The BIG favor

So- I'm completely stressed and anxious. I probably will be for the next month or so given the big favor I've agreed to.

Here's my story...

I have a cousin- we are the same age but at completely different places in our life. She chose to get married when she was 17 and now has 2 beautiful boys (one has T1). Her husband was also very young when they got married, but the reason they chose to do so was because he joined the Marines.

They have moved ALL OVER the country- mainly living in California for the past 6 years in different places, never fully getting settled. I am grateful to say thank you to my cousin's hubby (BG) for his 3 tours of service in Iraq. I am completely and utterly thankful he has made it home 3 times with no more than a back injury.

You have to keep in mind through this story, that although my cousin and I talk on occasion- she's been gone for nearly 8 years. I've only met BG twice in my entire existence and the last time was 6 years ago......my Hubby has never met him.

So, my cousin and her beautiful family have moved back home....in Indiana- about 3 hours away from Hubby and I. She called me very unexpectedly on Monday and I was excited to return her call. They are currently living with BG's father and struggling to get on their feet (very sad- especially after 8 years of service).

Cousin: "Hey- I have a really really big favor to ask of you!"

So she asks me......BG is really struggling to get a job- he needs a license to work as a civilian- his 8 years of service does not get him a job in any company because he needs this specific license to operate heavy equipment. He needs to go back to school....there's a class in my city...

Can he come stay with you guys for 3 weeks?? It will be the end of August or end of September.

My initial reaction was of complete horror....especially since we are in full force baby making mode....kinda disrupts the plans here...maybe.

I told her I would call her back after the Hubby and I had a chance to talk.

What are we supposed to say??? They really need some help and here I am being selfish...nervous...anxious about bringing a family member (yet a complete stranger) into my home. I talk to both my parents and the Hubby and decided that it would be fine after we set a few ground rules.

Ground Rules:

1. I don't cook much....I will clear a shelf in my pantry and he's on his own for food (nor can I fund another eater in my house as we are saving for baby).

2. I'm not getting cable for his room- but when I get home from work- I want to be able to watch what I want on TV in my own home...(what would I do if he's chillin in front of the TV all day)

3. He needs to drive home on weekends- Hubby and I need some space and time- plus we have plans every single weekend....I don't want to feel like I have to entertain.

So- those are the ground rules we kinda discussed...I call cousin back....

I announce that we "gladly will host BG and welcome him into our home."

Her response- thank you- He'll be coming up on August 8th

WTF!!! August 8th- that's basically next week- I thought she said end of August at the earliest- so I question her...

Her response is that he got in the earlier class and it starts August 9th...he's going to come up Sunday night (the 8th) to get settled.

So- I tell her about some of the ground rules....mainly that we expect him to return home on weekends (I left the other 2 out). She then tells me that her and the kids will most likely come up and visit for a few days while he is here...A FEW DAYS? What the fuck is that all about? We have plans during every single weekend...and I'm not giving her full run of my house while we're goine...and 2nd...I have to work! I can't just drop everything and accommodate their instant desire to visit- she didn't even ask.

THEN...here's the kicker folks! She asks me "I have one more HUGE favor to ask of you!"

I brace myself for her question- "He needs another certification class immediately after he comes for the first 3 weeks....would it be possible for him to stay an additional 3 weeks for a GRAND TOTAL of 6 weeks?"

6 FUCKING WEEKS~! ????? NO way...no way...no way....that's an eternity with someone you've never met- and again....baby making....frustrating!

I tell her that I need to discuss with the Hubby and "let's just see how this goes first."

So- now we have company coming to live with us for a definite 3 weeks. We've decided we're going to turn down the 2nd 3 weeks and request he stay somewhere else- she did offer he could stay in a hotel.

I'm losing sleep over this....anxious all the time....and nervous. I think it's mainly because I don't know what to expect.

I feel like I'm being a bit selfish in that family needs to help family- but in my opinion- 6 weeks is a long time.

But...he did serve our country...so I'm torn....

But....what if my cousin comes up with the kids....I can't put my life on hold.


Oh what to do, what to do? I'm completely sick over this.

What would you do? What ground rules would you set? Am I being selfish or reasonable?

And the 3rd year begins...

Happily that is! The Hubby and I had a wonderful 2 year celebration of marriage on Monday! We both had the day off work and decided to spend it doing fun things with little cost. He woke me up and delivered Panara to me in bed- delicious chocolate chip toasted bagel with hazelnut cream cheese- an occasional and scrumptious delight! Although- this was the first time Panara came with hand-delivered fresh flowers- made me smile.

Since the 2nd anniversary is the "cotton" anniversary- I passed along some new cotton boxers for him to graciously wear (and hopefully throw out a few old ones :) TMI- I know...but why do men always wear the boxers with the holes in them...unnecessary in my opinion...but always makes me laugh!

We woke up and headed to the gym after picking up a delicious 5-inch cake from my favorite bakery down the street. The workout made me feel great. Off we headed for a picnic lunch up the road at our local State Park. We had a bottle of wine and some subs- but when we got there...the Cicada's attacked us....literally. They were EVERYWHERE and neither of us enjoyed the hiking moment of bugs flying all around. We did end up finding a nice quiet spot with a picnic table overlooking the lake and we had a very enjoyable lunch.

Because of the Cicada's- we ended up at a local wine tasting shop down the road where we shared a few tastes and opened a bottle of wine- which we finished later on our porch.

Dinner was great and the bottle of champagne we drank later that evening was even better- but we spent most of the day laughing and having a great time. This was our official "baby making" kick-off- so it was even more special. Luckily- I was not fertile during our wild wine and champagne day- so hopefully that will be my last drink for a while :) And...after that evening...I don't really want to look at a drink in a long time!


So tonight I'm extremely thankful for a wonderful husband and a wonderful marriage. I'm completely in love and excited to start having a family together.

This week did start off very stressful though...my cousin asked me a favor...a BIG favor....and I'm still processing as my stomach is in knots....more to come on this soon....just pray for me to have strength and generosity in my heart.

D-Feast Friday- Belated!

It's been a crazy couple of days and I didn't have a chance to post on Friday. Oops- but on a happy note- one of my best friends got married yesterday and we had an absolute blast. I saw some old friends that I haven't seen in years and it was so great catching up. It totally made my weekend!

On another note- D-Feast Friday- must give you/show you my delicious concoction- I made this last week and took pictures- so it's pretty self explanatory- so enjoy! Be sure to chill in the fridge for maximum deliciousness!

Tomato/Cucumber Mozzo Salad

Canoeing and the pump

For our staycation this week, Hubby and I have decided to do a couple of day trips. Today....it was canoeing.

I have never been canoeing in my entire life and to say that I was not terrified would be a complete lie. However, the Hubby really really wanted to try it and so what the heck, I thought I'd give it a try. We looked up some local canoeing rental places and picked one about a half hour from where we live on a big creek.

My first question was....."what do we do if the canoe tips?"

My second questions was..."what the heck am I going to do about my pump?"

The canoe trip was roughly 6 miles and could take up to 4 hours to complete...so going without the pump for that long could have posed a problem. I pushed off an exact plan until this morning.

I got on minimed's website and tried to see if they made any "waterproof case" for my pump....nothing- although I read that many people use the sports pack....not sure about that. Let me know if that has worked for you.

So, this morning we got up and ready to go and I double bagged my meter, my phone, and my camera. I tested before we left and my blood sugar was fairly stable. Then the Hubby brought up a good point- canoeing is going to be exercise, so perhaps I didn't need my pump at all.

Good point....so I took it off and left it in the car...I was at 148.

We canoed for a little over 3 hours and had a complete blast. We didn't tip at all....although there were a few close calls. Every time we came to a point in the creek that had rapids, our boat got turned around and we sailed through backwards almost the entire time. We did see many turtles and even saw a HUGE fish jump out of the water. It was really exciting and we laughed almost the entire time.

We made it back, sunburned and tired, but safe and sound. I tested again when we got back to the car and I was at 136....Yay! Not a bad number for being off the pump for 3+ hours!

So, the moral of the story....don't let the pump keep you from canoeing!

Veggie Delight and Staycation update!

I'm loving "veggie week." I really am. I'm on day 4 and I feel fabulous and I've been eating delicious food. The Hubby and I grilled out last night and had the most delicious mix of fresh vegetables. For a snack on Friday, I stopped at the farmer's market and ate a delicious half pint of fresh blackberries- YUMMY! I was actually documenting something I made for this blog, but now I'm going to save it for D-Feast Friday- which I'm super pumped about! So check back and see my easy and delicious concoction!

Staycation has been fabulous so far. Yesterday we went to a local art festival. I saw some awesome photography that I would have liked to purchase but I was unsure where to put it, so we were just lookers for the day and came home with nothing- but it was fun. We saw Inception yesterday evening- great movie- I love the kind where you have to actually think....

So, we grilled out veggie style last night and cracked open a bottle of wine from our Napa vacation. 2 bottles and a couple of beers later = me wondering how I got to bed last night! We had so much fun though- we sat out on our front porch and talked and drank...and drank some more. The second bottle was not even that great but we managed to swiftly drink it down. The neighbors brought over some cupcakes at one point-I'm pretty sure that was havoc on the blood sugar...but I didn't really think about it and that felt great!

I'm taking a break from the sensor for a couple days. I want to remember a sense of normalcy and it feels really good to not have to worry about the sensor falling off from sweating too much in this heat or coming undone in the shower- it's the little things! But I did like the "thigh spot" and plan on using it again- maybe I'll even get brave and try it on my arm....anyone have luck with that?

This will make your hair stand up!

Literally!

Today at work (I work at a science museum)- I was scheduled with one of my co-workers to learn about our ElectroStatic Generator...you know....the machine that makes your hair stand up or can send a shock to your fingertip!

Anyway- I was all super excited to learn this crazy new trick- as I was preparing for an upcoming workshop where I wanted to show the little kids a really cook trick and teach them something about lightning and static electricity!

Anyway- my poor co-worker goes through the ENTIRE training with me....and then says, I want you to come up here and try this- you have to FEEL the shock before you can do it with small children. So, I anxiously jump up on a stool so that I was not grounded.

She looks at me and says, "first, you have to lose all that stuff!" (as she pointed to a radio I was wearing AND my insulin pump).

I said back, "but I can't take that off, it's my insulin pump and I need it."

She says, "then you can't do this- it has the potential to either shock your pump or completely drain your battery."

UH OH- I contemplated this for a minute and thought- well, I could really just take it off and move it really really far away from me- then I would be fine...right?

NOPE! Hello- the stupid little transmitter battery from my CGM sensor is still attached to my body....and I WOULD NOT want to drain the battery from that sucker....that would cost me nearly $600.

So, no new science experiments for me....thanks Diabetes for getting in the way of my fun! You suck.

I told you this post would make your hair stand up!

A little bit sad...

Last night before I went to bed, I was feeling a little bit sad. I think part of it is friends all around me are pregnant or giving birth. I'm an avid "facebooker" and it seems that Facebook has turned into "Babybook." I'm okay with that too, it's just that it feels that many of my friends have what I want. I know I will get there one day and I'm over it today, it was just weird to feel a little sad- it was sort of hard to explain...to myself and the Hubby- so I didn't.

On a brighter note, I'm on vacation starting on Friday afternoon for a whole week and a day! I'm super pumped about my "staycaction" and looking forward to small day trips and a happy 2nd year anniversary with the hubby! Did you know that your second year anniversary is the "cotton anniversary?" I think that calls for some new boxers or something!

I haven't been very good with eating over the past couple days- maybe that is the link to my sadness? The hubby and I were chatting about eating and I think we're going to try and eat vegetarian for a week and see what happens. Anyone have any good recipes?

Perhaps I can drop the 10 pounds I want to drop in time for a happy anniversary celebration and in time to find a new dress for the upcoming 6 weddings we have before September...OY!

Psych out!

Today was the day of all Psych outs!

I've been inserting infusion sets for almost 4 years now and I'm just now to the point where I can push the button without any hesitation. For every painful insertion, it takes me another 4-5 months to get myself the point to just "do it." You'd think I would just get used to it. Now that I'm there with the infusion set, the CGM sensor has taken its place.

If you've read about my frustrations with the CGM, I've decided to try inserting the sensor in a new location with a suggestion from Scully at Canadian D-gal. Thanks Scully for the advice, but I was completely terrified to try inserting the sensor anywhere but my abdomen. So, today was the day I decided to try the thigh- she said she had better results from the thigh- so I figured I would have nothing to lose.

So, I'm standing with all my crap out ready to just stick it in the thigh- no biggie right? But then, I started psyching myself out. My Hubby was laying on the bed trying to be all supportive as I began asking him these questions...my psych out begins!

"Do you think this is going to hurt?"- as if he as ANY idea- I was just looking for him to say "of course not!"

"What's the worst thing that could happen...it could hurt right?"

"I can deal with pain for 2 minutes- afterall, in an hour I'll forget about it."

All these things I kept staying as I stood there with the sen-serter handy on the thigh- but I couldn't pull the trigger.

Psych out continues...

"Do you think this is the right spot? This is considered my thigh right?"

"Are you sure this is my thigh?"

"Can you count to 3 for me...then I'll push the button...actually..can you push the button for me?"

"There are people in the world who go through a lot more pain than this right?" (as I thought about my co-worker who just donated a kidney)

"Just do it, just do it, just do it (as I'm breathing like I'm in labor)."

The Hubby was really really supportive- but I continued to psych myself out- to the point where I put the sen-serter down several times.

But then..I took a deep breath...AND

IT DIDN'T HURT!

So I say..."that was NOT bad at all!"

So far, I'm really really happy with the sensor on the thigh, so hopefully I'll get better results...and if I don't...oh well! Thanks Skully for the suggestion- I now know that it doesn't really hurt that bad, so hopefully next time it will take me less than 20 minutes to push the button!

Isn't it ridiculous what we say to ourselves? Anybody else do this or say crazy things?

My one and only post about basketball

LeBron James- you suck! How dare you betray the city you came from, the city I CAME from. Cleveland needs a break and you just ruined all our hopes and dreams for selfish reasons. Seriously...MIAMI? So you can party up and drink with your friends in the warm weather? Lame excuse...do not go on TV and claim that Cleveland will always be home...you just betrayed your home...and now we will all betray you.

Curse on Miami...Let's go CAVS!

Please don't hit your children.....

This is a true and begging plea. PLEASE DO NOT hit your children. It is not okay to punch your kid in the face, twist their arm, call them fucking morons or tie them up to a stroller. YES- these are all experiences I've witnessed over the past year and I hope I've witnessed my last one today. This makes my job miserable, does horrible things for my blood sugar, and makes me want to run across the room and tackle the person abusing.

As a supervisor, I witness many things on a daily basis regarding parenting. Being an Early Childhood Specialist is no easy task, especially when things such as the above happen. Today, as I was interrupted in my meeting, a woman (in a public place mind you) was literally punching her child in the face until his nose began to bleed. By the time I got to the location, I was unable to witness but took the accounts of witnesses all around. As our safety team jumped in to help clean up the nose bleed, safety officer #1 noticed bruises all over the kid's (about 5 yrs) body. When she questioned him, he replies "I have bruises and cuts all over my body." I jump in to take action, prepare to call 911, when stupid mom caught on I was watching and bolted for the door. As she headed out, repeatedly hitting her child and twisting his arm, I followed after her. We were fortunate enough to get a license plate number and make/model of her car...but come on people. WHY DO YOU HIT YOUR CHILDREN? NOT OKAY!

I made a call to Children's Services and they assured me they will follow up. Luckily we had more than one witness and I gave them all the info- they assured me that they can use the license plate number to follow up- since it was a face injury- she assured me this. I must have faith in the system, I must have faith in the system, I must have faith in the system.....

UGH- horrible horrible horrible. So many people WANT to raise healthy and happy children and these morons out there are ruining our children, people who don't even want them or respect them or value you them for their uniqueness.

So do me a favor, when you see a child being abused, please make the call and report it...have faith in the system!

Sorry for the fiery post- this is one thing I ABSOLUTELY do not tolerate.

Fireworks Over Toccoa

So...this book is by Jeffry Stepakoff and I loved it! It was a perfect and easy short read for the 4th of July holiday. However, it made me count my blessings. When I finished the book, I went over and crawled in Hubby's lap and just hugged him for 5 minutes.

I couldn't imagine not being with the one I love...and for that...I'm thankful.

I had a great weekend but complained mainly about not having "official plans" for the holiday. We mainly layed around most of the morning and then hiked about 5 miles (without a low blood sugar!). We had a great dinner and time with friends, but it felt like a normal day...and not like the 4th of July. I was even kind of upset that we failed to put up the flag on our porch this year....and I think I was mainly said because I was not with my family or in the company of amazing friends as we were last year when my best friend got married.

However, in the midst of unnecessary sadness, the Hubby and I lit sparklers on the back deck. We used a candle to light them and wrote I love you's in the air and danced around like kids. The neighbors were setting off some pretty good fireworks, so we were able to take in a moment to ourselves and I loved it.

It made me long and desire for a time when little kids will be running around in the backyard catching fireflies or with sparklers in hand, watching the excitement in their eyes as their sparklers sizzle in a bucket of water after their short life of beauty. These are the possibilities in the years ahead and I'm excited, but thankful to share it all with him :)


On a side note- Granny's 80th birthday went off very well! The first things she said to me as she put her hand on my stomach and patted was "do you have something special in there for me?" Unfortunately not and I didn't know whether to take that as a sign of what she wanted or a sign of what she saw of my bulging stomach- but I'm going to think it's a nice birthday wish! Plus, we laughed a lot about it :)

Diabetic Delights! Yum!

Off work today and preparing for Hubby's Granny's 80th birthday- so I made a few diabetic delights!


I wouldn't recommend this Texas Crunch if you're trying to control blood sugar...but it's so delicious!

So, I made this as well....yes, it's only these 3 ingredients and very Diabetic Friendly...really!




Which then turns into this yummy looking fruit dip- great with pineapple, strawberries, grapes, cantelope and watermelon!
Stir the yogurt and cool whip together. Add the powder from the sugar free/fat free pudding...whip it in and let it sit in your fridge for several hours or overnight. Then whip it up (so the pudding kinda does its job!) YUMMY!





Happy 4th of July everyone! Enjoy!

15 in the mail!

Well I did it! With tremendous help and encouragement from the Hubby, I mailed out 15 cover letters and resumes today! I guess that means I'm officially on the job hunt. After today's work day, I'm extremely happy about this and excited for prospective calls in the next few weeks. I've decided that if I don't get any calls at all, then it maybe is not the right time to make such a big change, but I'm secretly hoping they call...and all of them :)

The blood sugar has been really good over the past few days- all under 120 and only going low a few times. Working out has continued to be difficult but I've managed with keeping a positive attitude and help of hubby encouragement. We did some ab work a couple days ago, ohhhh myyyy goddd!! Killing me today to even bend over...but it feels good to hurt :)

I'm sure the blood sugars will be shot this weekend. I'm baking tonight and getting ready for Hubby's Granny's 80th birthday party. I'm excited for amazing family time but not excited for the sugars to come. I'm going to try reallly really hard to keep it under control and not go overboard with eating...like I tend to do!


On a side note....watched Shutter Island last night...CREEPY!