Happy Mother's Day!

Mother's Day is a special day for ALL moms.

But I will go out on a limb and say that for Moms of kids with Type 1 Diabetes it's special in a different way.

Every mother loves her children.  D Mamas love their children with a fierce passion that I can only guess comes from staring disease and difficulty and stress and fear in the face every single day and saying, "No.  You can not have my baby.  I won't let you."

As mother's of T1 kids, we do things other mothers do not.

We watch our children like hawks for any sign of low blood sugar.

We closely monitor their food intake - counting carbs along the way.

We live in a constant state of balancing fear and worry with the desire for them to be normal kids.

We stay awake through the night to make sure that our babies make it to morning with a good number.

We sacrifice our wants and our needs for them.  Yes, all mothers do this.  But D Mamas do this to ensure our kids have the same opportunities as others.  We do this ensure they have the best medical care.  And do what we have to do to make sure they have the medical supplies they need to stay alive and healthy.

We see their blood every. single. day.

We give them shots.  We insert needles into their bodies.  

You see... it's just different.

I did this little questionnaire with my school kids to give to their Moms for Mother's Day.  Their answers were really cute and I hope their Mothers enjoyed them!  I also did one with Sweets.

Here are her answers...

So, to all the Mothers out there who show your love for your children in a million different ways... one of those being taking care of their diabetes...

Happy Mother's Day!

Check out this awesome video by D Mama Lorraine for a laugh and to feel VERY understood!

And check out this awesome blog by D Mama Meri for a cry (ok, I cried... you might not) and to ALSO feel very understood!

 

The Diaversary Celebration: Year 3 Style

Ever since year one, we have believed in celebrating Sweetpea’s Diaversary.

To me, it’s a great opportunity to celebrate her for being tough and strong and putting up with all the crap that diabetes throws our way. It’s a day to celebrate LIFE.

I also think it’s a great way to help make diabetes – or at least PARTS of diabetes – a little fun.

I don’t want her to think of it as all doom and gloom and yuck and ouch. I’d like her to look at is as something that is often not so great… but has it’s good points, too! Basically, I’m adding to the silver lining any way I can!

The first year we had a big party! We invited a bunch of her friends and went to a local place that is a lot like Chuck E Cheese. The kids had a blast and it was a great memory!

The second year we had made plans to go with some friends to a bounce house place and have cupcakes and play. That didn’t happen as we were in the hospital that day. Boo!

 This year we decided that J and I would take the day off and we just do fun things! We went out to breakfast with my parents. We went to see the movie Chimpanzee. And then we partied!

We had a little party at our house. We invited Sweetpea’s closest friends over to just play and hang out and eat cake!

Cake is an integral part of our celebrating! Sweets loves cake (she gets it honest!). And I love that it’s also a fun way to snub our noses at D.

Yes, she CAN eat that! And she will! All because of YOU, diabetes!!! (Insert evil laugh here)

Of course, I also go to do a little educating this year when I told the girl at our favorite cake place what we wanted on the cake!

 “We’d like it say “Happy Diabetes Day” in blue.”

“Ooookaaaaay….”

 “Well, I know that seems odd. But 3 years ago today she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. And so today we are celebrating her bravery. She can eat anything she wants as long as she takes insulin for it!”

“Oh. Cool!”

This is the bow she wore...  If you haven't guessed - we LOVE our hairbows!  What a great way to advocate!  And look stylish doing it!!

Sweets was SUPER EXCITED!

“It’s MY DAY” she kept saying.

As if every day isn’t really her day…. But whatever! It made her feel special. And she deserved it!

Celebrating a dx day is not for everyone. And that’s ok!

But for us… it works.

 It’s a silver lining – coated in buttercream frosting!

So tell me… What do YOU do on your dx day???

Click HERE to read the post about our FIRST Diaversary and HERE to read about our second Diaversary.

 

Random Thoughts

I'm finding lately that I don't always have time to write a full blog.

Often, I'm choosing between blogging and exercising. And well... One is good for my body and the other is good for my soul.

So- I decided to just go ahead and write mini blogs. Just random thoughts I have that if I had time I would delve deeper into. Thoughts that would turn into blogs.

It's 12:22 am according to the clock on my iPhone.

I'm in Sweetpea's room.

She's sleeping. I'm not.

 I just decided it was time for a Dex change.

We had restarted it tonight but then she got in the tub. Note to future self: Dex does NOT like to get while it's restarting.

Anyway, I just decided to pull it.

I just did the change by phone light. No cream. She felt it. But she didn't fully wake up.

 As I was gathering my supplies, this thought went through my head... I wonder what it's like to just go to bed? To just put your kid to bed and give them a kiss and see them in the morning? I wonder what it's like to not worry about what's going on in their bodies all night long?

When she was a baby, I'd wonder if she would sleep through the night. This is NOT like that. Not at all. And people should stop comparing the two. Diabetes is only like having a newborn in the sense that it's probably the only thing even slightly relatable to most people.

Having a newborn was cake compared to this. Having a child who sometimes woke during the night? That's like comparing apples and... Sunflowers. Or motorcycles. Or rain.

Anyway, I look out my window at my neighbors darkened houses. And know their children are sleeping inside. Safe in their beds. The parents are probably asleep, too. No one else is pricking fingers or inserting needles or waiting for it to be safe to fall asleep.

 It's lonely at night.

 She's going up. But I'm afraid to correct too aggressively without Dex helping me. Sometimes it scares me how much I rely on that little sucker.

Ok- if I don't at least grab a quick nap before I have to enter start up numbers then tomorrow is going to be seriously unfun.

Hoping all of you are having nice, steady nights. Wishing you peaceful sleep.

And so glad that while the windows on my street are dark- I know I'm not alone.

Because you are out there. Lighting your own lights. And burning brightly in the night.

Podding: It's a Family Affair

Waaaaayyyyyy back last fall I was cleaning out our diabetes closet and I ran across an old demo pod that we had never used. 

And I wondered... "What would Sweets think if I were to wear one?"

So I asked her.  And she thought that ME wearing a pod was the COOLEST thing ever.

 So, in honor of World Diabetes Day, I slapped on a pod!  And I wore it for a week or so. J also joined in the fun.  We found an old pod that still had the adhesive on it (It must have been one that didn't work...  It's rare for us to get a dud.  In almost a year, we have only had a few.) and he put it on and wore it, too!

I put mine on my backside - lower hip region.  J put his on his stomach.  Sweets spent the week lifting our shirts to see our pods... and smiling!  She grinned like a Chesire Cat all week long!  She told our family and friends and probably a random stranger or two that "Mom and Dad are wearing pods!  Just like me!" 
She also thought it was pretty funny when J went to take his off... and it hurt!  His had adhered to some hair... that was pretty painful! 

I have to say... I thought it was pretty cool! The pod was not heavy.  And most of the time I forgot it was there.  I showered with it on.  I slept with it on.  I was pleased with how comfortable it was. 

But it did make itself known from time to time.  If I wasn't aware when I was getting dressed and undressed ... or using the bathroom...my clothes would hook on it and pull.  And there was one occasion where it made a noticeable bump under my clothing... J kept getting his caught under his desk at work!  If he really had to wear one... it would have a learning experience on placement! 

Of course, wearing it for a week is different than wearing it always.  But I was glad to be able to do it to show some solidarity and make Sweets smile!

It just so happened that I was talking with our rep at a vendor fair and I was able to snag another demo pod - just in time for her diaversary!  So, in honor of her day, I wore another pod. 

This time, Sweets wanted to put it on me.  She picked the right place and stuck it on.  (After poking around and making me feel so great by saying, "Hmmm.... I think YOU have enough fat that YOU could wear it on your belly.  See??" poke, poke, poke....) But the best part was the other night.  We had just gotten home and we were all in the kitchen unloading our crap.  And we heard "screaming". 

A screaming pod... GREAT. 

But we couldn't figure out where it was coming from!

 It sounds a lot like the alarm on our fridge if we leave it open.  But it wasn't that. 

We stick our ears next to Sweets rump and it wasn't her.  (Big sigh of relief!) 

It didn't seem to be coming from the box of used ones we keep for art projects. 

It was ME!  MY pod was screaming!  Sweets LOVED that!  And she proceeded to rip that little sucker off of me and throw it in the freezer!

I don't have any pictures to share.... I am most certainly NOT putting a picture of MY rear on the internet!  You'll just have to take my word for it!

Wearing pods was a fun little thing to do ...  And I'd do it again anytime!

Of course, I'd do anything to make this journey a little easier for her.  I'd wear a pod all the time if it would help her feel better about life with diabetes. Heck, I'd even post my own pod pics if it meant finding the cure!  (Which it won't - so don't even try...  And trust me.... You don't want to see it anyway!)