week expiration date.

I can’t wait to explore more of what I can capture with my camera.  Thank you for the inspiration, Jen!!

Fallin' For Fall

Day 3 of NaBloPoMo
Check out Kris over at My Sugar Bugs and Leighann over at D-Mom Blog!  They are also participating in NaBloPoMo  =)

Does anyone watch Nick Jr.? 

Let me re-phrase that…. Does anyone have KIDS that watch Nick Jr.?  =)

My kids are the type that don’t sit in front of the TV…. So, therefore we can keep the TV on all day long and they will just sort of drift in and out, pause to watch for a few minutes, then get interested in some other toy or activity and not watch for awhile.  Then the process repeats.  As such, we are able to pretty much just leave it on when we are home and it serves as background noise as much as anything else.

Well, the background noise can be penetrating to a parents brain, let me tell you!

The two hosts of Nick Jr. are these two animated characters called Moose and Zee.  Moose is – you guessed it!! – a moose.  And Zee is a little blue bird.  Really cute, actually.

Well, the reason I bring this all up is Moose sings this song this time of year that I have had running through my head for the last two days.  He sings about how he is “Fallin’ For Fall”.  Do you know it?  It’s a really sweet song – and they play it often enough that even the kids have started singing along when it comes on.

Well, I’m DEFINITELY “fallin’ for fall” this year!  =)

I don’t know why, but this year, more than any other, I am REALLY anticipating the fall and everything it brings with it.  I think maybe because this is the first year that I really feel settled into our family life.  Living in the desert we don't get a lot of the fall colors surrounding us that everyone else gets…. So last night I brought them into the house.  I took down all the Halloween decorations and put up Harvest decor.  I lit a pumpkin spice candle and set out spice scented potpourri.  When I was done I step back and surveyed.  And found myself singing…. “Oh, I think I’m fallin' for fall….”

Our Sweet Girl

Day 2 of NaBloPoMo

“Mom, how many carbs are in this?”

The little voice was coming from behind me.  I turned around to look at what Sugar Boy was referring to, and to answer him, when to my surprise I saw Sweet Girl standing there holding up a tootsie pop.  Now in my defense, my kids’ voices sound VERY much alike… and truthfully I just didn’t expect this question from her. 

“Fifteen.” I answered automatically.  She seemed to consider this – the answer seemed acceptable and off she went.  She didn’t even eat it… she was merely curious how many carbs it contained.

My kids amaze me.  Every. Day.

But this particular incident really melted my heart.  Its testament to the heart of gold contained within Sweet Girl.  She is a truly amazing child.  She is precocious and yet sweetly sensitive.  Despite being surrounded by boys a lot of the time (her brother, her cousins, and most of our friends’ kids) she is ALL girl.  She loves playing dress up, getting made-up and doing her hair.  She already has as many pairs of shoes as I do (and that's saying something!!!) and she loves purses and jewelery.  She is also becoming quite the little dancer!

Last weekend all of Sweet Girls loves combined into one fabulous evening!  Her dance class was to perform at the Halloween Carnival that our town was putting on.  The girls did a ballet routine to Bibbity Bobbity Boo.  They all dressed as Cinderella, and Sweet Girl got to wear make-up!  The perfect night for our little lady!

Happy November!

Day 1 of NaBloPoMo

So, I have taken on this CRaZy task of blogging every day for the month of November.  There are some other D Mama’s that will be doing this as well, so I am in fantastic company!  If you get a chance head over and check out Wendy at Candy Hearts, Tracy at The Superhero and The Princess, Hallie at The Princess and The Pump , Meri at Our Diabetic Life, Jen at I am You Pancreas, Lora at My Diabetic Child, Nicole at We Cara Lot, Heather at Sweet to the Soul  and Jen at I am Your Pancreas.  (If I missed anyone, please leave me a comment, and I will link to you on my next post! =)

I have a couple of reasons for choosing November to do NaBloPoMo (which you can choose do to any month you like).  November is a pretty special month for us.  It’s a HUGE month for family.  With Thanksgiving in November we are reminded to count our blessings and to really appreciate the gifts that God has given us.  I am excited to explore those gifts – and share them with you all.  November is also Diabetes Awareness Month.  And, for our family, it marks an anniversary…. This November 10^th will mark 2 years of Type 1 Diabetes in our lives.   I plan to celebrate some major accomplishments we have made… we have come such a VERY long way in 2 years.  I am proud of that!

So, as I said in my last post…. Good Things To Come. 

I will see you all tomorrow!!