Fun Friday Find: Accessories

When diabetes first came into our lives, the nurses brought something to my attention: The Medical Identification Jewelry. Everyone seemed to think we needed something for Bug to wear that shouted "I have diabetes! If I'm passed out, give me some cake icing and call 911" Right away, I started my research.... shopping. Almost every medical id jewelry website I found had beaded necklaces, big bulky bracelets, and braided leather options. In a nutshell: nothing for a 10 month old. I finally found a few websites (to be listed below) that had a few options for babies/toddlers that were both safe and style sensitive. (not ugly)

After two rounds of the cute little leather bracelet... (that most people thought was a watch..... on a 1 year old....?) we landed on the sport strap, shown above. Bright, fun, durable, washable, and informative..... sounds like a great first date prospect! Turns out our relationship has gone far past first date material and we have been loving our sport straps for over a year now. She has a few different prints and colors, and the stainless steel plaque slides on and off very easily. If she's in a pink-with-butterflies mood we can switch from blue-with-fish in two shakes and still be on time to school. For the sake of full disclosure, Bug seems to be on some sort of strike from all things suggested by mom, so she is not currently sporting the sport strap. However, it is forced upon her when we go on trips both car and plane.

When I was feeling too cool to make my child wear medical id jewels, the nurse said to me, "what if something happens to your whole family and you all get taken to different hospitals and the doctors need to know that she is diabetic?"........ After realizing that I had a new worst case scenario for a car trip, I decided that we needed to bite the bullet and label our little love.

So, if you know a loved one living with ANY chronic illness or condition (asthma, epilepsy, diabetes, etc) there are some very cute options in this department. They can be as flashy or discrete as you choose. Some adults are even getting a medical ID tattoo.... I'll let you make your own judgements on that subject.

Have a great weekend, with or without your labels.

Websites:

www.stickyj.com (where we found the sport straps)

www.laurenshope.com (really cute and different than most I've seen)

www.idtagsonline.com (very general, no frills, just facts)

A Girl's Best Friend

Have I mentioned that we have a dog? We have a German Short haired Pointer. He might be the greatest dog I've met, to date. He lets the girls pull and push and hug and lay on him without the slightest look of annoyance. (which is more than I can say.... confessions) Then ten minutes later he's in the yard protecting us from any and all things beyond the white picket fence. He comes when you call. He leaves when you ask. He doesn't do very many tricks, but I'm convinced that he could, if we were "watch my dog do this trick" people. In short, I love our dog and his no nonsense beauty and giant velvet ears.

On the subject of dogs; there are some efforts being made to train dogs to sense a low blood sugar. Some diabetics suffer from something called hypoglycemic unawareness. They are not able to recognize the symptoms of a low blood sugar like most. So for the people dealing with that, a diabetes alert dog might be the answer..... for now. As a human I am able to sense a low blood sugar by laying my eyes on my child, so I find it easy to believe that a smarty pants dog could wake someone from a deep-middle of the night sleep because a low blood sugar is on the way. If my daughter is an adult, living alone, and still plagued by diabetes.... I might really think about something like this. Is that the overprotective parent in me talking? Maybe.

Hopefully we won't have to cross that bridge. Hopefully those dogs will be unemployed and have to retire to a life of big cushy beds, leftovers, and playing dress up with their little girls and boys. Currently, I am more than pleased with my 60 pound animal and his sole purpose: beloved family pet.

What's in Her Bag?

What's in her bag? Maybe some lip gloss, a tiny wallet with a few credit cards, a phone, and a pair of flats for later. Probably just tissue paper.... photo shoot.

I told someone the other day that I should have given up "Internet window shopping" for Lent this year. I have been known to waste an entire 2 hour nap time looking at handbags and shoes that I can not afford. Confession 2011. All that to say: When I'm looking at handbags that I can't afford, I am drawn to the big, giant, more expensive type. If you could see the inside of my current bag, you would understand why.

I carry with me at all times..... unless I am traveling sans children.... no matter if it is a 10 minute trip to the mailbox, or a 10 hour trip for vacation

-wallet

-phone

-glucometer case.... monogrammed of course. complete with meter, strips, lancet (needle-y part), batteries, tube of icing for emergent low blood sugar correction, extra lancet needles, and alcohol swabs

-apple juice boxes

-15 carbohydrates worth of snack of some kind....(100 calorie packs = great for this purpose)

-diapers

-wet ones

-passie

-*up until the other day when my 2 year old ruined it*: the perfect pink lip stick from Bobbi Brown

every now and then, I'll need to throw in the glucagon pen, a bottle, formula, and a "chew toy"; depending on where we are going and for how long. If only I could get our insurance to pay for a new Kate Spade Ostrich bag to hold all of my medical supplies... to quote Bug, "that might help me feel better."

In no way is this me ASKING for a Kate Spade Ostrich handbag, Mom.... although I do love yours!

Fun Friday Find: Grace

First to address yesterday's post:

I had given it the title, "I Loose"... but my sister in law, very graciously (in sticking with today's theme) pointed out that the word I was searching for was Lose... as in... to lose the game....instead of the opposite of tight: loose. As I told her, my life is a series of one character building experience after another. So, apologies... mostly to my parents who were probably cringing when they read that and wanting so badly to call me right away to let me know. The truth is, I am a terrible speller. This will not be the last time I misspell something..... I promice.

Now... on to Friday....

Today is Good Friday and my last blog post before Easter, so I thought it best to address the reason we are all getting out our white denim, seersucker, and sandals. If you can believe it, Easter is not fashion related.... I'm pretty sure we just use Easter as a fool proof way to remember when it is appropriate to break out the clothes we've been dreaming about for the past 6 months. Even though most don't even follow the "rule" anymore anyway... rule follower over here.... I won't even let my kids wear open toe 'till Sunday.

At our house, Easter is all about resurrection..... and eggs, and bunnies too. My sister bought my daughter The Jesus Storybook Bible when she was baptized, and it has been so very helpful in explaining things of all shapes and sizes to Bug. The past 40 days have been all about the tough stuff. The thought of trying to help a 2 year old understand that "Jesus died on a cross for us as payment for all the terrible things we do every day...... and then He went to Hell and back so we don't have to. And after 3 days he rose from the dead and then ascended into Heaven and lives eternal life with God. We are sinners and we need God's Grace every day to save us from eternity in a very hot and terrible place. "..... seems slightly daunting....yes?

There are a bunch of really great children's books on the subject and I highly recommend buying a few different books (a few of my favorites listed at the bottom) so you aren't reading the same one throughout the Lenten Season. In fact these books and the Jesus Storybook Bible have even been helpful to me as an adult! Things are worded so that children can understand the stories, and reading them to my kids has helped me gain a better understanding as well. So if you are looking for an easy way to tell your kids about Jesus..... get on Amazon and buy this stuff 5 minutes ago. There is also a great song that I love.... "How Deep the Father's Love For Us".... google it.

To quote the Jesus Storybook Bible..... a portion of the story taken from Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 14

"Jesus turned to them and said 'Go everywhere and tell everyone the happy news! Tell them I love them so much that I died for them. It's the Truth that overcomes the terrible lie. God loves his children. Yes, He really does!'..... 'Death is not the end of you. You can live forever with your Father in heaven because I have rescued the whole world."

Have a great Easter Weekend and celebrate in the fact that "Jesus isn't dead anymore! He's alive again!"

*A few children's books about Easter*

The Tale of Three Trees

The Parable of the Lily

My First Story of Easter

Resurrection Eggs.... a little kit with stories that go along with it.... very good for tactile learners.

I Lose.

I like this picture because it looks like a) the kid is about 7 years old and b) he/she has NO intention of going anywhere quickly...... read: ankles crossed. This picture seems to wrap up my feelings about potty training. At this rate, we will be in diapers in the second grade and never allowed near any sort of dance class or public swimming pool.

Of course I am exaggerating.... as I tend to do regularly. Bug will be 3 in July and has won EVERY potty battle we have had. I am so hard nosed about discipline and respect and manners and following the rules, so I am shocked by the way I plead with my tiny person while she sits on the toilet....."you can have anything you want, if you will just go potty!"

She goes "tee tee" on the potty pretty regularly. Its the other one that seems to be killing me. I'm following the rules I've heard work best. I bought her an amazing Cinderella dress as a reward after 5 consecutive/successful days of potty... both types. I have reviewed the order of operations with her so many times, I overheard her explaining it all to her uncle one day. (who I'm sure was so happy to know all the in's and out's of her life with potty)

Bug: "first I have to go poopie 1 time and I get stickers, and 3 (holding up 3 fingers) M&M's, and new princess bracelets. Then after I go 5 (holding up 5 fingers) times I get my beautiful Cinderella dress"

Uncle: "how many times have you gone?"

Bug: "I haven't gone yet. I can't go yet"

She seems too smart for this, right? This is the same child that, while she sits on the potty, looks at me and says, "maybe if I could have some water to drink, and if we painted my toe nails.... I think that would help me feel better."

At this point, as I paint her toenails, I'm willing to admit defeat. C'est la vie.

Fun Friday: Fashion Finds

Keeping it light today after a few 'heavy' posts. We had a very stormy night here at our house and a yucky and wet morning. Whenever it's yucky outside I always want to wear something bright.... and dress the girls in something bright too. I figure if we can't get actual sunshine and, I'm going to be looking at them all day, why not dress them in something cheery and happy and sunny?

I am a sucker for all things monogrammed, smocked, and traditional. But I also like to dress my kids in clothes that I would wear myself. This spring and summer the trends are all about stripes, bright colors, fun flats, trouser jeans, and statement jewelry... among other things. In my opinion those are all things that translate to all ages....0-100. I'm posting a few pictures of fun fashion finds.

If your child clothing budget is pinched (as mine is), you can always look at pictures on the Internet or in catalogs and then make your own version. Most cities have big consignment sales which are great places to find things like smocked dresses, dress shirts, jeans, and shorts. If you are lucky you can find lightly used swim suits, shoes, and even fun tights. I also have been able to copy a Crewcuts look by shopping at Target or Old Navy. If you just have to have the actual name brand you can always shop sales, or just justify your purchase (as I often do) with the 'fact' that your "second/third/fourth child will wear it too!" My favorite places to look for trendy kids clothes are Crewcuts, Zara, Janie and Jack, and Mini Boden.

Fun layers under a t-shirt dress, and of course the giant flower headband (which you could actually make as long as you have a glue gun), and great bracelets... I would be tempted to borrow. This is, of course, Crewcuts.

Loving green and this vintage inspired look from Janie and Jack. They are also selling green mary janes with this look.

I love everything about this. Skirt. Layers. Yellow tights. A child reading a giant book. Love it.

I would like to find the adult version of all of these. So cute and would go with everything. These are from Zara...great place for tiny trendy shoes. My Bug picked out (truly she picked them out on her own) a pair of oxfords for herself. She calls them her "really cool shoes"

And a little something for the boys' moms out there. I always hear you say it's not as fun to shop for boys.... but Crewcuts (once they are 2 years old and big enough to wear it) always has fun stuff for boys, from neon shoe laces to very cool cardigan sweaters. Shopping can always be fun, sometimes you just have to work a little harder.

Even trendy for your tiny can be done. I have no idea where these items are from, but I know I love them and everything in this picture could be worn by baby girl or baby boy.

Have a great weekend! The sun is coming out as I type. Things are looking up already.

What Doesn't Totally Wear You Out, Will Make You Stronger.... I Hope

Today is "site change day". As much as we try to keep our Bug's life 'normal', the site change days are a mean reminder that she has to act a little bit "bigger" than the average two year old. I won't go into the entire process, except to tell you that there are a lot of supplies, a lot of organization (another un-budgeted trip to The Container Store), needles, a sharps container, and it happens every 3 days.

I remember when we were still in the hospital and we didn't have the pump yet. We were having to give her shots and I was mostly leaving it up to the nurses and my husband (who is a physician). Facing reality, I decided to give a shot. It was terrible. Being forced to inflict pain on my little girl, so she will feel better...? I cried, of course, and then it was over. I moved on... I was handling it. Until, a couple of days later, we realized that we needed to put her on a pump. Still in the hospital, my husband and I sat with our parents and our baby in a tiny meeting room on our floor. We met with our favorite diabetes educator/nurse/nutritionist/parent and the representative from the company that makes our pump. We were there to learn how to manipulate, work, and load the pump. We were also there to learn how to change her site. I decided to stick her first since I was not as comfortable with needles meeting skin, etc, as my husband. I took a deep breath and stuck her. She screamed. I cried. The representative from the pump company cried. And we became familiar with another part of our new normal.

That was the only time I cried during a site change, but Bug still cries every now and then. She is so brave and mature, but she is also still a two year old. She cries mostly in anticipation. The second the needle hits her skin, she says "all done, mommy and daddy." and the tears are over. She usually gets to have 1 M&M and a big hug when it's over, and she goes right back to being 2. She is growing up quicker than most kids her age because she is dealing with such a "big" lifestyle.

We will continue to take the good with the bad as everything comes our way. We love the pump she wears and the technology and knowledge it provides us. Another area where research and science have made my daily life not only livable but also enjoyable.

For parents dealing with site changes; a few tips when dealing with this mess:

-we put a site on her Elmo doll, and she helped (she was about 20 months at the time)

-we hold her like we are hugging her while she is getting stuck with the needle

-get a routine. ours is: after bath, before bed, then a snack after. she knows what to expect

-big hug and subject change after, so she doesn't feel she did something wrong and is being punished

-we don't use it, but there IS a numbing cream you can ask you Dr about. people say it really helps, but i think it has to be put on an hour before.

-reward after with something small but fun

-have both parents take turns, don't have one person be the bad guy

-if anyone else offers to learn how to do it, let them! Teach someone else to do it so you can have a break!

-take deep breaths and don't be upset when you stick...not good for a scared kid to see a scared parent

-allow yourself to have a pity party for about ten minutes, and VERY rarely. cry, complain, be mad, and then move on. you will not be effective as a parent or caregiver if you are constantly thinking how rough you have it.

-remember that it is only 10 minutes out of your day, twice a week. your child will be living with this until a cure is found.... so it will help all parties involved if you accept it as life as quickly as possible.

-and finally, hang in there. you are not the only one going through this craziness.

These verses kept popping up when I was pregnant with my Bug. Now I know why.

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."..... "For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God."

Romans 8:18 & 20

Keeping it Clean

This is how I wish things were for me today. Wearing something fabulous on a beautiful day, loving my housework, and getting to iron outside. Maybe if I could iron outside in fabulous clothes I might grow to love it.

The reality of it all is, I haven't showered today, or even looked in the mirror for that matter, and I have been "spring cleaning" all day..... I have been spring cleaning for about 2 weeks actually. I have a major headache from the dust and I have just about finished everything. All things dusted, sprayed, straightened, and reorganized and I'm beginning to remember the benefits of this craziness. The biggest benefit being the fact that I am able to find things now. I just found 4 giant bottles of baby shampoo (unopened), a bunch of paintbrushes, and 4 5x7 picture frames. Thats somewhere in the neighborhood of $50, right?

I have noticed that our days are much smoother when our house is clean. Its safe to say I have become slightly obsessed with tidiness and Clorox wipes. My two year old is now a champ when it comes to clean up time and quite often she does so well (which means she did it the first time I asked and without whining) a penny often follows. Who knew our loose change could help reinforce good habits. She can even be seen pulling out a "Wet One" and then she's off to "clean up this house, mommy!" From teddy bears, to baby sisters, to German Shorthaired Pointers, to coffee tables, she does it all.

Nothing diabetes related today, just a bit about our days of cleaning lately. If you think your house can use some Spring Cleaning, start small and aim high. Today clean the fan blades, tomorrow the base boards, next week the windows, and before you know it you'll have a headache like me and your house will be clean.....-er than it was before.

I'm looking at a pile of unfolded laundry and my baby monitors are silent. Time to get some work done before my other jobs wake up.

Getting on My Soap Box... But Only for a Minute, and it's Educational... in a Good Way

The weekend was a complete success in every area possible. My parents made it safely to town, we had some great quality time with each other and with my husband's family. One of my oldest and dearest friends surprised me (SHE is not old, but our friendship is... as in, since 6th grade) and showed up for the big fundraising weekend. I am hardly ever surprised so it was really fun for her to show up on my street on Saturday morning. The surprise was pulled off largely due to the fact that my surprise planning husband forgot completely that she was coming, so he wasn't tempted to let anything slip. We ate yummy food. We shopped. We talked. We laughed. We got dressed up. We had a fabulous time.

The Gala itself went off without a hitch and raised buckets of money for a great and, to some, unknown cause. I say unknown because I really think that most people don't believe/know there is anything they can do for people with Type 1 Diabetes. Type 1 is not caused by a poor diet. It can not be fixed with a better diet. No, my child did not "get it" because I "fed her sugary cereals".... I know a mom who actually had to field that comment when her daughter was diagnosed. To put it in terms that I understood as a "beginner": Type 1 Diabetes (Juvenile Diabetes) is an "autoimmune destruction of insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas..... it is fatal unless treated with insulin.".... taken from wikipedia. The beta cells make insulin and the insulin breaks down and distributes carbohydrates. If your body can't actually use the carbohydrates they won't give you the energy you need and you will just burn up your muscle and your body will create acid because of this. The acid will get into your blood stream and make your body very angry and poorly functioning. When my Bug was diagnosed she was at this point, it's called Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA). The next step after that is coma. After coma, death or something close. All that to say.... Type 1 is insulin dependent. Type 2 is not, and can be controlled with diet and oral medication. They are very different conditions and in order to find a cure for Type 1 it is important that people understand the fact that we can't "fix" these babies/kids/adults with a healthy granola bar and egg whites, we need funding to explore the options that science will present for us.

Ok. I'm getting off of my soap box now to tell you about the amazing people my husband and I are able to surround ourselves with. There were three tables full of our friends and family. We had invited them all as a way to say thank you for supporting us and loving us.... have a fun night out "on us". We were truly blown away and brought to tears by the generosity and support of everyone there. Whether it was a hug, encouragement, or $87.25 and beyond we now feel ready and willing to tackle the medical challenges ahead. After the night of auction items "won" or lost, tearful video, dinner and dancing we hung up our fancy clothes and to quote a friend, went "back to being mommy" I'll leave you with a few quoted items from the JDRF blog about a couple of recent research strides being made. Just as a bit of encouragement to those of you that spent your tax refund this weekend in the name of JDRF research.... they are getting closer and closer every day. Every penny is helping a cure become a bigger reality to families like ours all over the world. Thank you thank you thank you.... you know who you are. *tears again just thinking about that night*

*Excerpts taken from Juvenation; JDRF news blog.... there are big words and even I had to read it 5 times over to understand.... so if you read it and are confused... just know that they are learning more and more about what they need to do to make the body regenerate beta cells and start making insulin on their own... they have only been able to experiment on mice thus far:

"JDRF-funded researchers in Israel found for the first time that a high rate of glucose metabolism - the process in which glucose is converted into energy - prompts existing insulin-producing beta cells to form new beta cells in mice. Published in the April 6 issue of Cell Metabolism, the breakthrough findings give us a new understanding of what actually elicits beta cell regeneration. Regeneration lies not in blood glucose itself, suggests the study, but in the glucose-sensing capability of the beta cell.

So, what does this mean for people with type 1 diabetes? Since glucokinase, rather than glucose itself, was found to be a key factor, the study implies that drugs which activate this enzyme may be more useful in prompting beta cells to regenerate than therapies that raise glucose levels. Elevated glucose levels can lead to complications such as organ damage and can even destroy more beta cells, so the possibility of using therapies that avoid this is excellent news."...*take home point: "excellent news"

*the other exciting thing to us is the development of the Artificial Pancreas, also taken from Juvenation:

"The goal of the project is to develop a closed-loop system to automatically regulate blood sugar levels in people with type 1 diabetes. Ideally, an artificial pancreas system will not only monitor blood sugar and dispense insulin, but also perform other functions, such as dispensing glucagon, similar to that of a pancreas in a person without diabetes. (*another piece of equipment but a HUGE step in the right direction)

If you are still reading and made it through all of that... well done. Your blood sugar is probably low now, so treat yourself to a little snack.

Its My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To, but I'll Look Fabulous Doing it

I hope you have something fun planned for the weekend! My 'team' and I will be attending the JDRF Gala on Saturday night. My husband's younger brother also has type 1, so I have been attending the JDRF fundraisers for 4 years and his family has been involved longer than that. The past two years I have gone to this event with a bit more of an invested interest.... literally.

The Gala features a silent and live auction, dinner, drinks, dancing, fabulously dressed people, and fund raising for research. Just watching all of those people write down their little number in an attempt to win some art work or football tickets is so exciting to me. JDRF gives .85c of every dollar to research, so the dorky side of me wants to walk around with a calculator and add up how much money from each item will be going to research, that will eventually cure my little Bug of this pesky diabetes business. I resist my inner nerd and have a fabulous time.

My friends and family will be there and I am entirely too excited about what I will be wearing.... lace skirt, tank, and a lot a-bit of jewelry. (I am dying to go further into my look for the evening, but this isn't a fashion blog so I'll save it) My nails are done, my tan is sprayed, and my kids will be staying with a more than capable person. I feel like this party is kind of a reward..."you survived another year, so lets party!" My absolute favorite part of the night is when they do something called Fund-a-Cure. The money raised with Fund-a-Cure goes directly to those hard working scientists trying to find a CURE. The auctioneer starts at something like $15,000, or something crazy (and in my budget, unreachable) like that and asks if anyone wants to donate that amount. If they do, (and they DO, people give that amount of money like it's $5... amazing) they hold up their number and every penny of their donation goes directly to research! The auctioneer goes down the scale....$10,000, $5,000, $2,500, and so on down to $50. Watching those little white cards shoot up around the room over and over might be one of the more amazing things I've seen. It is such a visual and tangible way to see how much money is going to directly effect and help our little family manage and, eventually, cure this condition. I am constantly amazed by peoples' generosity and willingness to support this cause. I am tearing up already. Next week I'll be back with a full report and some new facts about the strides being made in research.

Sappy-ness aside... its time to clean up my house and my kids so we can get ready to receive family; my other favorite part about this weekend! Hope yours is sunny and fun-filled!

The Great Debate

Last night at 2 a.m. I was awake. I was standing at my little girl's bedside trying to decide if I should wake her up for a snack or let her sleep. Not really something most smart moms would do, but in our case it has become pretty normal.

We check blood sugar, on average, 6 times during the day and twice during the night. The night time blood sugar checks have become sort of dramatic. Standing there in the dark, wearing a little headlamp, we prick her finger or toe (whichever is most accessible) and check her sugar.... doing our best to not wake her up. And then we wait for those 3 tiny seconds while the glucometer reads her blood sugar. I have been known to jump up and down, give a high five, and even cry after reading that number. There's a neighborhood we want to stay in when it comes to her numbers. If we are higher than we need to be, we have to give her insulin. If the number is lower than we need to be, we have to wake her up and make her eat a snack. A friend of mine once said she "feels like she is water boarding with yogurt" when she has to give a snack at midnight. I don't know how many of you have ever tried to wake a toddler in the middle of the night and make them eat a snack.... but quite often it is done with closed eyes and a little bit of resistance.

Last night as I stood there debating the hostile wake up, I took into account the meal she ate for dinner, the snack she had before bed, and the level of activity she had in between. Her blood sugar was at the lower end of our "neighborhood" and I wanted it to just stay right there for the next 4 hours, but I couldn't be sure. So, as usual.... I guessed. I decided that, selfishly, I was tired and she looked so peaceful and sleepy that I couldn't bring myself to ask her to sit up and "have just a little sip of milk and a bite of a cookie". After a prayer and some time laying awake in bed, debating my decision, I went to sleep.... although, not without saying (out loud) "I'm trusting You, Lord.... make it work"

This morning she awakened with a blood sugar of 60 which is low, but not scary low. Just low enough to get to have apple juice with breakfast.... a little moment of normalcy strikes again.

Today we are off to visit the endocrinologist at our children's hospital. Which is terrifying to my little Bug. I told her that after the Dr. visit, we could paint her nails and have a cupcake. These visits are something like a review that most people get at work from a boss. The doctor comes in, looks at a print out of our numbers for the past 3 months, gives us an A1C number....(not important if you are not living the type 1 life), and then she looks up and tells me how we are doing. Three months of hard work, stress, drama, and literally blood, sweat, and tears..... wrapped up into one statement...."looks like you're doing a pretty good job" To me those words somehow give me the push I need to make it through the next 3 months. If only I could ask for a raise after a good review. Today, I'll settle for a manicure and a cupcake instead.

Have a great Thursday

The Apple of My Happy and Tearful Eyes

My youngest is 6+ months old which means.... baby food; among many other things. But today, it's all about getting ready to feed baby. I've read most of what there is to read on the subject of feeding and nourishing a tiny body.... although, in our case we are feeding and nourishing a good sized, "not fat, but chubby" body. (and I love that about her)

With our first child I did my best to make all of her baby food myself, and I am fully prepared to do the same with the second. By prepared I mean, I have "baby food cookbooks" and a "baby food processor"; its the passion for cooked and mushed asparagus and such that I'm currently lacking. All that to say, I got out my books and special forces and started with.... apples.

As I peeled and chopped apples today I caught myself counting each 1/4 of an apple and adding up the amount of carbohydrates. Then I had a really great, bring-me-to-tears, moment. I realized "I don't have to count carbs for this kid!" I chopped apples with more joy than ever before. For some reason, it just now hit me: this kid has a working pancreas! Although, I must admit that, with the "go ahead! I do it all the time!" from other moms in my situation, I have checked my 6 month old's blood sugar 3 times. (and that was using restraint) There is a part of me that wants to check her blood sugar as often as I do her sister's. I am hopeful (and prayerful) that we will only have to do the diabetes dance once, but if it comes again.... we at least won't be completely in the dark, maybe we'll start in the grey or foggy nighttime or something.

All I know is that for now, I've made 5 cups of apple sauce, I am refusing to count their carbohydrates, and I'm loving every minute of it.

Fun Friday Food Find!

This week at the grocery I discovered something that quickly became the most exciting part of lunchtime. Greek yogurt for kids. I have been feeding myself and my toddler with regular greek yogurt for a while, and quite honestly, I'm not sure what makes the kids version different, except for flavor choices and portion size. All that to say, I'm a sucker for some good packaging and smart marketing. Today, it's all about Chobani Greek Yogurt Champions.... the Champions part makes it kid-friendly, I guess? We are currently enjoying the Very Berry flavor and loving that it is purple and only 12 grams of carbohydrates per cup! (most yogurt in child sized portions and fun flavors is about 17 carbs, and has significantly less yogurt in the cup) So, go get some yogurt and enjoy the probiotics healthifying your tummy!

Have a great Weekend!