17 year Dia-versary

It has been 17 years since I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.  17 years!?!?! 

It is my "Dia-versary".   Most people are confused that I seem to celebrate it or treat it like a birthday or anniversary.  It was such a life altering diagnosis, so most people and parents remember their diagnosis or when their children were diagnosed.  I have now been living with T1D for so long, I vaguely remember what life was like without it.

This is something that when you get it, you feel some sense of relief having an answer to why you felt terrible and it is a little exciting teaching people about your new life, but it is also a shock. It is a slap in the face of "this is your life now" and you don't have a choice. The diagnosis isn't a cure; it is just a wake-up call of how you will live the rest of your life.  It is a day you realize your life will never ever be the same as it was. Then the excitement goes away. It is something you think about, manage, and try to control every day of your life.  You think about it every minute or every hour.  This is just something that doesn't go away.

I've said this 2984753 times in my life and will say it 4385729837 more times:  This is an autoimmune disease, NOT caused by diet or exercise (or lack of). Type 1 and Type 2 are NOT the same disease.

I spend all day every day trying to keep my blood sugar range between 80-130mg/dl.  If  I miscount the carbohydrates (common in potlucks or if I don't lick my plate clean), if my body doesn't absorb the insulin as well, if I am dehydrated, sick, have an infection or menstruating my blood sugar will go too high.  Then I try to correct the high.  If my body is too active, if I didn't eat all my food, I have too much insulin from something else (like food or correction from a high), or my hormones are out of whack my blood sugar goes too low.
If I am high I feel achy, thirsty, dehydrated, short of breath, and light headed.
If I am low then get shaky, dizzy, weak, tired, sweaty, have slurred speech and have blurred vision.  I actually have "hypoglycemic unawareness" so I usually don't feel these symptoms until I am really really low.

It sucks. I try to stay optimistic, but holy moly this disease is a pain in my butt.  It is exhausting and I am over it.  I would love for it to be gone!

I have had a lot of ups and downs over the years (both with emotions and my actual blood sugar).  I feel defeated and burnt out and then other days I feel like the poster child for type 1 diabetes.  These emotions always come and go.  Today I feel content, but tomorrow I could feel different.  This is a guilt ridden disease, and it will always have its ups and downs.

I have a lot to be thankful for. I have a beautiful and healthy baby boy.  I am healthy considering all things. I live a normal life despite the constant pricks, tapes, pokes, needles, measuring, and counting.   I've made it 17 years!  That is a long time to live with some!  I hope I live to the day until I can say I have "Type None" and I am a "Former Type 1 Diabetic". 

Maddux and I at the Walk to Cure Diabetes in 2013

I was low at Target. I am drinking chocolate milk and Kris wouldn't let me buy these Lion King leggings.

Here is a little boy I found on Youtube, this is his "one day with Type Diabetes" video.  There are so many of these videos.  I know what it is like living with T1D, but I love watching videos of everyone else!

Holidays 2014 recap

Christmas time is so fun with a kiddo.  He was good at singing Jingle Bells.  He would always point out Santa Claus or "Santa Claus hat".   He loved looking at lights and Christmas trees.  Surprisingly, he didn't really want to play with the ornaments.  He only wanted to play with 2 ornaments, so we put them up high.  It was a guitar ornament and a car ornament.

Maddux met his cousin, Declan, who was born December 7th. If you are on Facebook, you should read my post around that time. My brother & his wife wrote a beautiful letter about his son, who was born with Down Syndrome. I feel a lot of people do not how to react, and wonder if they should feel bad. My brother and his wife in the letter told people to be happy for their new addition, there is no reason to be sorry, and Dex is just like any other baby.   Maddux LOVED going to see him.  Even to this day, Maddux will randomly yell out "Baby Dex- where are you?!?"  "Baby Dex cute". 

Christmas morning, Maddux got a Tonka Truck and a rocking motorcycle we got him. Santa filled up his stocking with some cards a V-Tech vehicles.  He sure was spoiled by his Grandparents and Aunts & Uncles.

I was a little concerned that he wasn't eating anything, and right before bed on Christmas he threw up!  He was sick the next few days.  As sweet as he is when he is sick, it is so sad to have a sick baby.

Ton of pictures below!

Fall 2014 Highlights

Maddux boy is so smart, and makes my heart burst.

He is an advanced talker, with new phrases everyday.  He is a great singer, and loves Jingle Bells, and You are my Sunshine. I just love singing with him. 

He LOVED Halloween.   It is fun for parents too. :)  Maddux was Mike Wazowski from Monsters, Inc.  He hasn't even seen the movie, but he loves his monster jammies.  Plus this costume was comfortable and something he would keep on...it's hard to have a 2 year old wear props and accessories. 

He didn't want to keep on Donald Duck, don't let the smile fool you.  He kept saying "duck shoes off! Duck shoes off please!!!"

My work put on a wonderful Fall festival, where he got to go trick or treating, see animals at the petting zoo, walk through a "haunted graveyard", and make some apple nachos.  During the haunted graveyard, he kept saying "All Done" and holding me tight.

We LOVE our new neighborhood and we were so excited to go knocking for candy with his cousins. 

He never really said Trick or Treat on cue, but he would say "Thank you".  He also was ready to walk into each person's house as if it were his own.

Thanksgiving, he didn't eat....shocker...he hardly ever eats.  But he was a sweet boy and had fun seeing his family. We LOVED the pumpkin patches, leaves, and all the fun fall brings. 

Maddux is 2

What a joy this boy is! He turned 2 years old on February 8th.

*He knows how to navigate phones/ipads/youtube.  NOTE-- I am not a judgemental parent. I try to get him to spend a lot of time away from the ipad, but sometimes you need your wild child to be content.

*His favorite books are Brown Bear Brown Bear, Shapesaurus, and Goodnight Moon. He will read these before bed, and then sing "lullaby and goodnight"

*Favorite songs: I Am a Child of God, Lullaby and Goodnight, Head Shoulder Knees and Toes, Jingle Bells, Twinkle Twinkle.  He really is an impressive singer.  He knows lots of words and is not tone deaf. :)

*He loves playing with trucks, planes, automobiles.  He likes playing with brooms and rakes as well.

*His favorite food is pizza or chicken nuggets.  He also loves Cheetos.  My healthy boy! ;)

*He was 36.5 inches and 27 pounds. 90-95th percentile for height and 10-20th percentile for weight.

* He is in size 6 shoes and size 4 diapers.  I want to potty train him this Spring.

*He loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins, Super Why and Paw Patrol.

*My mom watches him Monday/Tuesday and my sister Megan watches him Wed/Thurs/Friday. He loves going to both places and I love that he can be with family.

*He has been using phrases and full sentences for quite some time.  My favorites are:
- I see airplane up there. (or bus over there, car under there)
- I miss Grammy.  I miss garbage truck (after it drives away).
-OK- I'll be right back!
-That's not food!
-I got you Daddy.
-I'm OK, Mama.
- Lets call Daddy.
-It's stuck under there! (after he puts a car under the table).
-Shake, Shake your booty!

-take a bath please? 
-Happy Birthday to Maddux.  Birthday cake?? 

-oh my goodness

*He LOVES to sing, dance, and play instruments.  Loves watching youtube videos of Lullaby and Goodnight, I am a Child of God, and I Love to See the Temple.  He really knows most of the words, and he has the sweetest little voice. I need to get a video of him singing along to the Star Spangled Banner. 

*He is a good counter. 


 I have asked him if he wants a baby brother or baby sister.  He usually says "baby brother" or "no thank you" even though he doesn't  really know what he is saying!

Maddux: 18 months

Another blog I wrote, but didn't post until months later!! I don't really keep up with a blog anymore, but I should.

Maddux has grown up so much since my last post.  He is such a fun, smart, and energetic little boy.  He knows what he wants, and is sad when he can't get it.  He is keeping us young!

The other day Kris and I wrote down all the words he says on a scrap 4x6 paper- we filled the front and back, and after a week he has 20 more words added!  Some of my favorite phrases are: "I did it!" , "No, thank you" , "Bye bye, see ya!", "A Kiss?",  and "It's a car!" (or airplane, or water, or baby). "Have fun nifornia!" (Have fun in California- he says that to airplanes as they pass)

He loves cars, trucks, trains, boats, and airplane.  He loves outside!  He loves to throw balls, he is all boy.

I love when he asks for something, he gets soo excited.  He'll see something like a bottle of bubbles, and says  "please, yes, please, more, please" and it is clear as day that he wants to blow bubbles.

He loves to watch videos on the iPad/iPhone.  If he sees one he will hand it to us and say "Iddeeoo" or some version of "video".  He will get specific sometimes.  he will hand the phone and say "choo choo ideo", when he wants to watch the video of a train, or "Geeeeetaaaah" when he wants to watch the video of Kris playing his guitar for him.

He will always make a monkey noise when he sees a monkey.  He'll say "poo poo" when he has a dirty diaper, "no thank you" when we offer him some food, and say "night night" when he goes to bed.

His favorite songs right now are: Itsy Bitsy Spider, Wheels on the Bus, I Love to See The Temple, and No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. I love watching him sing the monkey song, he will pat his head with a sad face during "he fell off and bumped his head"

He'll give kisses and it melts my heart.  I love when he gives loves.  He finally says "ove you" for I love you. 

He makes us so happy.  We are so grateful for his fun spirit.  I've seen so many blogs lately of families who have lost a young child.  It makes me so sad!  One blog specifically said to take the time to spend with your little ones.  Every time I read one, I just hug Maddux and soak it all in.   I couldn't live this life without my little pumpkin.   We are so blessed.

Below are pictures from this Summer!