Sunday Night Chit Chat:

Hey Humble Readers...

All things considered, it's been an okay week here in the hobbit-hole.

The good...

• I've been consistent with going for walks every day this week.  I've increased my steps per day from a low of around 2500 to a high of just over 8000 (target - 10000).  I'm averaging between 5000 and 6000 right now.  Starting tomorrow I'm going to be adding in my walking poles (for those unfamiliar... imagine ski poles with blunted ends) to help work out my upper body. 
• I have been counting all my carbs (as best I can... it's an inexact science I'm afraid) and measuring everything.  I'm keeping my counts below my self-imposed targets (breakfast < 30, lunch < 45, dinner < 60) and I may be able to lower those targets soon. 
• My blood sugars have been dropping steadily, and while they aren't where they need to be, they are markedly improved.  I'm not sure how much of that is attributable to the metformin and how much to diet and exercise (I'm guessing maybe two thirds/one third), but however it's happening, I'm glad of it. 
• I have lost a little over two pounds this week, so I am less than half a pound away from my original weight-loss target!!!  Woohoo!
• Pippin went for his first haircut this weekend.  He looks like such a big boy.  Less than two weeks until his birthday... how the time flies!
• We actually had weather warm enough for me to break out my new capris and flip flops.  Of course, there is a possibility of snow in the forecast for the next few days, but we are supposed to be back up around 18C by mid week.

The bad...

• While the metformin is doing its job on my blood sugars, it's also doing a number on my lower GI.  There has only been one day in the past 10 where I haven't had an IBS flare.  Not fun, and certainly not convenient.
• When I got back from my walk on Friday morning, my Beloved and I discovered that we had no hot water.  If you've been around here awhile, you may recall that we had just had the hot water tank replaced a year and a half ago, so you can imagine how unimpressed I was.  After waiting all day for the plumber to come, we discovered that our gas had been shut off.  On a Friday.  There has been a huge mess about the gas bill (basically, my Beloved who is our condo board treasurer hasn't been getting the bills.  Our board president changed our service provider a couple of months ago, and has never gotten around to giving us any of the paperwork... like I said, a huge mess).  We have been without hot water all weekend, and likely won't have it back until sometime tomorrow.  Ask me how much I like cold showers and boiling water on the stove to was my dishes... I dare you. 

Ok, on to the Chit Chat!

Reading?  I'm about 30 pages away from the end of Taliesin.  I'm going to finish it up tonight and then dive back into the Mitford series. 

Listening to?  My Beloved as he slurps his iced tea. 

Watching?  Call the Midwife and Mr. Selfridge.  There's also a new series on PBS called Bletchley Circle that's an interesting mystery/procedural drama that I'm recording.  Who knows when I'm going to get around to watching. 

Cooking/Baking?  Tonight was a typical Sunday dinner.  Roast beef, mashed potatoes, and roasted carrots, asparagus, and mushrooms.  Was very yummy.  Tomorrow is a new recipe for pork chops, mashed sweet potatoes, and roasted cauliflower.  I'm very into roasting our veggies just now.  Roasted mushrooms are seriously the best thing I have ever eaten.  At least this week.  :)

Happy you accomplished this week?  I'm very proud of myself for sticking with my walking this week.  There have been moments when I didn't feel like getting up at the butt crack of dawn, but this is important. 

Looking forward to next week?  Planning Pip's birthday party.  I think I have the menu sorted out, now I need to decide on the cake and do some dollar store shopping for decorations. 

Thankful for today?  The things that make our lives easy.  Dishwashers, washing machines, and hot water heaters (when they blankety-blank have the gas to make them work). 

****Bonus Question**** What is your preferred method for contacting someone? (email, text, phone, letter, etc...)  I prefer anything but the phone.  I hate talking on the phone.  My cell phone rarely actually is used for making or receiving phone calls.  I guess I would have to say email is my preferred method, although texting can be good for quick messages.  My sister loves to text and I'm just not that into it.

*****
This has been posted as a part of Carla's Sunday Night Chit Chat.  Click over and check out what others are chatting about tonight.  And better still, join in!

The Plan: Phase One

Hey Humble Readers...

When I got home from the doctor's office on Friday, and was all kinds of a wreck about the diabetes, my Beloved was amazing.  He held me as I cried, didn't judge me, and told me that we are in this together.  He refuses to hear any negativity from me about this, and in no uncertain terms am I allowed to throw the towel in. 

Over the weekend we began to formulate our plan to battle this.  Phase one is primarily changing how I think about the whole issue.

First and foremost, my self worth will NEVER EVER be defined by the number that shows up on my glucometer.  A bad blood sugar reading does not mean I am a bad person.  Shame has no place in getting healthy.  My blood sugar numbers are between me, my Beloved, and my doc.  No one else needs to know where I'm at. 

Second, type 2 diabetes does not happen overnight.  It took me 38 years to screw up my body, it's not going to be fixed overnight.  In order to make some serious life-long changes in my life, I have to build better habits.  And habits take time to develop.  We are going to tackle things in small steps.  I know me, and if I try to make huge sweeping changes all at once, I will slip up.  And a slip up will make me feel like a failure, and I will want to give up.  Small changes will lead to larger changes. 

Third, we both recognize that insulin is a hormone, and as such it can have a pretty serious affect on my mood.  I have to be proactive about recognizing that I'm in a funk and do something about it.  Putting on my favourite music and dancing around the house, going outside and breathing some fresh air, or finding something to laugh at (like a stupid video on youtube or my pinterest board full of funnies).  When I get into a funk, I am more likely to turn into a slug and make poor food choices.  Best not to let it happen, if I can help it. 

On the practical side, I will...

• Keep the fridge stocked with veggies and fruit to make snacking healthier. 
• Continue to drink 4-6 litres of water every day, and have cinnamon tea at least once a day
• Stay on top of my meds. 
• Focus on my carb counts... max 30 at breakfast, 45 at lunch, and 60 at dinner.
• Work on getting my 10000 steps a day.  (I acknowledge that it will take some time to build up to that.)  I am starting by walking early in the morning while my Beloved is getting ready for work. 
• Check my blood sugars twice a day. 
• Record everything.  My sugars.  My food intake.  My exercise.  This will keep me honest, and I will have it to show my doctor. 
• Allow myself the occasional small treat, not as a reward, but because deprivation will lead to resentment, which will lead to cheating, which will lead to giving up. 
• Allow myself non-food rewards for achieving particular goals.  (First up - new work out clothes when I see a particular number on the scale.  12.5 pounds to go!)

These are all first steps.  These things WILL make a difference, and they WILL move me towards being healthier.  As much as I want to say that I will beat this, and that someday I will not be diabetic any more, that is just too big a chunk for me to bite off at this time.  Yes, I do have a bit of a timeline in the back of my head, but I'm not going to focus on it.  That way, if it takes me longer than I hope to achieve certain goals, I won't feel as though I have failed. 

Dr. B will likely have a few things to say about this plan, and it doesn't really deal with the cholesterol issue in any way.  But this is a start. 

As always, Humble Readers, I value your suggestions and your input. 

Sunday Night Chit Chat: Moving Forward

Howdy Humble Readers...

First and foremost, thank you all for your kind words on my last post.  While I'm still not in a great emotional place about the whole thing, I am doing much better than I was on Friday.  This weekend has been all about wrapping my head around my new reality.  The metformin has been a biotch, no two ways about it.  I'm praying that maybe after a couple of weeks my body will adjust to it and not have to spend quite so much time in the bathroom.  Metformin + IBS = hell.

OMG My Pancreas Just Texted!

My Beloved and I are formulating a plan, and when I see Dr. B in a couple of weeks I hope that I will have a bit of a change already in progress.  I'll tell you all about the plan tomorrow.

Oh, and guess what?  It snowed again this weekend.  Argh!

Ok, on to the Chit Chat...

Here's what I'm

Reading - Still rereading Taliesin by Lawhead.  I love it.  It always takes me a bit longer to read fantasy, but I'm really enjoying it. 

Listening To - Nothing in particular just now.  However, since I joined the 21st century and began downloading music, I have found that I listen to it a lot more.  I've been spending some time tracking down some favourites that I have never actually owned (like K.D. Lang's rendition of "Halleluiah")

Watching - It's Sunday, so that means Call the Midwife and Mr. Selfridge.  I love CTM, and I really enjoy most of the characters in Selfridge, I have to admit that Mr. Selfridge himself is a bit irritating.  I'm not sure if it's how he's written, if he was really like that, or if it's Jeremy Pivin's portrayal of him. 

Cooking/Baking - Tonight was a balsamic pork roast, mashed potatoes (I just had a little bit), and roasted broccoli.  I'm excited because I've decided I'm going to try faro this week.  I came across a few new vegetarian recipes that I want to try, and faro is the primary ingredient in one of them.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Happy I accomplished this week - We converted Ginny's crib to a toddler bed this week.  She had finally started climbing out, so it was time.  It's been a challenging few days to say the least.  She seems to do better at night than she does at naptime.  One concession we have made for her is to allow her to have a couple of books in bed with her.  It seems to make her more settled in bed.  Everything is a process, right?

Looking forward to next week - While I'm sure it sounds ridiculous, I'm looking forward to cleaning my fridge.  It's one of those jobs that I'm terrible about getting to, and I've hit my breaking point.  I'm going to clean it on Thursday, when it's at its emptiest. 

Thankful for - You all.  Your encouragement, your continued patience with my prattling and my absences.  You are wonderful.

****Bonus Question**** Fill in the blank: I am by far the biggest ______ snob.  Water, no doubt about it.  My family used to own a water purification company, and as a result I can't drink any water that isn't purified by reverse osmosis.  I can even tell when the filters in our RO need changing just by taste.

******
This has been posted as a part of Carla's Sunday Night Chit Chat.  Pop over and check out what the others are sharing this evening. 

The Big D

Hey Humble Readers...

So, yeah, I went to the doctor today.  Got some not so great news. 

I went in because the yeast beast that I had a couple of months ago has not gone away entirely.  It has just kept on flaring up (and making me mega miserable in the process).  I was hoping for a rx cream or something. 

I wasn't able to see the Dr. B due the short notice, so I saw Dr. L (one of his associates).  She was friendly enough, but as soon as she pulled up my file, her demeanour changed.  To back up a bit, I had to go in for an rx refill for my blood pressure meds a few weeks ago.  Dr. B gave me a req for some bloodwork.  He wanted to follow up on my blood sugars since it's been almost a year since Pip was born and my cholesterol because of my weightloss (hoping it had gone down). 

Let's just say that things are bad.  

My blood sugars are through the roof.  And my cholesterol is pretty awful too. 

Needless to say what I was hoping was going to be a relatively quick, albeit uncomfortable (always awkward having a stranger look at your lady bits, especially when they aren't at their best) appointment that would result in a rx for cream to stop the itch. 

Instead I walked out of there barely holding it together and feeling like a big old failure.  I am officially diabetic.  I'm a friggin' statistic.  I'm one of those faceless bellies that they always show on the news when they talk about type 2 diabetes and the 'obesity epidemic'. 

So, in addition to my blood pressure meds, I am now on metformin (and I'm going to be spending a lot of time in the bathroom now... lovely), oral meds and cream for the yeast beast (totally connected to the big D), and in a couple of weeks Dr. B and I will be discussing meds for my cholesterol. 

I guess this explains my lethargy and exhaustion.  I just feel like a big old idiot and failure. 

I know that in a few days, I will be able to have my brain wrapped around all this.  I need a game plan. 

Right now I'm just wallowing. 

Sunday Night Chit Chat: Happy Anniversary To Us!

Howdy Humble Readers...

At the time of this writing, my Beloved and I have been married for six years and two hours.  :)  The best six years and two hours of my life.  He is my soulmate, my best friend, and my biggest support.  Things haven't always been easy for us, but our challenges have brought us closer than I could have thought possible.  I can honestly, and without feeling the least bit cheesy, say that I love him more today than I did when we said our vows. 

Yet again, the weekend has been dominated by the weather.  Snow.  SNOW!  Again.  And it's that really heavy wet spring snow.  Ugh!  I'm so sick of this crap.

And Ginny... oh Ginny.  As I've said before, I'm not a fan of the phrase "the terrible twos" because I think that can be self-fulfilling, but I can certainly see where it came from.  She's pushing so many boundaries and just being all around challenging.  Today has been particularly difficult, resulting in us having to leave church early because she was just so naughty.  I try to stay mellow in those moments... I really do.  But it's hard not to lose my cool.  Oh, and she climbed out of her crib for the first time today.  *sigh*  I love her so much.  I hope she gets through this phase soon. 

Out-takes from Pip's photo shoot yesterday.

On to the Chit Chat...

Reading - I finished Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner a couple of days ago, and as I said last week, I'm pretty certain I had read it before, or at least parts of it (occupational hazard of working in bookstores for so many years.  I would often read bits and pieces of different books while on breaks just so I could better sell it).  Now I'm re-reading Taliesin by Stephen Lawhead.  If you like historical/fantasy, you should really check the Pendragon Cycle out (or at least the first three books - Taliesin, Merlin, and Arthur).  I'm only a few chapters in, but it's a brilliant retelling of the Arthur legends, starting in Atlantis with the girl who would one day become the mother of Merlin.  I haven't read this series in a few years, so I'm excited to delve back into it.

Watching - I'm recording my usual Sunday night shows tonight because my Beloved and I are going out!  Nothing big, just dinner at a fun restaurant and a movie.  But it's out!  We're either going to go see The Host or 42 (the one about Jackie Robinson). 

Listening to - Pippin is 'resting' in the playpen, chatting in a tired sort of way with his stuffies.

Baking/Cooking - Like I said, we're going out tonight.  Tomorrow night I'm cooking our 'at home' anniversary dinner.  Greek inspired salmon, lemony rice pilaf, and sautéed kale and tomatoes.

Happy you accomplished this week - Got Pip's 1st birthday portraits done.  Went through the kid's clothes and sorted out what's too small (going to the thrift store later today).  Packed up the baby bottles and the food mill. 

Looking forward to next week -  Using my new Panini grill (my Beloved's gift to me).

Thankful for today -  For my Beloved, for our extended family who called to wish us a happy anniversary, and for our challenging children. 

****Bonus Question**** What is your *ideal* wake up time and what time do you usually wake up?  I am happiest and most productive when I get 8-9 hours of sleep (yes, I need 8-9 hours), so on a good day I'm waking up at around 7am.  But usually I don't get that much, for all sorts of reasons... the wee-lings have a rough night, I have a rough night, I read too long at night, etc.  I wish I could get by on 6 hours...

*****
This is posted as a part of Carla's Sunday Night Chit-Chat.  Pop on over and check out what others are chatting about tonight. 

Why? Oh Why?

Oh Humble Readers....

I come to you asking why?

I lived 38 years of my life in ignorance.  I lived 38 years of my life in bliss. 

All my life, I have been mocked, ridiculed, and dismissed as an aberration.  My family didn't understand me, my friends thought I was nuts. 

My confession? 

I have never liked bacon. 

Not with eggs, not on a burger, and certainly not a club sandwich.  Not on a baked potato or on a Caesar salad.  The smell, the grease, and the mess of cooking it... *shudder*.  I thought the current 'bacon flavoured' everything craze was just wrong.  I mean, why ruin perfectly good chocolate or ice cream with bacon?  How revolting...

And I was proud to be able to tell my doctor that bacon was never a part of my diet.  I never had to worry about putting it on a list of foods I shouldn't eat because I never would consider eating it. 

Until recently. 

I don't know what happened.  Over the last few years I would occasionally make a recipe that required bacon (like my german potato salad) and I would suck it up and cook a few slices, gagging all the while.  I would crumble them really small so that I couldn't really notice it in my food.

Slowly, almost imperceptibly it grew on me. 

I learned about cooking bacon in the oven.  And that solved the problem with the mess.  I started to nibble on the crumbles I would use in recipes.  Bacon in a recipe no longer made it unpalatable to me.  After a while the crumbles became bits, and the bits became chunks. 

Humble Readers, I admit it.

I love bacon. 

It must be crispy.  And it most certainly must not be greasy.  I love the salty, smoky goodness.  I love the crunch.  I even had bacon on a breakfast sandwich earlier this week.  And I'm considering buying a package of the evil stuff when I go grocery shopping tomorrow. 

Oh how the mighty have fallen...

Somebody save me.  Please!

Sunday Night Chit Chat: Will Winter Never End?

Howdy Humble Readers! 

How are you all tonight?  We're digging out from a gross amount of snow, but other than that, all is well here in the hobbit hole.  I despise snow in April, and according to the long term forecast, it's supposed to continue for the next couple of weeks.  I turned off the furnace, as I always do, on April 1, and I really am hoping that I won't have to turn it back on in the next few weeks. 

Our wee glamour girl in her new shades

Ginny has been a bit of a stinker all day, and really I was never so glad to see bedtime roll around tonight.  Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day for her.  Pippin has recently exhibited an affinity for music and dancing.  It's so adorable, I want to have music playing all day just to watch him bounce and groove in his little dude way. 

Our weekend has been a busy one, including going for a bloodwork appointment (which ended up not happening because Dr. B told me the wrong amount of time to fast), shopping for new capris and tshirts, ordering my new glasses, finding a cute outfit for Pip's portraits next weekend, an oil change, a haircut for my Beloved, and church.  Whooo, no wonder I'm tuckered out. 

On to the Chit Chat...

Reading - Fly Away Home by Jennifer Wiener.  I think I may have read it before, as it's kind of striking me as familiar.  And just for the record... I DID really enjoy the Host by Meyer.  It's not fine literature by any stretch, but it's very engaging and I confess that several scenes have lingered with me over the past few days. 

Watching - Call the Midwife and Mr. Selfridge on PBS.  I adore the clothes so much in Mr. Selfridge.  Same vintage as Downton.

Listening to - While I'm not listening to it at the moment, my primary musical entertainment this week has been the new NKOTB album.  I love, love, love it!  I'm just bummed that they haven't added an Alberta stop on their tour. 

Baking/Cooking - Tonight was a basic Sunday supper.  Maple Mustard Pork Roast, Mashed Taters, Peas, Gravy, and Yorkies.  The yorkies didn't turn out so well tonight, but the gravy was yummy. 

Happy you accomplished this week -  Other than all that we got done this weekend, I'm pleased to say that I'm slowly getting back into a solid routine.  Still a bit behind on things, but I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  And the clothes that I bought for myself yesterday... I'm proud to say that I am able to fit into a size smaller than before!  Yippee!

Looking forward to next week - I need to colour my hair... desperately.  I've had the box in the bathroom for more than a month.  I'm also in the midst of planning Pip's first birthday party.  I'm going to be ordering the invitations from Etsy (order the jpeg and print them myself).  It's going to be mostly grown ups, of course, but I still want it to be cute. 

Thankful for today - That we haven't had need to travel anywhere this weekend, through the bad weather.  That the surety that spring will come... eventually. 

***Bonus Question*** - What is your regular day to day "outfit"?   In the winter, jeans and a tshirt or sweater.  In the summer capris or a skirt (long and black usually) and a tshirt. 

*****
This has been posted as a part of Carla's Sunday Night Chit Chat.  Pop over and find out what others are chatting about tonight.

Pippin @ 11 Months: A Busy Boy

Hey Humble Readers...

Bathtime - still in the kitchen sink

It has been ages and ages since I did an update on our wee little mister.  Let me tell you, he's not so wee any more!

Look at me!!

He'll be 11 months old next week, and I just can't even believe it.  Where has the time gone?  He's gotten so big and so busy, it's hard to keep up with him. 

Tired boy

Pippin weighs 22.5lb now (not sure how tall he is, haven't measured him in a while).  He and Ginny are in the same size diapers now... how crazy is that?  His eyes are still super blue, and he's had six teeth since December.  He's been teething 3-4 more teeth for at least a month, with no real progress unfortunately.  And talk about drool!

Today - completely zonked out for 12 minutes

He sleeps really well most nights, usually from around 8pm until 7am.  The only times we have a middle of the night wake up is when he's in a growth spurt or his teeth are particularly bothersome.  Napping is iffy, with morning naps being the norm and the occasional cat nap in the afternoon while Ginny is napping. 

Ooooo... Mummy's books!

He loves his little stuffed Eeyore beyond belief, but all other toys are fair game too.  Basically anything he can chew on is a favourite. 

Pippin makes lots of what I would consider 'little boy' noises... grunts, squawks, blowing raspberries, even car sounds.  He's a very happy little guy, and it's easy to make him giggle.  There isn't any real sense to his noises yet, except for the random "Da!" when he sees my Beloved. 

He started crawling, really crawling not just doing the army crawl, around the same time as he started pulling himself up on the furniture, around the middle of February.  Now he's cruising around the furniture and giving me regular heart attacks as he takes little tumbles here and there. 

Hangin' with Gramma

And speaking of tumbles... Ginny DOES NOT condone Pippin's newfound mobility.  Every chance she has, she will push him down and then try to sit on him.  He has fought back once, biting her on the finger (not that biting is allowed, but he needed to put Ginny in her place). 

First time he stood up... at Mama's house in K-town.

Pip's eczema still comes ,and goes.  He's got a patch right now on his hand that has shown up in the last few days.  But the rx cream still seems to be able to control it. 

Motorin'!

He'll probably be going for his first haircut sometime this month or early next... in time for his birthday.  He doesn't have the same quantity of hair that Ginny had at this age, but he's got some crazy wave going on in the back. 

He's a great eater, when he's not asleep at the table. :)

He's a pretty good eater too... Pip's favourites right now are rice krispies, bananas, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice, tomatoes, kale, grapes, strawberries, applesauce, yoghurt, scrambled eggs, cheese, chicken, turkey, ground beef (but not roast beef or pork, or pork chops).  He gets so excited about food and he gets very upset when dinner is all gone.  He's almost entirely off the bottle, drinking whole milk from a sippy cup most days.  He's still a bit messy with the sippy cup, but I've decided that if he continues as he has been, it will be time to pack up the bottles and send them off to the thrift store (WAH!).  H e also has started to really do well with feeding himself... he could probably manage his whole lunch (usually fruit and cheese cubed up) if he wasn't inclined to pick up his dish and dump it on his head. 

Pippin is such a good little boy.  Yeah, he pulls my hair, and gets into my books, but he's so happy and when he gives me that little grin with the twinkle in his eye, I just melt.