Where did my little babies go?

Tas is potty trained. Chance is pricking his own finger. Now, the boys are into clothes and matching them. Yesterday, I was getting Chacne dressed and he told me that he wanted to wear his yellow Nike sneakers because they matched the yellow stripe on his pants! Heath responded to this by telling me that I am turning our sons into metrosexuals at the age of two!

Papa Ralph and Grandma Ro sent the boys a box of clothes from Old Navy yesterday. The boys could not be more excited to try these on, remove the tags and model them while I took their photo. Then, wanted to wear them to school today. Too funny!

Where did my little babies go? Their little boys now....

Fabulous Day

The boys had a great time today with their best buddy Sophie at the Durham Life and Science museum. Chance held an Owl butterfly to the amazement of Tas and Sophie and all the other kids in the butterfly house. One noteworthy item this weekend is that Chance is now pricking his own finger. He wipes it with the alcohol swab then pricks it with the lancer! Just amazing! I am going to discuss this with their teachers next week about letting him do this at school. He does a very good job with it and it makes him feel like he is in control.

Last night, thanks to Aunt Ladonna and Uncle Charles I had a night out with Holly and Kymberly. We went for dinner and had a very nice evening. Carrie - we missed you!

Novalog - results!

We have great news! In the three weeks that Chance has been on Novalog insulin, we have seen significant improvement in his BG numbers and his overall disposition.

Out of 123 of Chance's BG readings in the last three weeks:

Only 1 was under 60

Only 4 were over 300

His average BG is 170

We're back to 3 day site changes!

Also, on the news front, Tas is pooping on th potty every morning!

I love you Mommy

So, I just can't take a break from blogging. So much is happening.  Everyday, I think I should blog about this. Due to my overwhelming urge to blog, I have decided to blog and work on the book in tandem. I also did not realize how many people were reading my blog until I announced I was taking a break.

This past Saturday, Tas pooped in the potty! He came up to me in my bathroom with his diaper in his hand and said "Mommy, I have to poop." I quickly picked him up and put him on our toilet. And, out the poop came! I told him how excited I was that he pooped on the potty and called Heath up to see. We made a big fuss about it and even called a few people to tell them. Tas was so proud.

The other significant event on Saturday was that we started Chance on Novalog. We did this becasue we were doing every other day site changes when we should be doing every three days. I had talked to a bunch of diabetics and another mother of a two year old who said there is no question this insulin is better - and they were right! Chance's numbers have been great since we switched and yesterday we were able to stretch his site change till this morning - making it three days! YAY! It is not fun doing every other day site changes - not for Chance and not for us.

We have found the Novalog to be faster acting and more effective hence causing us to reduce some of Chance's overnight basal levels by 10%. Overall, Chance is a happier camper.

Saturday night, we used our new sitter who is a type 1 diabetic. Her name is Melissa and she is wonderful. The boys loved her and it went well. Heath and I went out to Solas in Raleigh for dinner to further celebrate our one year diabetes anniversary. It really is a big deal that we all made it through our first year and have come out of it knowledgeable and in control.

This week has been a busy week at work - a good thing. I like being busy! Today, I was walking at lunch and crossed paths with John, a coworker whom I used to work with. I am embarrassed to say that I wasn't very nice to him - we just rubbed each other the wrog way. He is a diabetic and has been since he was young. I said hi and stopped him. I told him that my 2 year old son is a diabetic and that I had no idea what he was going through. And, that I was sorry if I wasn't nice to him. We ended up talking to him for a bit. He said the biggest thing is accept that sometimes Chance's numbers will be good and bad and this was just the way diabetes is.  I think I had come to this acceptance on my own, but great to hear from a long time diabetic.

The boys chattered all the way home in the carthis afternoon telling me about all kinds of stuff they did and wanted to do. We went "shopping" - one of their favorite pastimes - at Harris Teeter. Then, home for dinner. After dinner, Tas came running up to me in the bathroom and said he was pooping. He had started to poop in his pants but I put him on the potty and he pooped in the toilet. He asked me to go get Daddy so Heath could see. 

I did not tell Heath that Tas had already pooped in his pants a little because I did not want to spoil the moment. Tas was so proud of himself! Heath came in and made a big fuss.

Tonight, we reach a new milestone in our family - taking away Tas' pacie. It is funny how a baby transitions into a child. It sneaks up on you. Before you know it, your little baby has become a little boy. It seemed slow whie it was going by, but fast in retrospect. It is time for Tas to let go of his pacie.

At bedtime. I looked around for Tas' pacie becasue I was going to cut the tip off in the start of the weaning process, but I couldn't find it. Tas asked for his pacie and I told him that Baby Atticus had come and took it becasue it is for the little babies. Then, he said, the "train had taken it to Atticus". And I said, "sure the train took it". It wasn't my plan to go cold turkey, but that is what we did since I couldn't find it. Chance said he wanted to go to Atticus' house to get it for Tas. Later, I found the pacie under the sofa, which I put away.

While I was reading to the boys, Tas said "I love you Mommy" (the first time he has told me this) and I told him I loved him too. He then gave me a kiss and a hug. How sweet! These are the moments I want to capture in my mind so I can cherish them forever. One day, I will look back on the moment with a smile.

Chance couldn't have been happier at bedtime. And why shouldn't he be? He is on a new insulin that is making him feel even better.

My Blog

I am going to be taking a short break from writing my blog until October 30th, which is the date of the Walk for the Cure.

One of the items on my bucket list is to be a published author. The year that I got pregnant, I had a book deal in the works for me through SAS to write about the Casino industry, an area that I am very focused on at work. Then, I got pregnant with our boys and decided that the timing was not right for me to take on such an endevour. It would have put a lot of pressure on me after the boys were born to travel and promote my book at Gaming conferences globally and that was not my priority.

The goal for this first year blog was twofold - 1. update family and friends about our family advantures and 2. document our first year of dealing with diabetes. After doing this for a year, I have decided to take 6 weeks off to compile the content to be published most importantly for our boys. I want them to have something that can give them insight on this significant year of our lives. Something that will show them what their parents are made of and how surrounded by love they are by family and friends. Something for them to show their own children and look back on when they are older and we are all gone. I also plan to submit the manuscript to a few publishing houses hopefully with the help of JDRF. I believe the content of this first year blog could really benefit other newly diagnosed families.

As we start our second year of diabetes, we have made a decision to yet again give him the most leading edge care as possible. Today, we switched Chance over to a newer insulin called Novalog. It is supposed to be quicker acting and a more stable molecule making it a much better insulin for pumpers. We are hopeful that this new insulin will improve his care even more.

Until October 30th......

September 17, 2009

One year ago today, I was entertaining a business partner out at Prestonwood Country Club. I had an afternoon appointment to take Chance to see his pediatrician because I had noticed he was peeing and drinking a lot. I knew it was something that he should be checked out, but figured that it was not anything life threatening and that it should be OK to proceed with my business meeting.

Around 3:30 pm, I picked up Tas and Chance from their daycare class. Kathy, their teacher, was very concerned and said that Chance blew through his diapers all day, had even wet the sheets on his cot during his nap and was very lethargic. She had written down all the water he consumed and all the diapers she had changed. She said to me "in my 25 years of being a teacher that I have never seen anything like this" and she was right, she hadn't.

Heath thought I was nuts for taking Chance to the doctor. Chance had just gotten over hand, foot and mouth disease so he thought the excessive thrist was related to this. Carita and Marshall had just arrived in town for a 3 week visit.

I arrived at the pediatrician who is our friend Dr. Sherri and explained Chance's symptoms. She ordered a variety of tests including blood work and several other tests like for strep to try to find the culrpit of the thirst. She said it was very improbable it was diabetes that she had never seen a case at this age. She left the room and the nurse came in to run the tests. She did a finger prick. The meter registered HIGH, but she did not explain to me what this meant. Then, she left.

Dr. Sherri came back in and said all the tests were negative. I asked her what about the "HIGH" blood test and she said she would be right back. She came back in a few minutes later and told me Chance had to go to the hospital and that she had already called him into Big Wake. She told me to go directly there and not make any stops that this was a serious situation. I left in dispair and asked her to please locate Heath at work to let him know. I did make one stop to drop Tas home and leave him with Carita and Marshall since he was with us.

When I arrived at Big Wake, there was a nurse at the door waiting for me. She radioed to the staff in the ER that the "hyperglycemic toddler has arrived". I later learned that HIGH means over 500, but we never did get the actual reading of where he was at upon diagnosis. I believe it was in the high 500 range.

We went back into the emergency room and they immediately started taking more blood tests and hooked Chance up to an IV where they would begin insulin therapy to carefully and slowly bring down his blood sugar levels without crashing him. He was also dehydrated since his kidneys were on overdrive to flush out all the sugar in his system. Heath arrived and we were given the devastating news that Chance had type 1 diabetes. He would be insuin dependent for the rest of his life until a cure was found. Heath was completey distraught. I was in shock, but determined to keep it together for Chance and our family's sake. After a few hours, I suggested that Heath go home to get some sleep and he did.

All night long, every hour, nurses came in to do a blood test to check Chance's blood sugar and vitals. It was really awful becasue they kept trying to unsuccessfully insert a second IV in his other arm for a blood tap since they needed to take so much blood. They would pin him down and he would scream. I never left his side. I wanted him to know that we were in this together even though the nurses suggested I leave the room during the IV attempts. Doctors and nurses came in all night too to offer comforting words to me as a parent and offer advice.

Finally, around 4 am, I asked the nurses to stop trying for the second IV and they agreed. A young male nurse came in and suggested that we try having Chance sit on my lap for the blood test instead of pinning him down. Remarkably, this worked and he didn't cry. From then on, we did the test this way with no crying.

The next morning, Chance was downgraded from critical and was moved to a private room in the pediatric wing of Big Wake. A really nice room with great toys and staff for kids. They even brought a dog around to play with him. I was amazed by the care he received. Aunt Lala and Heath came up. Aunt Lala brought Froggie whom to this day is still a favorite snuggly for Chance.

Chance spent a few days in the hospital while we learned Chance's diabetes care. Heath and I rotated nights of staying there. We had the opportunity to meet Dr. Lagarde whom is Chance's current endocrinologist and plays a major role in his care. We were told that I had caught this very early before Chance's blood got too acidic and he became DKA, which is a very dangerous and life threatening situtation.

Then, just like when you bring a newborn home, we were told we could go home and were released to figure this out by ourselves with a 24 hour hotline to trained diabetes educators. It was really scary. I think scarier than when we first brought the boys home.

Only one year later, Chance is doing remarkably well and we have some serious hope for revolutionary new treatments and a cure in Chance's lifetime. Much more hope than even a year ago. Heath and I are extremely proud of how well Chance and Tas have adjusted to our new routine. We are also proud of ourselves for the superior care we have given Chance.

Tonight, we all (Tas and Chance too) went out with close friends and their kids to celebrate that Chance (and us) survivied our first year of diabetes. That we made it though and are thriving with this new normal.

Bandera and San Francisco

Well there couldn't be two more opposite places to visit - Bandera, TX and San Francisco, CA, but this is where I have been for the last two weeks.

The whole family traveled to Bandera to celebrate the magnificent event of Carita's 75th day of gracing this earth. After all the festivities, we had our own private celebration - a summit of Enchanted Rock. A one mile roundtrip up and back on slick rock with fabulous views of the hill country at the top. The boys, Carita, Heath and I partook in this activity. Carita and Chance were troopers and took the hike as if they did this every day. When we got to the top, there were pools of water from where Tropical Strom Hermine had depositied some rain. We took off the boys clothes except for their jerseys and they swam and frolicked. Oh to be 2 and so carefree!

Chance had the most positive attitude going up and back, saying "Mommy, I can do it!" for which I replied "Chance, everytime you summit a mountain you are looking diabetes in the face and defeating it." He was just over 400 when we stared and 71 when we got back down if that tells you the amount of effort to go up and back.

Some other highlights of our Bandera trip include a visit to Luckenbach to hear some awesome Texas music, live music by the Hales on Carita

and Marshall's front porch and at Mac and Ernies AND a visit to their very cool and ecletic home with the giant century plant and wonderful swimming hole, and the Labor Day Bandera festivities with the family.

Of course, Carita and Marshall couldn't have been more gracious hosts particularly all the food and Marshall cardboarding the do not touch items so we didn't have to send the week saying "no" every two seconds while the boys touched all Marshall's prized possessions.

Fast forward to this week. We returned on Saturday, September 11th and I jumped on a plane on Monday, September 13th. Honestly, I ran to the plane. It has been a long summer with two vivacious toddlers.

I went to San Fran for a west coast team meeting. I now have three folks out there or half my team. I stayed at a wonderful "green" boutique hotel called the Orchard Garden Hotel. There was a rooftop deck where we had drinks one evening. I spent time at Nordstrom, walking the Union Sqare area, working a bunch and went for some very nice dinners and lunches. A highlight was a group dinner at the "Slanted Door" down on the bay. The trip was a very nice break from home and was fantastic to have me and my west coast team together for two days. Definitely, a power summit of ideas.

Back home on the red-eye last night, and in the office today so I didn't miss a beat. Tonight, was tantrum city at home, then happy campers after a walk and a bath.

Giving Back

One of the positives that has come out of our last 11 months of dealing with diabetes has been the opportunity for Heath and I to give back to the diabetes community and strive for "the cure", which is now clear that we will see in Chance's lifetime. Yesterday, Heath and I were the family keynote speakers for the 2010 JDRF Triangle Chapter Walk Luncheon. We were asked to speak for 5-7 minutes to a group of about 350 people. Our dear friend Andy (Oskar's Mom) gave the research update in which she said "this is not a walk for a cure, it is a race for the finishline" - we are getting that close!


Heath and I did a tag team approach and decided to focus on the positives rather than the obvious negatives. I spoke about the past 11 months and the fact that we are approaching Chance's 1 year anniversary of being diagnosed, Heath spoke about the positives diabetes has brought into our lives, I spoke about how well Chance is doing almost a year into this, Heath spoke about how excited we are about all the research, and we wrapped up that we are hopeful for Chance's future that he will be free of this disease one day.

Of course, I got choked up when I first started talking. We projected a photo taken on our last vacation before Chance was diagnosed last August in the Smokey Mts. Photos of Chance pre-diabetes will forever bring tears to my eyes. I rehearsed without the photos and did not break down, but when I started to talk and looked at Chance's face, I could not help but fight back my tears. I did recover and was able to continue our talk. We also showed 2 recent photos to show how big he has gotten, and of course I didn't forget to mention Tas.

Afterward, several people came up to us to offer words of support and hope. Below is the note that JDRF sent to us yesterday afternoon. Short and sweet, this note meant more to us than Kelly could have known.

From: Fleming, Kelly [mailto:kfleming@jdrf.org]

Sent: Thursday, September 02, 2010 3:12 PM
To: Suzanne Clayton; Heath Clayton
Cc: Burleson, Lester

Subject: Thank You

Hi Heath and Suzanne,

Thank you very much for sharing your personal story with us today. Without question, this was a highlight of the program.

If I don’t talk to you before the holiday weekend ~ please have a great one and we will be sure to be in touch soon.
Talk soon,

Kelly

My Little Tas

In the midst of all the diabetes updates and activities, I sometimes wonder if I am giving Tasman enough attention. Tasman is a sweet and remarkable child. There are times when there is a lot of chaos going on around him, or we are traveling and our schedules are all messed up, and he just rolls with the punches and adapts. For this, I am truly grateful. Tasman is always happy and has a smile that will warm your heart. I love him dearly and am so thankful he is my son.

Friday, we'll all get on an airplane and travel to Bandera for Carita's 75th birthday. We are all really looking forward to this! Last night, we called Uncle Charles and Chance got on the phone and told Uncle Charles that he was getting on an airplane to see him. It will be so nice to have us all together to celebrate such a significant milestone!

Tonight, I went to dinner with my boss who is just awesome and some of my colleagues. Spent Saturday morning with a new babysitter who has type 1 diabetes. She was fantastic and we all loved her - YAY!

Signing off to get some sleep. Up at 2am for a basal BG check. These are wearing on us since we have been doing them for about 6 weeks now. I hope the growth spurt ends SOON so we can SLEEP!

11 Months and Counting

I don't think I have blogged much about Chance's diabetes lately becasue it has become so much part of our everyday life, but I decided to use this entry to provide some details. It has been 11 months now, coming up on his one year anniversary.

For the most part, I think we have great control over Chance's diabetes. Of course, I say this on a day when he woke up at 348, then dropped to 54 by lunch time. However, this is typically not the norm AND we were able to identify both of the situations and act on them quickly. We are making the right decisions now, which feels great. There are many days when we can keep Chance in range or close to being in range all day and night.

One thing I have come to grips with though over the last few months is that there are just going to be times where Chance is high and we have no good explanation. That, we couldn't have done anything differently. It is just the nature of this crazy disease.

On our recent vacation, week one Chance's numbers day and night were awesome. Week two, we saw big surges at night primarily due to growth hormones. As a result, we had to check him EVERY night on our vacation in Massachusettes. I think Chance may have had a surge last night, which brings to mind the second thing I have come to grips with. Until Chance gets MUCH older, his treatment and insulin levels will be a moving target us us. We'll always be testing and adjusting since so much is going on inside his tiny body. It is our job to stay on top of the trends and make insulin changes.

Speaking of tiny body and our vacation, Chance can hike and hike with the best of them. He is extremely strong. I believe he will be very athletic and not let his diabetes stand in his way. Tas likes to hike, but prefers at times to be a lap child and have us carry him, which we deny.

Heath and I have been asked to speak at the JDRF Triangle Walk for the Cure luncheon to inspire new captains. There will be about 350 people there. We have five minutes. I will really need to think about this becasue there is so much I want to say. A lot of the people in the room will have walked in our shoes so don't want to dwell too much on the tragic beginning but rather on the stride we are making thanks to advancements in technology thanks to JDRF.

Heath and I think a lot about how different things will be when the first release of the artifical pancreas comes out. Hopefully, we'll all be able to sleep at night. We look forward to this day! Thanks to our co-Captains' outstanding efforts - Aunt Lala and Mark the OB, Team Chance's Champions have raised $3,525 of our $6,000 goal two months in advance of the Oct 30th Walk in Raleigh. We will fundraise hard in the next two months becasue every dollar will make a significant different in Chance's life and the lives of other diabetics.

Lastly, I would like to say that I am learning to give myself a break. I don't beat myself up when something goes wrong with Chance's diabetes and I have increased my personal time activities. This week, Heath and I will have three nights out (one thanks to Ladonna and Charles). We saw Lyle Lovett, went to the NCMA last night to see the The Great Labowski (hysterical movie with lots of profanity) and tonight game night with dear friends. I also went and did the Saturday morning yoga class this morning - a class I haven't done since before the kids were born. Before I left, Tas asked me if I was going out with my friends. To which I replied, "I am going to do yoga". Then, Chance said "Mommy is going to do yogurt". He is such a foodie.

In September, I am going on a business trip to San Francisco, one I would not have considered just 3 months ago.

Namaste.

Back in the Saddle

We're back from our two week NE vacation. Wonderful time with the boys. They are really talking a lot more now and singing and impacting the world around them. It is great that we can ask them questions, like "how was your day?" and "what was your favorite thing you did?" and get answers.

This week has been hectic as Heath and I live life in warp speed. Work has been very busy due to a two week back log. Aunt Lala, Uncle Charles, Pop and Caitlyn all came over to see the boys on Tuesday. The boys were so happy to see them. Tas calls Lala "Donna" now. Want is there favorite word. In five minutes they can probaly say this word 100 times.

Last night, we took a break from the parenting routine and went to see Lyle Lovett at the DPAC (the place to see a show in the Triangle) with a bunch of friends including Ladonna and Charles. Had dinner at Revolution - the place to be seen. How hip are we? Lyle sang happy birthday to Hannah Lee, our friend's 11 year old daughter. How cool!

Tomorrow night, Heath and I are off to another date while Aunt Lala and Uncle Charles watch the kids for us. Yay!

Taking time to see what's around us

So here we are in the Berkshires staying at a very secluded cottage on a lake community. We are a little far south in MA but it is lovely nonetheless. One great thing about kids is they force you to slow down and see the world around you instead of blowing through it.

Yesterday, we had a big day. We drove to Adams and biked the Ashuwillticook Trail - a rails to trails bike path. The boys did great and we had no crying. On the way home we stopped at the local butcher and picked up our duck dinner that he prepared for us - YUM!

Today, we hung out at our lake beach (cranberry pond). There were lots of small children there including 3.5 yr old twin boys and lots of girls for Tas and Chance. We were there all day, something we ordinarily wouldn't have done on a vacation. We swam, rode in one of the locals kayak and played on the beach. Tonight, we grilled and let the boys run around some to wear them out before bed.

Tomorrow, we'll head over to Great Barrington and BishBash Falls. The second night we were here, we went to my first boss Lou's house in Otis for a cookout. He is the nicest man and was a gracious host. The boys really enjoyed running around beautiful property.

Thank goodness for the iPhone. Keeps me (us) connected.

Great Day on LI

After a long journey yesterday from PA to LI (thanks to an unreliable Garmin GPS), we settled in nicely and had a great day today. We all slept late - YAY! After a lively breakfast, we headed to Lido beach. A place where I spent many days in the summer when I lived on LI.

The beach was not very crowded, which was nice, but there was some trash on the beach, which is really too bad.

The boys played in the sand, got their feet wet and had a great time. The temperature was only in the 80s so it was very comfortable. However, after lunch the boys said they were cold!!! I guess too many consecutive days of 90-100 degree temps has thinned out their blood.

The boys are having a wonderful time with their grandparents and I am feeling nostalgic of being back on LI after not being here for so long. Our boys need to know this place even if I need to fly them up here once a year to acomplish this.

My Dad and Ro have been a tremendous help and have kept them very busy. The boys keep asking if Daddy and GiGi (Gibson) are coming back. I assure them they are and that we'll see them on Saturday. I have told them that he is hiking, but I guess they want to be reassured that he is in fact coming back.

When we got back from the beach, the boys slept for 3.5 hours and I relaxed and went for a bike ride. Then, we had home made spagetti and meatballs - YUM! We all ate well!

Tomorrow, we are meeting Nana Carol for a visit to a new Flight museum, which the boys should like and it looks like I'll be able to meet up with a bunch of my high school girlfriends Thursday after missing my 25th reunion - YAY!

A Strange Sort of Familiar

We are in Strasburg, PA. A beautiful area of you if stay south of route 30 - seriously. At route 30, it turns from beautiful Amish country into into a congested LI traffic jam filled with NY tourists who are as rude as can be.

We arrived last night at 7pm after a 10 hour journey on I 95. We ate at the Hershy Farm buffet restaurant, which was yummy. After dinner, we took photos by the giant Amish statue and pet the farm animals. Then, we checked in and crashed out at the Historic Strasburg Inn ou home for the next two nights. An excellent value for the money.

Today, we road the Historic Starsburg RR, which was delightful. They have done a spectacular job refurbishing the train so it looks like it is brand new. They take you for a 30 min ride with about 10 mins in stops along the way. The boys just loved this!! After the train, we did some fun train rides at the station and watched the train come a go a few times while Tas waved to everyone. Then, we had lunch in downtown Strasburg and then the boys took afternoon naps.

My brother and his wife Laura came to our hotel around 4:30pm since they live in the area. We swam in the hotel pool, then went for dinner at the Fireside Tavern, which would get mixed reviews from our crowd. I think I was the only one who loved my dinner.

What makes this a bittersweet visit for me is that my mother has a lovely second home here in Strasburg. The main reason we chose Strasburg in the first place was so the boys could see my family. Grandpa Ralph and Granma Ro were going to come too so we would have the whole family together. About three weeks ago, my mother decidec that she was "too hot and tired" to see us so she wasn't coming. She also declared that we weren't welcome to stay in her house so here we are at the Historic Strasburg Inn. This is not only extremely sad, but embarrassing for me as well so I figured I would go ahead and face my demons and and post this for the world to read.

Tomorrow, Kevin is picking up Heath at 7am at our hotel. Uncle Freddie is coming at 8am to help his beloved sister and nephews to get out of the hotel and go for breakfast and do a morning activity. Thank you Freddie!

After our visit, the traveling Clayton twins are going to LI for a week to see their Grandpa Ralph and Grandma Ro. What fun this will be!

On the road again

After a month of several road trips, we're on the road again. Heading up north for two weeks to escape the heat. Headed to Strasburg, PA today. Then to LI for a week while Heath hikes the AT with Kevin to celebrate their 20 anniversary. Then, a week in Berkshires.

Happy Summer!

The Dammit Chorale

This morning over breakfast, Tas and Chance started chanting "Dammit" with a wild look in their eye, a smile on their face and the intensity that I would be saying Dammit, if I were yelling at them for doing one of their many antics. I know, I know calm voice, don't yell, etc., etc., but we are in the midst of the terrible twos so here and there a "dammit" feels good! Apparently though, it has lost its effect and when they say it, I have all to do but to burst out laughing.

Tas is potty training. Chance is not but is slightly interested in it. Chance gets very upset when he has to poop and announces it, "Uh oh - poop Mommy!" Tas on the other hand just poops in his undies and has no issues with this. The other day, Chance ran up to me and said "poop on the potty Mommy". So I said, "OK, let's go poop on the potty". I put him on the toilet and he sat there for at least 5 to 10 minutes. Tas decided to provide moral support, so he pulled up a stool and sat right across from Chance to keep him company. They chatted all the while. Chance did make a very small poop in potty but then did he big poop after I put his diaper on.

The boys both sing now and enjoy playing their banjos. Chance sings 'twinke twinkle little star' and Tas sings you are my sunshine. Yesterday, Tas unloaded the clothes ("bubbles") from the washer to the dryer using their step stool - this was VERY helpful and he was very proud of his accomplishment.

Last night, Aunt Lala came over to watch the boys while I did a yoga class. Heath had business functions evry night this week so I really needed to get out. Thanks Ladonna. Tas calls Ladonna "Donna" now. Noth sure where he got this.

This weekend, we are going tubing with the O'Rourke family since we can't make Tubitini next weekend. Tas keeps asking to go on Uncle Charle's boat. I told him that we are going tubing and that they'll be in a really cool raft in a river, which is like a boat.


Happy Friday!

Oh what a wonderful weekend

I think we may have had the best weekend all summer this past weekend at Lake Tillery with Aunt Lala and Uncle Charles. The boys started their day on Sunday by riding Seadoos with Heath and Uncle Charles. They could not get enough of this activity and just loved going fast on the water. Mom took a ride too so Heath and I could have some quality time. Then, they had lots of other activity including water guns and the slip and slide.  There were lots of giggles and screams as they went down the slide.  

After naptime, we went back on out the boat for a sunset ride, which was just delightful. I think the best part about the whole weekend for everyone was spending time with Ladonna and Charles. I feel so lucky to have these people in our lives and the roles that they play in our boys lives will provide found memories of their childhood forever. I am so glad we got lots of photos to capture this weekend because it really was special. I think the boys are finally old enough to really enjoy all the activites we did!

Tonight, I downloaded Chance's BG numbers from the pump and ran reports for the last week. There is no question, this was Chance's best week ever. During some of the scheduled test times he was in range 80% of the time! This is really fantastic and a huge payoff for all of our work with the pump. Ladonna and Charles commented on how Chance is like a different kid since he has been pumping. He is so happy now and you can just tell that he is feeling so much better.

We look forward to more fond memories at the lake and the rest of our travels this summer!

More fast, more fast

We are at lake Tillery with Aunt Lala and Uncle Charles. We had a large time on the lake today. Went for a boat ride, which the boys LOVED! They kept saying "more fast" every time we slowed down. We docked the boat and ate lunch. Then, we swam and frolicked in the lake, which was a beautiful 83 degrees! How nice!

Tas jumped off the back of the boat several times. He loves the water. Chance took a dip as well. We all swam a bit.

On the way back, Chance crashed out and never woke up when we put him down for his nap. The boys slept for about 2 hours, while Heath and I enjoyed a ride on Charles and Ladonna's seadoo, which was very fun. It is 10:15 at night and the boys just finally fell asleep a little while ago.  Time to eat dinner after a long day of activity! YAY!

Smooth Operator

The boys had a terrific time at the beach this past week. Most of their days were spent playing with their two buddies Maddie and Sophie, exploring the beach, eating, napping, watching Disney movies (a new activity for them), collecting shells, and doing some sort of craft or thinking activity. Not bad for a two year old.

Tas and Chance both enjoyed "the girls" and were sad when they left before us. On Sophie's last night, Brian (her Dad) put on 101 Dalmatians as the after dinner entertainment. Wow - did this movie grab their attention to the point that they were asking for the "puppies" the next day.

During the 101 Dalmatians movie Sophie was sitting on Brian's lap. Tas decided that he wanted to sit up there too. At some point I noticed that Tas was rubbing Sophie's feet. Then, he leaned over like he was going to kiss her! I was sitting right next to them and said "Whoa Tas - what are you doing?" He never really answered me, but he did not kiss her and Brian said, "Heath you at least have to teach him not to make a move on a girl while she is siting on her Dad's lap!" The whole thing was very funny but made me realize that Tas is going to be a smooth operator. We'll have to keep our eye on him. As for Chance, he spent most of the week engineering things - making designs with shells, using shells to decorate our sand collages and other interesting things.

Sunday, we packed up our things and drove up to Kitty Hawk for a kite festival. This was very cool. There were all kinds of giant kites like an octopus, a crocodile (cocodrie) and several others.

Today, was back to work where we got some excellent news - we no lomger have to go do the diabetes daycare routine. the teachers feel comfortable enough doing this without us on days where things are going well - WOW!

Best Buddies

A few things have occurred to me since being at the Outer Banks:

1. The Outer Banks are just gorgeous espeically Avon. I don't really need to go anywhere else for a local beach vacation;

2. Tas and Chance have a really good life filled with lots of outdoor stimuli and adventure;

3. Heath is a great Dad and is very engaged with his family;

4. Tas adores Heath and loves the thrill of it all just like Heath;

5. Chance adores Mommy and feels very safe with her;

6. Tas and Chance are best buddies and hopefully always will be. I can't help thinking how lucky they are to have each other as playmates and friends. This evening, we were walking back from a late afternoon frolic at the beach. Heath was carrying our friend's heavy tent, the boys chairs and a beach backback. I was carrying our chairs, my beach bag and their sand toys. Neither one of us had a free hand. In order to get from our house to the beach, we have to walk over a large sand dune. While good exercise for us, definitely a tough hike for a 2 year old. Most days, I have carried Chance over this dune. Today, I couldn't.

Heath and I forged forward figuring that we would get all our gear over the dune and then go back to carry them if needed. As I walked back to check on them a vision appeared. Tas and Chance were coming over the dune holding hands. I can only assume that Chance was scared or intimidated to go over and Tas reached out and took his hand. It was a beautiful site. One I could only capture in my mind since I didn't have a camera with me. The lighting at 6pm was beautiful and they had a warm glow on them. How special this moment was for me. I don't think I will ever forget it.

We do have some great shots of the boys. Our internet connection in the beach house is slow tonight so we'll try uploading tomorrow

6 Adults, 4 Two-Year Olds and 3 Dogs in Avon, NC

Today, was day two of our 2010 beach trip. Yesterday, most of the day was spent traveling. We took the ferry to Okracoke and saw their 4 th of July parade then took the ferry to Hatteras.

The photos are from our time on the beach today. Our house is very nice, is on the beach and in a great section of Avon. We are here with the our friends the Dexters and Penlands whom we know from SAS daycare where their daughters Sophie and Maddie go.

The boys are having a great time so far. They keep

asking for "more boat" meaning the ferry ride. I told them that Aunt Lala and Uncle Charles have a boat that they can ride on at the lake in a week, but no more boat this week. They also keep asking for more Jimmy Buffet music, which makes Heath smile.

The interesting thing about today was the boys interests on the beach. Chance was classic Chance - picking up all the shells and examining them, collecting them in his beach pail and using them this afternoon to decorate the "beach collage" that we made. He could literially spend hours doing this stuff.

Tas on the other hand wanted to play in the water with Dad and be footloose and fancy free on the beach. One thing is for sure - they LOVE the beach!

I am exhausted tonight from being outside most of the day. Beach in the morning, bike ride around mid-day and then beach in the late afternoon, which is my FAVORITE time of the day on the sand. By far my favorite activity was the beach time this afternoon and the family shower that followed.

The photo of Tas is by our beach collage. I would build the hoodoos and Chance would decorate them with shells he was collecting. How sweet.

Since I am falling asleep at my computer, it is time for bed.

So far our trip with 6 adults, 4 two year olds and 3 dogs is going great!

Oh What a Night (Month)

I am not sure what we have been doing that is keeping so busy, but I suspect it has something to do with our two sons. Last night, was the epitome of diabetes and 2 year old craziness.

Chance's numbers have been elevated for the past few weeks. At first, we thought this was due to an ear infection, but his BG levels have neve really come down after the infection. His average BG is now 203 up from 175 just a month ago.

Last night, Chance was high at dinner and then was 423 when I checked him at 10:30pm - gasp! We deducted that his pump site went bad and this was causing the high. Prior to this, over the last three days, we had been able to get his numbers back in the 150-175 range by doing a temp basal increase of 10%. I made the mistake of bolusing him on the bad site, then realized it was a site issue.

So I went into the kitchen and told Heath about the BG reading and the bad site. We determined that our only option was to change the site. So we quietly went into the boys rooms with our flashlights and new site paraphrenalia. Heath held the flashlight ad acted as moral support while I cleansed the site area and inserted the new site. To my surprise Chance did NOT wake up! The site looked good and we were on our way.

At 2am, I woke up to do a blood test to make sure Chance was coming down from the 423 and had the expectations of having to do a second bolus. I quietly entered the room with my mini-flashlight, cleansed Chance's finger with an alcohol swab, pricked it - and WOW he was 98! I scatched my head and thought how is this possible? Then, I looked down at the little man I had pricked and realized it was Tas! The boys had changed positions in their beds so Tas was close to the outside instead of Chance! So I redid the whole routine. I wiped Chance's little finger, pricked it and he was 250. In disbelief from testing Tas, I gave Chance a bolus and went back to sleep.

At 4am, Gibson who decided he was sleeping in his kennel last night, started barking probably at a small animal. His barking was very loud since we had all our windows open. Heath got up and brought him in.

At 5:45am, Chance started crying becasue Tas was infringing on his sleep space and he was still a little high requiring yet another bolus.

At 7:15am, amazingly - Chance woke up at 168 - phew!

Tonight, Heath and I did a major analysis of Chance's numbers and his total daily dose (TDD). We implemented some significant changes, which I really think will help. We took a very scientific approach and increased Chance's TDD by 10%, what the nurse at Dr. Lagarde's was recommending. Another change we are implementing is changing the site every other day. It doesn't appear that his site is making it through three days.

Tomorrow, we pack all our stuff and Sunday, we head to the beach for a week in Avon, NC! Yay!

Buzz Cuts

The photos explain themselves. Tas and Chance got their first buzz cuts this weekend. Also, included is a photo of Heath when he got his first buzz cut. Our punkins aren't babies anymore.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers in our lives. Father's play a special role in the family. Sometimes, I think they are overshadowed by the role of the Mother so I think it is especially important to recognize them today. Thank you to Marshall, Ralph (my Dad), Uncle Charles and Uncle Bob for being such wonderful Dad's and for being so kind and loving to our boys! Now, I will turn my blog over to Tas and Chance so they can write Heath a special Father's Day message.

Dear Dada,

We adore you! You are our hero everyday! We really enjoy all the things we do together like camping, horsey rides, building houses with blocks and legos, hiking, eating, playing in the yard, sitting by campfires, swimming, road trips, photos by state signs, going to National Parks, Camp Clayton, play dates, and many other fun activities.

We thank you for teaching us to be strong and independant boys. We even appreciate your discipline so we will grow up to be fine young members of society. We know parenting is hard work and can sometimes be difficult, but somehow you always manage to be strong like a Dad should.

We love you!

Happy Dada's Day!

XOXO

Tas and Chance

No Pacie, More Hot Sauce

Three days later and we're still sleeping - yay!

The other change that occurred while I was away last weekend was that Tas involuntarily gave up his pacie. This was something that I never thought would happen without a big struggle. I envisioned that Tas would be scarred for life so I always gave into the pacie request.

It has been a week now and we all have survived. Tas has asked several times for his pacie, but, each time I tell him that the pacies are all gone. That the pacie fairy came and took them all and gave them to a baby who needed them. This answer seems to suffice. I told Heath I did not want to know where the pacies were so I wouldn't be temped to give in. When I thanked Heath last night for taking care of the pacie issue, he let on that it was really Carita's doing. So Carita - thank you! When Tas gets older and has beautiful, straight teeth, I will let him know that his Mim was looking out for him.

Last night, we went to the Loop with the boys for our sausage, mushroom, onion and cilantro pizza. Heath and I enjoyed it and the boys just picked. We learned that we are probably better off with plain cheese for them so they'll eat more. During dinner, Chance inquired about the tabasco sauce on the table since Heath was putting it on his pizza. He wanted to taste it. Heath let him know it was hot and spicy and put a drop on his plate. What happeded next was hysterical. Chance took his little finger and dipped it in the sauce. Then, he licked it and shuddered at the taste. Heath told him to drink milk and take a bite of pizza so he did. Next thing we know, he is sticking his finger in again saying he wants more followed by the same shudder, same sip of milk, same bite of pizza. This scenario played out several times until we determined that we should cut him off so he doesn't get a stomach ache.

After our pizza dinner, I went to see Sex and the City 2. The entire theater was filled with women. This is a chick flick through and through. Good summer entertainment but they should probably quit while they're ahead and not do a Sex and the City 3.

TGIF!

Don't Separate the Twins

So maybe this is because our boys spent nine months in the womb together, three months sharing a crib and then two years in a very small nursery, but...

 

Saturday night, while I was away, Heath decided to rearrange the boys bedroom. We had moved them out of their cribs and into a larger room a few weeks ago where I had pushed their mattresses together so they could sleep together. Heath decided that they needed their space. He put their mattresses on opposite sides of the room and put a large rocking chair and foot rest between them so they could not see each other. Chance screamed all night long on Saturday, Sunday (the night I returned from Omega), Monday and till 1 am this morning. 

At 1 am, I went into their room and rearranged their furniture so their mattresses were about 1.5 feet apart. I know this sounds crazy rearranging furniture in the middle of the night, but I couldn't take it any longer. Chance immediately curled up and leaned over as far as he could towards Tasman's crib on his mattress and peacefully fell back asleep until 8 am, when Heath went in and woke them up!!!!!!

 

When I told this story to our friend Stacey she told me her friend had boy/girl 6 year old twins who still sleep together. She said, "dont separate the twins until they ask to be separated." GOOD ADVICE!

On a side note, our good friends are out in the Southwest exploring the desert. They called Heath to him know that they were having a great time at Gobblin Valley, Arches and a few other places. We are so happy for them! We love the US SW.

In terms of my spiritual commitment, I meditated every so far since I have been home and feel great about it! I also did yoga tonight while the boys enjoyed time with their Aunt LaLa. I plan to go back to Omega again in October to see a traveling Buddhist Monk from Sri Lanka.

 

Omega Weekend

My Mom and I did a New Age weekend at the Omega Institute this weekend. It was a lovely weekend and much needed for me to rest and rejuevinate my self. I landed at LGA and we drove north to Hyde Park for a pitstop at the Culinary Institute. It was a beautiful campus overlooking the Hudson River and there were students all around in their chef outfits. We had the most delicious rubens and potato salad I have ever tasted. After this, we continued North and stopped in Rinebeck for a little ecelctic shopping.

We arrived at Omega around 5pm. We checked onto our "green" room, which was very nice - local slate BR floor, local wood floor, all organic blankets, florescent light bulbs, etc. and I went for a 30 min walk and did a mediation at the sanctuary. Then, we had dinner and headed to the wellness center and got the best facials ever and had reiki done. Reiki is all about your chakras and balancing and clearing your energy. The woman told us both some interesting observations that were spot on with what we both have going on in our lives. After our treatments, we went to catch the end of Marianne Williamson's opening session. We were not impressed and were in fact a little taken back by her. She was preaching the word of Christianity and definitely alienating a lot of the new agey people in the audience who were there for a "non-religious" experience as described in the program.

I got a fabulous night's sleep knowing I had no diabets checks on toddlers to care for. I woke up at 6:30 and did Qi Gong a form of Tai Chi. Then I met my Mom and we had a delicious breakfast and ate the best pumpernickle raisin bread I have ever tasted. Then, off more more preaching and in between some good life advice. One thing I quickly realized is how important it is for me to get back to my daily mediation practice, my yoga and my other new age beliefs. I truly believe this will help me to be more patient and kind to my children, my husband and our friends and family.

In the afternoon, after a yummy, vegetarian lunch, we wemt down to the lake at Omega and took naps on their hammocks. How delightful. After my Mom fell out of hers, we decided to catch the end of Marianne's session. At 5:30, I did a teriffic yoga class in the Yoga pavillion, which was rejeuvibating after a long day. After dinner and a delicious blueberry cobbler dessert, we went to the sactuary to listen to live music - Ceclia St King, a Peace Trubidor. She had a beautiful voice and wonderful stories about how she has used her music to make the world a better place.

After, another awesome night's sleep, my Mom and I went for our last Omega breakfast. We skipped Marianne's sessions today due to complete disinterest. I did yoga at the lake, then a Qi Gong class at the library, then to the sanctary to meditate and then lunch. And, then we departed. This was where my lovely weekend of serenity ended. The real world can be a tough place after a weekend retreat. Nothing else said here.

The lessons leanred this weekend were:

1. it is important for me to get back to my spirituality and daily practice and make it a part of our boys lives like camping and backpacking are.

2. spend more time with my Mom.

Mim is here!

After an afternoon in Black Mountain on Sunday, we came home and prepped our house for Carita's arrival yesterday - yay! There is a certain energy in the house when Carita is here, which I can't explain, but it is wonderful.

Last night, we had a family gathering with Carita, PaRan, Charles, LaLa, and Cate Cate. Charles and Ladonna brought over a really awesome inflatable bed for Carita to use since we have not refurnished our guest room. They also brought over a bunch of fresh veggies and fruit from the Farmers Market. They are so good to us and love our boys so much!

Since I don't mention Gibson very much in my blogs, I will mention him in this one. Yesterday morning, Gibson got stung by either a bee or a yellowjacket. We didn't think much of it, but he did seem out of sorts and was flopping his ears all day and night. Then, last night around 10, Heath noticed that Gibson's neck and ears were completely swollen and filled with fluid. He looked terrible.

Heath gave him Benadryl and took him to the emergency vet clinic. Ends up he was having a reaction to the bee sting and his lymph nodes were filling with fluid so they gave him a cortisone shot. Today, our friend Michelle the vet came by to see Gibson and make sure he was OK. This was extremely kind of her. She brought Gibson cortisone pills to take until the fluid is completely gone. She had her RV with her, which was sweet! I could definitely travel around in an RV like that! We sat in there for a while. I think the boys and Gibson would love it if we got one.

Tonight, Carita prepared a really yummy dinner - pork tenderloin, rice pilaf and some of the fresh veggies from Ladonna - fried corn, fresh tomatoes and cucumber. Michelle stayed for dinner and we all enjoyed the feast around the dining room table. Even the punkins ate well. Then, Carita cleaned and put the boys to bed for while I took a walk with Gibson and Heath taught photography. We are so spoiled this week and I will enjoy every minute of it. What a nice break from the normal routine! Thank you Carita for coming to be with us!

RATTS, Tas Won a Guitar

We are in Knoxville, TN tonight at the Best Western, which is high end luxury compared to camping for a week. Actually, it is a very nice hotel and our room is a suite so this gives us adequate space so we're all not on top of each other. Tonight, is our last night of vacation then we'll make a b-line on I40 tomorrow for home.

We had a fun week in Kentucky. After Cumberland Gap, we drove to the Red River Gorge area of Kentucky, which was pretty cool. It is a world class climbing area so we met people from all over the US and Canada. Some highlights were: walking over several arches including the Natural Bridge, camping and Tas running around teh campground naked greeting everyone, finding a quiet shallow swimming hole on the river, biking down a winding, gravel mountain road, taking a sky lift with the boys up a cliff, hiking with the punkins (we've determined that 1/2 mile is their limit), sleeping through the night, enjoying good BG numbers from Chance, eating especially at Miguel's Pizza, going to a bluegrass festival and meeting some really good people.

"RATTS" stands for Race Against That Thunder Storm. We did this the day we biked. The storms came in before we got back to our car - oh well. At least it cooled us off. We did enjoy fairly dry weather though - a first for us.

A definite highlight was the Sally Gap Bluegrass festival today. This was no Shakori Hills, but as the mc said, "we have vendors,  not a lot of vendors, but they are the best." It was very hot today. The boys made banjos and got free festival T-shirts for doing this. They also got to go on stage to play their instruments. After the mini recital, the festival organizer drew four raffle tickets to give away quality musical instruments amoungst the kids whom had just performed - an accoustic guitar, a mandolin, a fiddle and a banjo. The first three kids who won picked the mandolin, the fiddle and the banjo. Then, she drew the forth ticket, but the winner was not present so she redrew and the winner was Tasman Clayton! Wow - the Clayton's are really on a winning streak. The guitar is beautiful and Tas was so excited. He stood on stage and strummed the guitar while the festival folks took pictures. he will be featured on their website and in the local newspaper.

Forget the Baptists and the Veterans

After 3 days in the Daniel Boone National Forrest with no wine or alcohol, we finally are in a town -  Harrodsburg, KY which is a moist county - meaning we got margaritas at LaFonda - the Mexican restaurant in town. We are staying at the Hearth Country Inn, which allows dogs. The boys are in our jacuzzi tub right now getting a bath and are very happy. We decided to splurge and get the jacuzzi suite.

On Saturday, we drove like heck to Cumberland Gap, KY. After 10 hours in the car, we decided to have a picnic dinner. When we arrived at the Pinnacles Overlook, it rained cats and dogs so we had a picnic under a shelter then did a short hike out to see the view when the rain let up. The boys of course loved the rain. We arrived at the campground after 10PM - typical Clayton arrival time. We could not find our site since the campground was overbooked, so we ended up camping at the Pavilion near the pool. Heath photographed the moonbow - rainbow at night from the full moon over the falls at midnight to 3 am. We went to see Cumberland Falls together, the next morning, which were very cool. The boys really enjoyed the area and even found a hallow tree to hang out in for a while.

Sunday, we decided to stay in our Pavilion campsite even though we were in the middle of the horseshoe ring toss area. The Pavilion ended up being the hub for entertainment. Tas, Heath and I made pottery there - very cool. The potter was hysterical. Then, we swam at the pool. We met another type 1 family at the camp ground. Their son Nathan was 7. Him and Chance exchanged pump details - ended up that they had the exact same one, same color too. In the evening, a bluegrass band played. Tas sat in the first row and took in all the music and commentary. Chance hung out in his chair and tried to figure out how everything worked. Then, bedtime for the punkins.

This morning, Chance woke us up at a bright and early 6:30 am. I woke at 7 am. We packed up and were so happy to be on the road by 9 am. Heath put the keys in the car and oh no - the battery was dead. Thank goodness, I flagged down a ranger and they brought over cables to jump the car in a few mins.

Today, we did the Stearns Railroad. This was great. It was a three hour excursion with a ride to an old mining town, lunch, a walk over an old RR bridge, and then the train rode back.

After the train excursion, we drove to Harrodsburg - a quaint town, one of the first settled in the west according to the locals and a place with some booze. Everything was closed tonight due to the holiday, but thanks to the local Mexican joint, not only did we get great food but booze too! Something very much needed after 3 days with twin, two year old, adorable, inquisitive, feisty toddlers.

Some observations. Wow - are there personalities really exploding!! Tas is a complete chatterbox - "Mommy this, Mommy that...", Chance just trying to figure out how everything works. Chance sat on my lap both ways on the train because it was an open air train and a little scary. Tas wanted to sit on his own chair the whole way and chattered about everything he saw. Chance not a word. Best friends, yet complete opposites.

Gibson  - doing well and happy to be with us! Me - glad I had a margarita tonight!

Cribs Be Gone

We finally pulled the trigger and let the punkins loose. They were climbing out of their cribs and trying to sleep on the floor so I gave in. We also moved them into the larger room. Their sleeping arrangements are their crib mattresses on the floor and an air mattress, which they are both sleeping on tonight. It is very sweet actually. So far this has gone well and we have been able to get them to go to sleep 3 nights in a row.

So while the punkins have been enjoying all this new freedom, they have also been battling a bronchial pneumonia-like illness. Tas was able to take prednisone to clear his up, though it has returned. Chance has not been able to take the prednisone due to his diabetes, but is now on a neb steroid. This illness has wreaked havoc on his BG numbers this week with lots of highs and lows. Tonight, we had a bad low - a 43. This I believe is one of the worst to date and really made me realize how scary diabetes can be. Chance was low and refused to drink his juice. Heath ended up having to force feed him a tube of sugar gel that Carita had given us. Four hours later, he was 344 - the life of a diabetic is not easy. And sickness for them can be very complicated.

Tomorrow, we leave for a week in the mountains of Kentucky. I am hoping that a week in the great outdoors will do us all good and rejuvenate our minds and bodies. I figured getting rid of the cribs is excellent practice for sleeping in a tent!

Dinosaurs, Butterflies & Crawfish

What a day we had today! Momma, the punkins and I went to Durham Life and Science Museum where there was a butterfly fest today. Lots of activities, live music and people. We saw a few of our SAS and diabetes friends there. We did the dinosaur trail including the fossil area, ate lunch, did the butterfly house, which also had lots of bugs,  and listened to live music. What really amazed me about today was how much more engaged the punkins were than when we went to the museum over the winter. They were totally into all the bugs and exciting things around them.

After the museum, we headed home for an attempted nap. The boys have been sleeping in their cribs with the sides down for two days now and it is working out just fine. This is great progress. The boys never really went to sleep but instead entertained each other while my Mom and I had some down time and prepared to go to a Craw fish cookout at Ed and Kim's tonight. I used my new cooler to pack up the food and drink items we needed for the party- nice!

What a lovely party it was! This is a pretty big compliment to Ed and Kim considering that when we arrived it was raining cats and dogs. We stayed inside for a bit, and eventually it stopped raining so a lot of the party moved outside. They served DELICIOUS craw fish etoufee - YUM! Ed boiled up tons of craw fish, potatoes and corn. They also had spicy sausage and boudin. I kept thinking it was really too bad Heath, Carita and Marshall weren't with us! To top it all off, folks brought decadent desserts. It was a feast!

The punkins had a FABULOUS time running around with all the other kids and exploring their new surroundings. I must say they were very well behaved and acted very independently. I was able to really enjoy myself and chat with folks while they entertained themselves without getting into trouble. Ed's Dad commented to me that he saw the boys do a face plant down the porch stairs four times and each time someone picked them up and asked if they were OK, they were like "I'm fine, what's the big fuss about".  They started to expire around 8:30 when they got very wired and decided to start emptying out the coolers of ice into Ed and Kim's screened porch. At this point, we made a quick exit so the boys could leave being the charmers they are before turning into gremlins. Chance passed out immediately in the car. Tas made it all the home, but then crashed hard in his crib.

In addition to being with my Momma, going to a really cool museum and attending a fantastic party, one of the best things about the last 24 hours was Chance's numbers. I tried a few new things using my new found diabetes expertise that worked well. Last night, when I checked Chance he was 220 and being very fussy. I honesty believe that since his numbers are so good that when he is over 200 now, that he doesn't feel well. We're not supposed to correct under 250, but I decided to give him .05 units - the smallest dose possible and gave him a bunch of sugar free juice. This worked like a charm. I checked him 2 hours later and he was 133 and woke up at 148 this morning. I felt really good about this.

The other thing I tried was that since today was a very active day, I set a temporary basal rate to reduce his basal insulin by 50%. I did this once on the way home from the museum for 2.5 hours so he would not be too low after his nap and I did this again at Ed and Kim's party tonight for 3 hours. Tonight, Chance is going to bed at a comfortable 125 and we're all going to sleep in Clayton household after a LONG day!

Ups and Downs

The past few days have had some ups and some downs including Chance's blood sugar readings.

Yesterday, I had the fun experience of finding out what it feels like when your drive shaft goes on your car and you are on a highway. I pulled off the road, called the manager at VW and called Heath both of whom arrived at where I was within 10 minutes. The first thought was that my tires were loose and falling off. The VW manager and his mechanic diagnosed the drive shaft. The worst part is that this is a very expensive thing to fix on a Touareg. The only upside to this is that it didn't happen while we are on our driving/camping vacation starting next Saturday.

The car episode occurred while I was on my home from Dr. Lagarde's office after an advanced pumping class. Prior to this, the head of all of SAS daycare came to see Chance's routine in preparation for him moving to Children's House next year. The net result was that she thought they could provide us with the same comfort level that we have in building K - Chance's current building and class.

Today, some friends of ours (Max's parents Noah and Nicole) bought me a cooler that they have that I liked. They had it at our last play date and I thought how nice it would be to have a cooler like that so Nicole went out and bought me one. It's amazing how a small act of kindness could have such a profound effect and brighten up a person's day. I paid it forward by giving the punkins daycare teacher outdoor symphony tickets for her birthday thanks to a suggestion from Holly.

This afternoon my Momma arrived. The boys and I have missed her terribly and are so happy she is here. When the boys saw her at daycare, they lit up with a smile. Chance ran over and hugged her. It was very sweet. We went to my new favorite restaurant, Macaroni Grill, where we were fed well and treated like royalty with our two lively twins. Coincidentally, Lex was there with her twin girls so it was a twins fest. After Tas and Chance started licking the salt and pepper shakers, we deemed it was time to go!

Tonight, Chance is slightly high - 220.  While this is not a terribly high number, it is one that we can't do much with. I gave Chance some sugar free juice and .05 units of insulin. I am hoping that this combo will bring him down slightly and that he'll come down by morning. He had some pizza tonight, which could be the culprit or maybe the issue that it is impossible to accurately count carbs for a two year old who is grazing and picking.

New Words for Tas

It has been a fun couple of days.

Saturday night, we went to one of our favorite annual parties - the Preakness party, but before the party we went to see Iron Man 2. Great summer flick! At the party, they auctioned off bets on the horses for the race. I won $120 on the third place horse - yay! After the race is over, then the fun really begins. The party organizers name horses after some of their party guests, everyone bets and then we get to race  - that is someone rolls the dice and we advance in boxes on the pavement till someone crosses the finish line. I had a horse in the boob race believe it or not. I raced against 5 other women some with implants and some with just bog boobs. The race organizer said that Heath was my boob. Nonetheless, I was a good sport about it and really enjoyed the fun.

Sunday, we did our first pool play date of the year with the Robbins (the punkin's friend Max and his family). What a difference a year makes. Their community pool has a large 2 foot deep section. The boys just walked right in and walked all around. Instead of having to hold them the whole time, we just had to supervise as they played and explored. Of course, Chance wanted to push the buoys on the rope blocking our section back and forth, back and forth, etc. We swam for several hours then headed home after lunch. I then biked on the Kildaire Farm trails up to Trader Joes, which was a highlight of the day for me.

Last night, when I put Tas to bed and was getting ready to leave the nursery, Tas said to me "Tas loves Mommy". I stopped and asked Tas to repeat what he had just said. He said it again. I told Tas how sweet he was and how much I loved him and Chance. Then, this morning another new phrase came out. Tas climbed up the stairs while I was getting dressed and walked into my bedroom. He looked at my naked boobs and said, "Mommy tits". I again asked Tas to repeat what he said in case I had mistaken what I thought I heard. He repeated it and yes, I heard him correctly. I believe he may have heard this description for boobs from Heath. I let Tas know that the more proper word to use for this female part was boobs.

Tonight, after a day of up and down BG swings for Chance, we went to a JDRF briefing for the APP (Artificial Pancreas Project). There are many phases and research that needs to occur before there is a AP. After hearing the briefing, we believe the closed loop AP is many years away - like 10-20 years from now. However, they are getting close to an intelligent pump that will continuously monitor BG levels and either shut the pump off for lows or give insulin for highs with the goal being safety. Diabetics will still need to do blood tests, count carbs and give carb boluses for a long time.

Aunt Lala, Uncle Charles and Caitlyn (Cate Cate as Tas affectionately calls her) watched the boys tonight - thank you! After the briefing, we went for a drink at Maximillans. Chance's bedtime reading was 141 tonight - a fine number indeed! Tas is still wheezing so he'll go back to the pediatrician tomorrow morning.

The Busy Schedule of a Working Mother

7:00 am - wake up
7:30 am - diaper and dress the punkins
8:00 am - make homemade waffles & eat breakfast with Heath and the kids
8:30 am - site change for Chance while Heath gives Tasman a nebulizer treatment. Also, download Chance's pump and BG meter and email to Nancy the nurse at Dr. Lagard's office
8:45 am - change diapers and get punkins ready to leave for school
9:15 am - depart for SAS - stop and get gas on the way
9:45 am - walk punkins into school
10:00 am - catch up on emails and comp plan details for my team
11:30 am - head over to daycare for Chance's blood test
11:50 am - go to SAS RFC to weight train while Chance eats lunch
12:20 pm - go back to daycare to watch teachers give lunch bolus
12:30 pm - depart for Capital City Chophouse for Bruce's (one of my team members) Starting Block graduation lunch. Do a conference call on the way.
2:30 pm - leave lunch and stop at Carters to buy the punkins new shorts so their shorts don't keep falling down
3:00 pm - work from SAS daycare in the floater office, finalize comp plan submissions, while doing 2 conference calls
3:45 pm - go to Chance and Tas' room for Chance's blood test
4:00 pm - go to the Umstead to have a glass of wine with a Hospitality colleague who is visiting from out of town
5:00 pm - pick up punkins from daycare
5:30 pm - arrive at home. Turn on hose for Chance and Tas to play with and entertain themselves
6:00 pm - prepare punkins dinner, wash hands, do blood test and feed punkins
7:00 pm - diaper and get punkins ready for bed
7:30 pm - read to punkins and rock in the chair
8:30 pm - lights out for the punkins after Tas gets a breathing treatment
9:30 pm - dinner and an excellent movie called 'Live and Become'
12:00 am - blog
12:30 am - transfer laundry from the washer to the dryer and...

NIGHT NIGHT!!!!!

Great day for Chance!

95, 118, 176, 182, 142, 175!

Happy Mommie's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in our lives. What a big job it is and we love you all!

My day started out wonderfully. While Heath and I were still in bed, we heard Tas jump out of his crib, run into the dining room, and limb up the stairs to greet us in bed! He was pretty excited by this new feat. Unfortunately for Chance, he has not mastered the skill of leaping out of the crib, so he was left behind for Dad to rescue.

Tas frolicked in my bedroom and bathroom cleaning the toilet, while I lay in my bed with an eye pillow trying to catch some extra zzz's. Heath and Chance were downstairs preparing a Mother's Day surprise for me. And what a great surprise it was - a stainless waffle maker that can make FOUR waffles at a time. Perfect for our family! Heath had printed me a card with photos of the boys and they had done their artwork inside. What a lucky Mom I am to have four males (including Gibson) who love me so much.

After breakfast, we headed to the Great American Tobacco Trail for a family bike ride - us on bikes, the boys in the chariot and Gibson on paws.

Heath was blowing up our tires and Chance decided to pull the tire pump off his bike and took the valve with it! So on a Sunday morning at 11, we were faced with a flat tire and a bunch of closed bike shops. On got on the web and called REI who said they could take us right away. We all went up to REI, got Heath's tire fixed, did a little bike accessory shopping for Mom and headed on. It was now 11:50 - LUNCH TIME for the punkins. I had a brilliant idea - hot dogs from Home Depot. These are the boys favorite.

I realized today that life is getting easier. We bought a bunch of hot dogs. Handed two to the boys and drove off to the bike trail. They sat in their car seats enjoying these tasty hot dogs, cheese puffs and apples.  By the time we got to the trail, they were ready to go as were we. We rode for about 2.5 hours and a beautiful, sunny day. Everyone including Gibson had a wonderful time. The boys were enjoying the chariot. Every time we stopped, they would sign and say "more".

About 2:30 pm, which is WAY past the punkins nap time, Tas and Chance simultaneously melted down and cried all the way back to the car. We loaded up and by the time we drove out of the parking lot, Tas was snoring and Chance was as happy as could be.

The boys went down for naps when we got home and slept until 6:20. I ran to a bunch of stores to buy our Mother's Day dinner and a bunch of other items.

We had a delicious cookout on the patio and I couldn't help thinking over and over how lucky I am to have such a wonderful husband and two absolutely adorable and sweet sons. Tas and Chance both said Happy Mommie's Day to me several times and I got a bunch of hugs from Tas.

Mother's Day is a great time to reflect on just how awesome it is to be a Mom and to take the time to let the folks who matter most how much you love them. Even though the twos are a tough age, I know there will be nothing else like them. As my friend Stephanie said on Friday, there is a reason that God made two year olds so cute.

We've Never Been More Proud of Our Punkins

We have come a LONG way in a short time. Last night, we went to Macaroni Grill for a Mother's Day dinner - a day early to beat the crowds. We had a 6 pm reservation, but of course at 5:45 we discovered that we would not be there by 6 since I had just showered and Heath had not yet. At 6:30, we were gathering our things to head out. The boys were dressed in their adorable Tas and Chance overalls from their Aunt LaLa and Uncle Charles. The boys knew we were getting ready to head to dinner and were patiently waiting for us sitting on the foyer windowsill like little gentleman chatting away with each other.

We arrived at Macaroni Grill about 6:40 pm. We had a slight wait during which I washed Chance's hands and retested his blood sugar. He was high - 306, not a good thing heading into a sit down dinner. I gave him a BG correction. I think the 306 was due to us setting a weekend basal rate, which was 50% lower between 12-6 pm.

We ordered the boys a kid-sized pizza and broccoli. The server gave the boys crayons, which they used to entertain themselves. Then, Heath and I each ordered a nice glass of Italian wine and our dinners.
We all ate and were merry.

There was a nice older gentleman singing Italian songs. The boys both did the "more" sign and said "more, more" so I went over to the gentleman and told him he had a fan base. He came over to our table with shakers, which he gave to the boys and sang more to the boys and told them a story. It was terrific! The whole time while we dined, neither child fussed and were just spectacularly behaved. I could not have asked for a nicer Mother's Day dinner.

Finally, the couple next to us got up to leave and leaned over to Heath and said, "It was a pleasure dining next to your boys. They were so well behaved." The sense of pride was overwhelming for both me and Heath! Our our hard work is paying off!!!

When we got home, we put our little punkins to bed and watched a great movie that John and DeDe recommended - 'A Good Year'. I had a glass of port. Besides being proud of our boys, one of the best things about this weekend was SLEEPING! Both Friday and Saturday night Chance was in perfect range so we slept both nights since we have finally gotten his basal rate sorted out.

Friday night, we went to see John Prine at Koka Booth with Ladonna and Charles, which was fantastic. Bill and Kymberly and their boys babysat for us - THANK YOU!