We chopped us down some holiday tradition.

We rode off to a localish Christmas tree farm this past Sunday to chop down some holiday tradition.

Pro: It was a sunny, beautiful 45 degree day.
Con: It was a sunny day, so sunny and bright that picture taking was hard because we glowed, our skin that is.

Let's start off with 2 obligatory christmas tree farm pictures.........

 

 

 

and then continue with an artsy one....

and bring it full circle with a little family picture.....

 

See, pretty sunny but pretty fun.

I had decided this year randomly that I wanted to use a big ol' galvanized bucket for a tree stand. AJ so sweetly rigged up a way to make that a reality. Rig on rig on my sweet husband.

 

See. A bucket.

 

 

These are kinda the only pictures we took this year of us decorating the tree.....

 

 

Yeah, mind blowing.

 

But we did take these......

 

 

Yayy for the holiday season!

 



A Day with Type 1 Diabetes: Insulin Pumpin

Back last March, I did my first "A Day with Type 1 Diabetes" post. At that time I was doing multiple daily injections therapy, which ended up usually being between 8-10 shots a day. Good times. Now, I'm an insulin pump therapy girl. If you've read my blog any other time before, then you know how much I love my insulin pump compared to multiple daily injections.  Let's just be dramatic for a minute and let me say that my insulin pump changed my diabetes life. Now, let's not be dramatic and say yes, my daily life with type 1 diabetes still isn't normal but my life with type 1 diabetes is now less intrusive compared to before in my very important humble opinion.

 

First, let me officially introduce you to my pump. and I'll do so by posting an awkward picture of me posing with it.

Ok cool.

 

It was a Friday..........

 

******************************************************************

 





1am - This diabetes day started early. Before bed at around 11pm on Thursday night, I checked my blood sugar and it was 46mg/dL. That's really low (normal range for typical people is 70-120mg/dL). So I ate 4 Starbursts to raise my blood sugar back up into a good safe range and went to bed. At around 1am I woke up and laid there and thought to myself "Did I wake up cause my blood sugar is low or did I wake up cause AJ was moving around?" I didn't feel like my blood sugar was low but decided to check it. It was 53 mg/dL. Low again. I said a little thank you prayer for waking up and then ate 4 more Starbursts.

 

 

9am- I know you're thinking "Courtney, you don't wake up till 9am?" I was sick this day and canceled any obligations I had the night before. Checked my blood sugar 103mg/dL. Perfect!

 

 

 

 

Then I made coffee and before I drank it I grabbed my pump and typed in how much insulin I wanted it to give me and pushed ACT. The pump then starts pumping the correct amount of insulin into my body through a little tube that is already inserted into the skin and fat of my stomach.

 

 

Noon - I'm hungry for lunch and decide that since I'm sick cough cough that I should go get Panera to help make me feel better. I look up the nutritional info of the meal I want at Panera so that I will know in advanced how much insulin to tell my pump to give me before I eat. I'm just concerned with the red circled carbohydrates number.

 

 

Before I hop in the car, I check my blood sugar again to make sure it's in a safe range to drive. 101 mg/dL = great.

 

 

Right before I eat, I type in the number of grams of carbs I'm about to eat into my pump and have it calculate the amount of insulin I should take.

 

 

2pm - I check my blood sugar about 2 hours after eating lunch to make sure my number is good. It was 112mg/dL. I like that.

 

 

6pm - I tend to get low blood sugar around this time of the day since it's around dinner time. I wasn't planning on eating dinner for another hour but check my blood sugar just to see if my body was good. For some crazy, unexplained reason (diabetes can be very unpredictable) my blood sugar is a little, little high at 123 mg/dL. This is crazy to me since I haven't eaten anything since around noon today. It may just be running higher than normal this time of the day cause I'm sick. Who knows. So I tell my pump to give me a little insulin to bring my blood sugar down a bit.

 

 



7pm - Friday's date night around here. The 3 of us head out to dinner (AJ, Court, and pump).

 

Dinner consisted of lots of insulin, I think I told my pump to give me about 8 units. I had to guess on how much insulin I needed because the restaurant we went to doesn't provide nutritional information about their meals. Pretty annoying. Oh and dinner also consisted of a really cute man.

 

8:30pm - After dinner I had to check my blood sugar to see how accurate my guessing was.

129mg/dL I'll take it! but I did tell my pump to give me about a unit more of insulin to bring my blood sugar done a little more.

8:45pm - We went and got ice cream. Ice cream is my most favorite food in the world but it is really hard on my blood sugar. So when I do eat it, I have to take lots of insulin and check my blood sugar at least once every 20-30 minutes for at least 2 hours after I finish eating it. It takes a lot of work to safely eat it but it's always worth it. So I ended up checking my blood sugar 4 more times before bed after eating ice cream.

9:15pm - We got home and AJ wanted to check his blood sugar for fun because he was curious to see what it was after eating ice cream for a typical person. His blood sugar was 112mg/dL. Why don't you and your working pancreas brag about it? I then decided to make it a competition and check to see what my blood sugar was compared to his. Mine was 103mg/dL. Win for the artificial pancreas.

 

 

9:45pm - Another blood sugar check

10:15pm -Anther blood sugar check

10:30pm - When you're married you can happily go to bed at 10:30pm on a Friday night. I check my blood sugar once more before bed and it's a low 61mg/dL. So I reluctantly shove 3 glucose tablets in my mouth. Glucose tablets taste like huge Smarties. The last thing my body wanted after eating ice cream was sugar tablets.

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There it is! What a day with type 1 diabetes can look like with an insulin pump.

 

love,

the 2 of us

 

Non-notable Friday

-Cough cough, I'm sick

-My Christmas wishlist this year mostly contains dishes. Cute dishes. and I'm excited about it.

-Tomorrow I'm going to post another "Day in the life of type 1 diabetes" but it will be the insulin pump edition. I know, try to control your excited spirit fingers. Diabetes awareness month started last Thursday and I was planning on doing lots of diabetes related post this month but I'm behind. So I'll start tomorrow over a week late.

-On the topic of spirit fingers, did you know these existed? I believe I'm appalled.

appalledpast participle, past tense of ap·pall

Verb: Greatly dismay or horrify

 

Yes. I'm appalled.

 

I refuse to give the source of this picture.

-Pinterest is now offering "secret boards". I love this news. It's going to be great for pinning gifts, party ideas, and non of your business stuff.

-We found out last weekend that our lease for our current home ends mid-May. Since we only have about 6 months left here (here being this infrastructure), I'm now in the stage where I refuse to do anything else to this place. No more decorating until we move into our new place that doesn't yet exist. I find this lack of a creative outlet depressing, but my heart will go on Celine Dion style.

-Brag on husband time. Look what surprise I came home to last week...........

-In other news, I'm already craving Thanksgiving stuffing.

November is

Diabetes Awareness Month

 

 

Time to get wild and aware!!!

and then I was like "Hey................."

and then I was like "Hey, I graduate in less then 7 months ahhhhhness."

and then I was like "Hey, I can't cook with pumpkin puree because everything I try to make turns out soggy."

and then I was like "Hey, I don't care to hear about or feel sympathy for your dog who had diabetes so just stop."

and then I was like "Hey, I want long hair this winter, hair grow please."

and then I was like "Hey, doing even an hour of homework is painful these days."

and then I was like "Hey, my crock pot is holding its own this fall."

and then I was like "Hey, to say I have a hard working husband is beyond an understatement, he's the best." 

I'm loving right now...

*Old Navy's Vintage V-Necks. These are rocking my world. Round of applause for Old Navy cause they perfected the basic v-neck shirt this season. Ohhhh the layering you can do with these....

See I really like them.

 

*Being stocked up on medical supplies. Nothing feels better than receiving a big medical supply shipment and picking up prescriptions. Makes you feel like you can conquer the world, or at least makes you feel like you can stay alive for the next coming months.

 

 

*This blanket from Tj Maxx. It's by Storehouse. Yeah I've never heard of them either. Yes it's crazy soft and cozy but more importantly it's crazy cute.

 

*QVC still. Duh. I've been finding myself slowly drifting more and more to this channel as the holidays approach.

  

*This next thing I'm loving right now I'm a little hesitant to share because it's a place I've been buying lots of statement jewelry from for cheap (I'm talking between $10-$20) and they are compliment inducing. Their accessories actually look more fancy pants in person than you would think. Since I'm sharing my secret with you this means we are BFFs...............it's Windsor.  Disclaimer: I've only bought accessories for them so I can't really say if their clothing looks cheap or not so buy at your own risk.

 

I'm currently waiting for these 2 to come in the mail.

 

If you're thinking "Courtney those necklaces look just alike, why do you need 2 turquoise necklaces?" Then I say, you are either my husband or father. Are you? Cause that's what they will both think when they read this. Boy brains......

 

*Target candles. I know right? Target has great candles. and a lot cheaper than Patriot Candle. I'm loving their wood wick candles this fall.

 

  Pumpkin candle crackling mmmhhmmm fall

 

*Personal Style blogs. Yeah I'm hard core loving them right now. They just inspire inspire cuteness. I've only just discovered this type of blogging over the summer. Have you yet? Here are some of my favorites:



                          

The Daybook

frills for thrills

To Brighten My Day

Glitter and Grace

 

 



A Message to Diabetes

Diabetes you're gonna come in here and kick my ask? I'm gonna kick your ask.

and folks that pretty much makes me a good wife.

I've never been a sports fan. Nope. A sports fan of any kind I am not. But since I married AJ, I am now a Nascar fan by marriage. So I've decided to embrace it.

 

this is a picture of me embracing it

 

Cause it makes this guy really, really happy.

 

 

and folks that pretty much makes me a good wife.

 

Proof.

 

2 Years

AJ and I celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary this past week. Yayy gooo 2 years!!

We both agreed that our first year of marriage seemed to go by so so fast and we were kinda shocked when it was time to celebrate it. But this second year seemed to go by just right. It didn't seem to go by fast or slow, it just seemed like yes, it has been another year, let's celebrate.

On the actually day of our anniversary we were up in PA. The day consisted of lots of fun events like taking a bus tour around Pittsburgh and a nighttime river boat cruise which were all fun and great but they also involved bunches of other men doing those activities with us. So on Friday night once we were back home, we decided to celebrate 2 years of wedded amazingness doing something intimate and alone that is very special to our hearts, well really my heart. AJ drove me an hour and a half to the nearest Steak n' Shake. Let's just say my husband knows what his wife likes and knows how to make her happy. I love him.

We also took our now annual wedding anniversary photos.  I hope we really make this a habit and continue taking random and informal pictures of ourselves on our anniversary every year. It would be so fun to look back at pictures of us just being us at the same time every year.

Here's some pictures of our 1 year wedding anniversary photo shot. Doesn't get more informal than pjs.......

and year 2's

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and there's a little too much AJ and Courtney for you.