T1D Tuesday: Insulin Transplantation

Every November I retire my Monday Random Round Up, and instead trot out T1D Tuesday for Type One Diabetes Awareness Month. 

You can learn about Juvenile Diabetes right here, and even make a donation to further research here. 

When you hear the word 'transplant', what do you think of? Heart? Liver? Plants, even? For most of us, something as abstract as insulin doesn't come to mind as a transplant option. What even IS it, exactly?

And if that raises more questions than it answers:

And who's smart enough to figure out how to transplant a hormone? Harvard, of course. We know that T1D is caused by the body attacking the beta cells in the pancreas. Well, a pack of brilliant Harvard minds has figured out how to produce those beta cells, making them theoretically available for manufacturing and transplantation.

What does that mean for T1D patients? NO. MORE. SHOTS.

A normal life, free from injections, with a body that can regulate it's own blood sugar. In a word: Amazing. In fact, a University College of London Professor of Regenerative Medicine, Chris Mason, is quoted as saying "If this scalable technology is proven to work in both the clinic and in the manufacturing facility the impact on the treatment of diabetes will be a medical game-changer on par with antibiotics and bacterial infections."

...Whoa.

I highly encourage you to read the whole article on this research - It's pretty short and even in layman's terms so all us non-Harvard grads can understand. The implications are mind-blowing for the future of those with T1D. A cure is real and within reach. Let's spread the word and increase funding for amazing research like this!

T1D Tuesday: Get'cho Facts Straight

Every November I retire my Monday Random Round Up, and instead trot out T1D Tuesday for Type One Diabetes Awareness Month. 

You can learn about Juvenile Diabetes right here, and even make a donation to further research here. 

Let's address something right off the bat this month: Type One Diabetes is not caused by what you eat or how much you exercise. Kids don't get it because they're parents are lazy, and adults don't get it because they're eating fast food.

Type One is a tricky business, and the pervasive belief that those diagnosed brought it on themselves somehow is a frustrating reality. It simply isn't true, and it hinders funding for research as people don't want to open their wallets for a 'self inflicted' disease. ARGH!!

So yes, this post is short and sweet. That makes it easy to pass on. We'll get into some mind-blowing developments in the march toward a cure next week, but for now, spread this word. This one, right here: Type One Diabetes is not a disease for the unhealthy, fat, lazy, uneducated, or sugar-addicted. It can hit anyone at any time. YOU, even. The faster we support finding a cure, the better it is for us all.

It's Important. REALLY Important.

November is right around the corner, and that means it's Type One Diabetes Awareness Month! As you may recall, my Monday Random Round Up gets to rest for a month, and is instead replaced by T1D Tuesdays: A little spot where you can pop in, learn a little something, and spread the word.

The most incredible research is happening toward a cure, and I cannot wait to tell you about it (seriously, I save articles all year so I can tell you about 'em in November). You think the new Star Wars movie coming out is exciting? Ain't got nothin' on the real-life, special effects-type science happening in the T1D world.

And why do I care so much? In a word, Ella.

My cousin's daughter was diagnosed at age 7 with Type One, and it rocked our family's world. So much to take in, so much to learn, so many questions. Now, at age 10, Ella is a perfectly functional 4th grader: Sporty, fun, and brimming with life. She even takes charge of her own care, injecting herself with insulin and taking finger-prick sugar level readings without a flinch. She is a carb-calculating whiz, and educates other kiddos on her diagnoses with panache.

Basically, she's amazing. And why wouldn't I want to raise awareness to make her life - and that of so many others - better. T1D Tuesdays, comin' at'cha! Get excited.

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Random Round Up: Waiting Game

If you know me, you know I'm not very graceful when it comes to handling 'go-with-the-flow' kinds of situations. So waiting around for this lil' babe... Tough. 

So, a few snaps of my pastimes of late:

A happy hour date, complete with Skookie (skillet cookie) for desert. YUM.

So thankful I have a buddy at home.

Best $10 I ever spent - An adult coloring book! I found mine on Amazon, there are tons.

Finishing touches are finally done on the nursery, including this laundry hamper.
I plan to do a room reveal once he's here since a few decorations have his name incorporated.

We're going for daily walks - C'mon kiddo!!

Hope things are going smoothly for you guys! I'm crossing my fingers for a meet-n-greet with our new little guy SOON.

Random Round Up: Ready-ish

Officially on maternity leave, I'm trying to tie up loose ends around the house and put my feet up when I feel like it... Which, not gonna lie, that's pretty often. Striking that balance is still coming slowly, but I am sort of starting to get the hang of it.

Right before life changes again, eh? Welp, better late than never I suppose. A few recent snaps:

A truly autumnal Washington morning - Not black and white, just foggy (and early).

My first day of maternity leave: Messy top knot and a celebratory Starbucks run.

My lunch date.

Our annual try-all-the-pumpkin-donuts-at-Frost day! YUM.

Ready for the coming holidays? With under 70 days 'til Christmas a 60 day
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The countdown is on to Baby J 'round here, so don't be surprised if things are a little quiet. Nope, that doesn't necessarily mean he's here, but probably more that I'm just trying to finish his room and tame the dog hair situation before he shows up. Happy week ahead, guys!

Random Round Up: Slowing Down

Okay... Trying to slow down is probably more of a truth. With only a couple weeks to go until Baby J's arrival, I get tired so much more easily but it seems like I have more to do than ever. How do you find the balance??

That's not rhetorical guys, I really want to know. Help a girl out. "Just take it slow" doesn't really work for me and my constant need to close out to-do lists.

Anywhoo, here's what happened - along with a lot of couch time and napping - this weekend:

The leaves in my neighborhood are just starting to turn. Love it!

A co-worker and her mom made a quilt for Baby J, amazing!!

Got all the clothes put away this weekend... Whoa.

My house may still be in relative shambles, but at least a few of my plants will
make it through the winter now.
I took a pre-nap to gear up and a then needed a couch sesh to recover. Ha!

Cutting back the backyard for colder temps forced me to trim the last of the
hydrangea blooms. So pretty!

Happy Monday, y'all!

Showered With Love

In a word: Amazing. My baby shower, hosted by my Mother-In-Law and coordinated with my mom and two best buddies, was this past weekend, and I can't think of a word other than 'amazing' to sum it up. So much love, so much time invested, and so much gratefulness from me. Words can't do it justice, so enjoy these pics!

My MiL's amazing friend loaned out this 115 year old family heirloom crib
to hold gifts by the front door. So gorgeous!

My parents worked their magic on creating this diaper tricycle. So cute!

Every detail accounted for - Check out those arrow-printed clothespins!

Sweetly framed invite, complete with pretty little accoutrements.

We played The Price Is Right... I lost after not even knowing the price of my own
Starbucks drink! D'oh! Haha

Gorgeous garden flowers on every surface.

My bestie from childhood, Rebecca.

Seriously, EVERY detail. See the tiny blue pacifiers?!

My mom and her neighbor whipped up the most delicious cupcakes
in three different flavors: Raspberry, orange, and chocolate coconut. YUM.

Little candy favors all dressed up like onesies.

My girls. Fifteen years of friendship and counting!

So cute. Just everything: So cute.

Thank you to all of you who contributed, came, sent good vibes, everything. I'm chock full o'love, and we have the luckiest lil' guy.

Random Round Up: Weekend o'Love

Such a wonderful, love-filled weekend 'round here: My two besties were up to stay with me, and right in the middle was my baby shower. Guess what, world? People are NICE. The generosity and support were overwhelming, and the hubs and I were left feeling unbelievably special and loved. Couldn't ask for better!

Autumn is kicking off in a picture-perfect way.

Between the massage chair and the foot rub, this has been the BEST treat for myself.

Two of the last teams in the nation to be undefeated so far went head to head.
My Huskies lost, but it was a hard fought battle. Hooray for volleyball season!!

They are just the best ever.

Swelling continues to be an every-morning issue... New meaning to
Beyoncé's 'I Woke Up Like This' line, eh?? HA. But why only really
bad in one hand?! Bizarre, per usual.

I'll share some shower details later this week - My mother-in-law and her friend outdid themselves in design and decor, and my mom and two best girls followed up with perfect little touches of their own. Wonderful! And here's hoping the same for us all for the week ahead.

Random Round Up: Can A Girl Get A Nap Around Here?!

As sleep gets harder to come by, my brain feels a little more addled by the day. So! With a grand flourish of absolutely no creativity: Here are some pictures from the weekend.

It's a good day to be a tailgating preggo when a Cinnabon truck pulls up with freebies!

Last able-to-attend home game for us for the season. Sad, but ready for a break too
after three home games in a row.

Early morning aircraft carriers in a base harbor nearby.

Color me basic, but these are delicious!

Tuck summing up how I feel in general today.

Happy Monday - I'm going to go back to my anti-adulting today. ZzzzZZZZzzzZzz......

Ode To A Paint Sprayer

Guys. I can't say enough good things about this paint sprayer business. Buy one now, thank me later, you're welcome in advance.

You may recall, we sprung for this bad boy a couple years ago, thinking it would be just the thing for our kitchen cabinet overhaul and repainting all our interior doors. Well, we ended up going with hand-rolling for the cabinets, and the doors have yet to be tackled. But the perfect opportunity to bust this guy out came with our new sections of replaced siding.

We had a painter lined up, but after he accidentally rolled off someone else's roof, he was out of commission. With the rainy season bearing down, we needed to get our siding covered and ready for the elements. Nate took a chunk of the old siding into Home Depot and had some flat exterior Glidden paint color matched to the piece of old stuff. It turned out perfectly! By far the best match we've ever had mixed, and probably due to the large size of swatch he took in for them to work from. Take note of that if you ever need a paint match: The bigger swatch, the better.

We poured the paint into the sprayer, and got to work. And what fast work it was! Even with Nate allowing me to do some (he couldn't have ALL the fun of trying a new tool!), the entire process took only two hours. If we had used a brush and roller, my guess is that time frame would have doubled.

I was allowed to try 'er out on the no-ladder-required portions.

Even, fast coverage: Wonderful! Lots of folks complain about over-spray with paint sprayers: Because this model has the option of a vertical or horizontal spray, we found it to not really be too much of an issue. Sure we have spots, but nothing major. It was fairly easy to control once we got the hang of it all.

Say hallo to mah leetle friend!

We'll still be having the whole house painted as soon as the weather turns dry again (May-ish?), but in the meantime I'm so glad to have had a stretch of dry weather to get this taken care of ourselves. One less thing to have on our minds in this busy stretch o'life!

We'll be touching up those bare spots on the white garage arches this weekend.