Friday, February 27, 2009

My girl


I love this picture! It is of my daughter when she was younger. She is 4 now, I am guessing (without checking) that she is 2 in this picture. I have 3 boys and then Kennedy. In some ways she is a Tomboy and in many ways she is a Princess girly girl! One year for her birthday she wanted a "strawberry shortcake ninja party!" She loves her dance class and equally loves her Tae Kwon Do classes. She squeals over shoes and loves pink/purple sparkly things! I have no idea where she gets that from. I have never been a girly girl. I don't own a purse and I rarly wear makeup! I so wanted a little girl so Marc could have a daddy's girl. There is something about a dad and their daughter, I love watching them together!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

A thank you!


I have a busy end of week coming up with a couple clients due anytime now! I love being a doula, I don't like the on call stuff! If you don't have a clue what a doula is, check out my site at www.theblissfulway.com

I made this card for my parents, they rock! For our anniversary they bought us a 50inch plasma tv! We LOVE it! I didn't know how much I was missing out on vivid colours! Anyway, I made this card for them. The problem is I don't know if I like it! It has a lot of stuff- maybe too much stuff?? I might make a new card if I decide I don't like this one...

Everything is Stampin' Up!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

12 Years!


Our 12th Anniversary was this month! This is a card I made for Marc. As soon as I saw this set I knew I had to have it! So fun!
It's pretty straight forward...
Stamp set: Maid for you by My Favorite Things
Cardstock: Basic black, real red and whisper white all Stampin' Up!
Other:Black ribbon from Papertrey Ink, scalloped heart nesties, coloured with copics, brads

The sound of velcro

The sound of velcro can wake me from a deep sleep. Mac's pump pack stays closed with velcro (he keeps his insulin pump in a little pack, I'll see if I can post a picture later!)
See, I check his blood before I go to bed and Marc checks it when he gets up for work, that 5 hours is the longest we ever go without checking his blood. If his blood sugar is high we need to give him insulin. If Marc opens his pump pack, I wake up. It doesn't matter how deep my sleep is. That happened at 5:30 this morning.
A couple other things that wake me up... when Mac gets up to go to the bathroom and when he gets up for water. One sign of high blood sugar is thirst and frequent urination. If he gets up in the night I go and check his blood. That happened at 3:00 this morning.
I think it's funny that I keep track of how much he drinks and pees! You should see how much I check his blood on a hot day! Is he drinking because he is hot and running around? Is his blood sugar high? Those questions pop into my head countless times a day (and night). A good chunk of my other thoughts are wondering if his blood sugar is low! LOL! It always amazes me how his blood sugar can change so fast.
You may be thinking I am the worlds lightest sleeper yet somehow my four year old will crawl into our bed- right between me husband and I have no idea she is there!

Monday, February 23, 2009

 My dear friend Sarah asked me to talk about what IS the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes....

Type 1: (Insulin dependent)
A person's pancreas produces little or no insulin. Although the causes ate not entirely known, scientists believe the body's own defense system (the immune system) attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. People with type 1 must inject insulin several times every day.

Type 2:
Typically develops after the age of 40, but can appear earlier, and has more recently begun to appear in children. In this form of diabetes the pancreas still produces insulin, but the body does not produce enough or is not able to use it effectively. Treatment includes diet control, exercise, and in some cases, oral drugs or insulin.

I think it just gets me when people ask me if he is diabetic because he is "not active enough" or eats badly. There was nothing he could have done to prevent his diabetes. He was an active, healthy eating little 4 year old!

Here is a couple myths:

Myth #1. Insulin cures diabetes.
Fact: Insulin keeps him alive, it does not cure the disease.

Myth #2. His diabetes is caused by eating too much sugar or by being fat.
Fact: Obesity has been identified as one of the "triggers" for type 2 diabetes but has NO relation to the cause of type 1. While scientists do not yet know the exact cause or causes of type 1 they believe that both genetic and environmental factors are involved. Eating too much sugar is not, and has never been, a factor.

Myth #3. People with diabetes should never eat sweets.
Fact: Sometimes sweets are a must for Type 1 diabetes especially if their blood sugar levels drop too low!

Myth #4. You can "outgrow" Type 1 diabetes
Fact: Type 1 diabetes is a life long disease.

Myth #5. If you do everything "right" you will have tight control over your blood sugar levels.
Fact: Even monitoring his blood sugar levels, eating correctly, counting every carb that he eats, maintaining correct insulin dosages, he still has highs and lows. Stress, hormone changes, growth, illness can all cause blood sugars to swing out of control.

I hope this better explains!
 

Clinic day

Today was diabetic clinic day. We go every four months now and I am a wreck every time! I wonder am I checking his blood enough, am I doing all I can be doing?? Being a type 1 diabetic is not what people think it is. It drives me nuts when people say "oh my Uncle Joe has diabetes", they usually mean type 2. There is a big difference! I'll never forgot the ambulance ride to the hospital 2 years ago. That day changed our life. Mac was 4 years old, he had never had a needle in his life.. he went to over 1500 his first year! Now he is on the insulin pump. It means that he doesn't have as many needles which is good. It also means that we have to be checking his blood sugar at least 6 times a day. It's a lot for a 6 year old. Mac doesn't complain, he is such an amazing kid. Anyway, back to clinic... It was great today. His blood sugar average over the past 4 months has been 6.6- that is great! Today I feel good about it, I feel like I protected him from the awful effects diabetes can have. I LOVE when his blood sugar is in target! Here is one of my favorite poems, I don't know who wrote it

A Mother's Wish....
It's time to go to sleep.
I tuck him into bed,
I pull up his fuzzy blanket. 
And kiss my baby's head.

All night long I wonder,
Is he high or is he low?
The needle pokes his finger,
What will the reading show?

It never stays the same,
Was it something that he ate?
I hug him and I feed him,
All we can do it wait.

I think about his future,
Will he be all right?
Without his mommy by his side,
To get him through the night?

For all the little children,
So innocent and pure,
My one and only mother's wish.
Is that we'll find the CURE.

Here is our story

I am not sure where to begin! I don't think I could sum up who we are in one paragraph, but I do like to talk so we'll see where it goes! My husband and I have been married for 12 years, I am a stay at home mom of four amazing kids. Twin boys who will be 11 next month, a six year old boy and a four year old girl. 
I homeschool my kids. I don't have any big reason why, I just wanted to! We have been homeschooling for 2 1/2 years now and so far enjoying it a lot!  
Another big part of my life is having a child who is diabetic. Mac, my 6 year old is type 1 diabetic. I think a lot of this blog will be his story...
I am a childbirth educator and doula, I am in awe of the birth process and own my own childbirth business.
In my spare time, I make cards and sometimes scrapbook!