Pump Trials

Last Thursday I was given an insulin pump, by my endocrinologist office, to see if it will help better manage my diabetes (I've had type 2 diabetes since 2004). I've always been afraid of the word "pump", not really knowing much about what it does or really even how it works. After 2 hours of online tutorials presented by "pump school online" and then an additional 2.5 hours in the endocrinologists office with the medtronic educator I think I have all my initial concerns/questions resolved. Who knew it would take 4.5 hours to learn how to operate a pump correctly.

As it turns out, insulin pumps have been clinically proven to reduce complications in pregnancy for diabetic women. My OB has been asking me for months to switch endocrinologists because he wanted me to give the pump a try, or at least find out more information about it. I finally scheduled an appointment with the new Dr. to make the switch. The N.P. I met with during my initial visit immediately scheduled me for an education session and a trial/loaner pump. Surprisingly it hasn't been as bad as I expected, its been kind of fun to see what abilities/benefits the pump has to offer. Instead of giving myself 4 shots a day I only have to change my pump site every three days. In addition to the pump I have a blood glucose sensor that I insert near the pump site every 6 days. The sensor constantly monitors my glucose levels and allows me and my physicians to see patterns/trends in my glucose levels constantly throughout the day. Prior to the pump I was pricking my finger 6-8 times a day, now I only test 3-4 times a day to calibrate the sensor readings during my trial. Hopefully in the future I'll only have to do 1-2 finger pricks a day. I was so nervous that the two site inserts would be extremely painful but to date I have experienced no pain. I'll agree to trade my two site inserts for all the shots and testing I've done in the past. The pump is actually the same size as a pager/cell phone so it doesn't really cause me much grief to wear. And, surprisingly, the tubing doesn't get in the way as much as I had feared. I really thought I'd feel like I was "tied" to the pump. So, for now, I'll give my pump trial two thumbs up. Now, if only my insurance will approve an insulin pump purchase of my own. More to come later . . .

Quick thoughts: Sunday edition

I was at work yesterday, and as I was talking to Stacie, she mentioned that Lexie had found a TV guide downstairs, looked at the cover, and told her, "That's Daddy!". This is the aforementioned cover. Stacie said, "That's not Daddy" (probably excluding the word "unfortunately" when she relayed the story to me), and Lexie said, "Well, it looks like him." Ah...my angel, my beautiful little girl.

So when I got home, I picked up the magazine and asked Lexie, "Who is this?". She looked at it and said, "I don't know". "C'mon" I asked "Who is it?". Again, "I don't know"...this time a little more insistent, as if to tell me that I shouldn't interrupt her from watching "Handy Manny" again. I suppose that I could chalk it up to her not remembering what she said earlier, but her memory is far too good to use that as an excuse!

So, my moment in the sun is gone. I'm back to normal status. McDreamy McDaddy has left the building.

The Blogs Of The XXIX Olympiad, #3

Getting up at 2:00 a.m. to come to work can be a little bit difficult some days, but it has been okay during the Olympics, because the 14 hour time change allowed me to follow the events that happened in prime time in Beijing. I missed some of the swimming and gymnastics that were on in the evenings here because I was in bed, but it was a decent trade-off. Until, of course, we were watching that evening's events, and I'd say "Yep, I know what happens here" prompting Stacie to tell me to stay away from nbcolympics.com and espn.com during the day (Yeah, sure!)

Today was no exception...and as I got ready for work, I was able to catch the fourth quarter of the US men's basketball game as they battled Spain for the gold. First, let me say that I really dislike the Spanish team. They're Euros, which means that they generally look to be in need of a shower, they play WAAAYY over their heads in international competitions (shades of the Ryder Cup in golf), and I hate that some of them have their first names on their jerseys (Raul, Ricky) and some have their last names. Mostly, I dislike Pau Gasol, his constant whining, and the fact that he looks like a llama:














(That's Pau on the left, by the way)

His brother, Marc Gasol, also plays for the team (curiously, they DON'T use their first names on the back of the jersey, which would actually make sense for them) and he is a scruffier, thicker version of this handsome devil. I couldn't find pictures of Marc on the internet...most people are probably afraid to upload them because they assume that it contains some type of hideous virus. But I digress...

I picked up the game in the fourth quarter. The US led all of the game, but their three-point shooting went cold in the fourth, and Spain came back to make it a close game. With just a few minutes left, the US had a four point lead; Kobe Bryant takes a three, makes it, and gets fouled. I gave a fist pump, and let out a "YES!!", then stopped in my tracks. That was the first time that I had ever cheered when Kobe did something good in a game. I wanted to play the "It's 2:10 in the morning and I'm really sleepy" card, but I couldn't. I was actually cheering for Kobe to succeed. It reminded me of Jim Halpert on "The Office" when he said "Congratulations universe, you win."

It was great to see the US make things right, and claim the gold medal that they should win every year. I enjoyed the Carlos Boozer cameo at the end, which, considering his matador defense and the fact that they were playing Spain, seemed appropriate. Ole!

Fortunately, I was able to reel in my Kobe man crush on the way to work as I listened to his post-game interview. He was asked about how he came alive in the fourth quarter to thwart the Spanish comeback and said that he decided to "let the mamba loose". Considering his previous problem in Colorado, I'd think he'd want to keep the mamba on a pretty tight leash.

And yes, I know that "Mamba" is his nickname...one that HE glossed onto himself a couple of off-seasons ago. This is an almost unpardonable act, unless nobody can stand you and you don't have buddies to give you a nickname. See? Man crush gone.

Now that the Olympics are coming to an end, it is a bittersweet feeling. I love the Olympics, and I love the constant sports. Many times I was watching the TV, toggling between two or even three Olympic channels, while I followed a crucial handball match or the team archery event online. But it takes a toll on you. I was pretty good about going to bed early when I had to work that morning, but when I didn't, it was easy to stay up in the wee hours of the night. Our evenings were usually devoted to going through several hours of recorded events, so it will be nice to have them back as well. I'll be compiling my eagerly anticipated Olympic wrap-up and posting it in the next couple of days (I can actually HEAR Stacie's eyes roll as she reads this), but I wanted to mention a couple of the other "fringe" events that I have enjoyed over the past couple of weeks:

Field Hockey - I watched at least a dozen men's and women's matches over the course of the Olympics. It's a great sport; the players use sticks that look like shepherds crooks, except that they're only about three feet long. After watching them run around, hunched over, it seems like a longer stick would be an easy solution, but maybe that's not allowed. They are not allowed to shield the other person from the ball, so stickhandling is at a premium. Plus, they can only use one side of the stick (the other side is round), so they're constantly flipping it back and forth. I also like when they call a penalty; the defending team has to stand inside the goal until they other team fires it to the front of the goal. Then they run out at the ball while the other team smashes it at them. It kind of reminds me of this (go to the 2:44 mark of the clip):



Whenever the women got ready for a penalty, they would all run behind the goal and put on big gloves, elbow pads, sometimes even helmets. And the official would hold up the game while they geared up for it. It was like a baseball player trading his glove for a fishing net when there was a high fly ball that he couldn't reach. Or a football player putting flubber on his cleats to block a crucial field goal. Anyway, I enjoyed field hockey, but I think that the men should have to wear skirts just like the girls do.

Table Tennis - Another sport that hasn't made it out of America's basements yet. China dominated this event (shocking, I know), but the US had a women get to the quarterfinals for the first time ever. Of course, her name is Chen Wang, so we probably got a little bit of "naturalized" help there. The speed of the points is incredible, but while I watch it, I keep telling myself that this is something that I could do, given the coaches and all of the training that they go through. I mean, I'm kidding, but this seems like something that you could excel in if you gave it the proper amount of practice. London 2012, anyone?

In honor of the Olympics

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Quick thoughts: Wednesday edition

Hard to believe that it's almost September! And while I look forward to more mild temperatures, it also means that time is fast approaching for our little one to come to us. I can't belive it's only about four months away; we are definitely in "nesting" mode, trying to shuffle things around to turn our office back into a bedroom/nursery. We're keeping the classic Mickey theme, and will add things to it. Stacie wants to paint our crib black, which would match the chair rail and curtains, but I am hesitant. What say you? Please vote on the poll to the left!

Lexie is very excited for her baby brother. We can't walk through the store without her seeing something that is "really cute" and that she wants to buy for the baby. She is constantly giving her mom's belly loves and kisses, and keeps telling me that all three of us can hold the baby together. She certainly doesn't comprehend everything, and probably has no idea how much things are going to change when she has to share Mommy and Daddy, grandparents, etc. with someone, but I am excited to see her interact with the baby. When she says her prayers at night, she always remembers to bless the baby, and loves to tell people that "we are having a baby". I've seen a lot of change from her lately...I think that the "terrible twos" are starting to diminish a bit, and Lexie is starting to mature. We still have our moments (she left Wal-Mart on less than favorable terms the other night), but all in all, I think that she's getting ready for our family to expand, and to be a good big sister. I just hope that Stacie and I are ready!

Quick thoughts: Thursday Edition

I went into Lexie's room this morning to get her up...she was already awake and as soon as I opened the door, she froze in her bed. I started to ask out loud where Lexie had gone, and how I thought that she was in here. She started giggling as quietly as she could, thinking it was SOOOO funny that she was hiding. Of course, I started tickling her, and she couldn't take it anymore, so she sat up and I "found" her.

Something else I always do is ask her how she slept. Normally she says, "Good", but today when I asked her, she said "Not good", with her sad face on. "How come?", I asked. She proceeded to tell me that the dinosaur had eaten the gum and turned into a cow. Ah...that makes sense! I immediately thought two things:

1. If you could just mix a vampire or a werewolf into that dream, you could sell a LOT of books.

2. Three-year olds aren't immune to bizarre dreams either.

Tree Trimmin' Time

In our backyard we have the most beautiful Willow tree that provides such nice shade in the summer time. However, each summer we are confronted with the task of trimmin' the tree. Neither mine nor Josh's favorite task. This year we put off the task longer than usual but we finally made time to head outside last night and get 'er done. I have been harping on Josh for the last several weeks that we need to get it done so I was really happy when the task was complete. Lexie and I watched as Josh cut off branch after branch. The branches get so big and heavy that it hangs over into all of our neighbors yards (which makes it that much harder to trim). My job was to observe and identify the branches that needed to be eliminated. When we were all done and I was finally happy with the tree Lexie chimed in and started telling her Dad what else needed to be removed/fixed. Boy, kids really pay attention, too bad she was watching me, the bossy one, and not her Dad who was doing all the work. I don't remember exactly what she said but it was something like "it looks good Daddy but I think those few branches there need to come off still". Ah, what an example I am . . . LOL.

Thanks to Josh (aka Daddy), the tree looks beautiful. Next year I think we'll hire a tree trimmer. The thing is just getting too big!!

Baby boy update

Well, we went to the doctor again last Friday for another ultrasound, this one being a bit more extensive and time-consuming. They look for birth defects, check out how everything is developing, and take measurements. I believe that for most women, this is the one and only ultrasound that they have during their pregnancies. Because Stacie is considered a "high risk" pregnancy, she has ultrasounds every few weeks...it's pretty neat. We're a little bit spoiled by it, to be sure!

The first thing that they did was confirm that it is, indeed, a boy. We were told a few weeks ago that it would be a boy, but there is always a little doubt left in the back of your head, especially being so early. But he was VERY cooperative and left no doubt as to his gender (That's my boy!). Everything is developing correctly, and he weighs right around 10 oz. Stacie's official due date is now January 1, but the doctor tells us that she won't go that long. We're still thinking it will be the week between Christmas and New Year's Day.

It's still a little bit surreal, and sometimes it doesn't seem like it is going to happen. We only know about little girls, and so it will be an entirely different experience for us. We're very excited, and Lexie told me today that she is excited to "hold her little brother on the couch". Time is certainly going to fly...Stacie's and my birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas are all sandwiched into the next 140 days before the little one is here. We can't wait!

The Blogs Of The XXIX Olympiad, #2

Another day, another gold medal for Michael Phelps. In a real nailbiter, he picked up his second gold in the 4X100 freestyle relay by .08 seconds. Pretty amazing, and he's got the two most difficult events finished. He's still got a lot of work to do, but should be the favorite in each of the other six events that are to come. Eight gold medals are a distinct possibility.

I'm really enjoying all of the coverage on the internet. It's so much fun to bounce between several events and see things that you don't always get to see. To watch live video, go here.

I've seen all of the big events so far: the US taking care of China in basketball, the Dutch men stealing a draw against the US side in the final minute, lots of swimming, and some other cool sports:

Water Polo- This might take first place in the "Sport that you never see unless the Olympics are on". I've stumbled across a couple of college matches on the dish, but a Pac-10 clash doesn't really bring the same intensity of an Olympic match. And unlike handball, another Olympic favorite of mine, the US is generally in the mix for a medal. They are second only to Hungary in total Olympic medals won, and they could make some noise in Beijing. They beat China in their opening match, and I am just amazed at how physical this game is. Besides swimming about one mile during the match, they are constantly getting dunked by the opposing players. It's almost encouraged. And from what I understand, most of the contact happens UNDER the water. Repeated blasts to the nether regions from your opponent's gargantuan legs can't be good. In fact, the only part of this sport that I can't be in awe of is the fact that they all wear headgear like this:



I recognize the need for some type of protection, but what's up with that sassy bow tied under the chin? How about some snaps? Or elastic? Even velcro would be better than looking like a newborn. But these guys are amazing athletes, so I can overlook that one thing.

Badminton- This is another great spectator sport: lots of action, amazing rallies, and generally quick points. Another sport in the "No USA" zone, it's usually won by someone from Thailand or Singapore with a name like Pradaaraag Hykdrshyk. This sport has never made it out of our backyards here at home, and my dad and I decided that it might help to park a barbecue courtside to cook some burgers and dogs. And because we're speaking about these eastern countries, I feel it necessary to clarify that I mean HOT DOGS, not actual dogs.

Weightlifting - Not a ton of action, and I really prefer the heavyweight lifters, but the little guys are the ones who end up lifting almost three times their body weight over their head. It's pretty amazing to see a 140 lb. guy lifting one and a half of me up into the air. Watching a guy try to lift the weight only to have his groin explode is definitely below average, especially when they haul him back to the training room and pile his lap full of ice bags. The weightlifting venue is known as the BUAA, which, conincidentally, is the sound he made when he had his problem.

Plus, the ladies get their turn at lifting unfathomable weights, and that means Jang Mi-Ran, the Korean woman who is the three-time defending world champion.



And yes, that's 183kg, or just over 400 lbs. Yikes. I wondered what Oddjob was up to. Hope his groin holds out.

That's all for tonight...will post some more tomorrow. USA! USA! USA!

The Blogs Of The XXIX Olympiad

I love the Olympics. I love the competition, and I really enjoy watching the events. Plus, if the US is involved, I can become emotionally invested in just about anything (I remember actually yelling at the TV during the last Winter Olympics while watching the USA-Canada women's curling match). So when NBC announced that part of their coverage would total several thousand hours, most of those on the internet where you can pick and choose what to watch, I was as happy as a pig in slop. Now that the Olympics have officially started (although the soccer started a few days ago), I figured that I would post about the things that I watch and things that happen during this wonderful 17 days.

Team Handball - I caught a couple of preliminary women's matches this morning. I love me some team handball; it may be my favorite "sport that is never on TV unless it's the Olympics" with water polo a close second. Although now they just call it "Handball"...I guess the IOC decided that people weren't going to get this confused with two guys hitting a ball against a wall, so I guess that I'll follow suit and refer to it as handball, and let the "team" be implied.

Handball looks like a game that you make up in a gym when a group of guys gets together to play baskeball and nobody brings a ball. You find a red rubber ball on the stage, and divide up into two teams, making up the rules as you go along. But it really is a fun sport to watch. Teams generally score in the twenties, it's always moving, and just about every minute someone is scraping themself off the floor after getting knocked down. I saw a Brazilian girl steal the ball and dribble down for a breakaway only to have a big German girl come out of nowhere and hip check her so that she slid across the floor for about fifteen feet. You'll never see an American team in the Olympics; it's dominated by European countries. But it looks like a game that would be a blast to play. Of course, in my current pathetic physical condition, I'd probably have to play goalie.

Fencing - I saw the women's sabre gold medal match between two US women this morning (USA! USA!). The sabre is the discipline where you can score with the edge AND the tip of the sword (WOOHOO!). Not to be confused with the epee (which is a clue in about 75% of the crosswords that I do) or the foil (which you use to wrap food in to keep warm). This is obviously a very technical sport, and the amount of energy and strength it takes to compete is very deceiving, from what I've read. I'd just like it more if they all dressed like this:

Peg leg would be optional, parrot would not.

Equestrian - I saw a little bit of the individual eventing dressage, but didn't care too much because it was just the preliminaries. Like I always say, "A little dressage goes a long ways". This too, could stand some help in the costume department. Something like this perhaps:



Oh...that IS what they wear. My bad.


That's all for today...I'll be keeping track of which commercial drives me crazy after repeated showings. The early front runner: the one where the former USA fencer uses his sword as a rotisserie on the BBQ. Genius.

Olympics Party Time!

Has it really been four years since the Athens Olympics? I guess so, because they're back! This called for another Nelson-Tibbitts gala event, and the Nelson downstairs was transformed into Chinatown for the opening ceremonies. We dined on chinese food and enjoyed each other's company. I had to work in the early a.m. so we didn't see much of the actual ceremony, but everyone seemed to have a great time. Here are some pictures:

Fun in the Sun (Valley)

So, here's the other part of our Sun Valley excursion...mostly of Lexie running, jumping and dancing. Hope you like it!

Bear World Invasion

During our Sun Valley excursion, we got to visit Bear World just outside Rigby, Idaho. Here are a few highlights:

Video Time!

Back in the good old '80s, I loved all of the music videos that were on the TV. I recorded hours and hours of videos onto videotapes and carefully catalogued them so that I could find a video for anyone who "requested" it. Of course, this involved several minutes of fast forwarding or rewinding the tape in order to queue up the required video.

But now, thanks to blogs and sites like YouTube, I can play veejay with much less trouble. So, I will post music videos or funny clips from time to time. By the way, for those of you who are blog beginners, the music is from the widget on the side that looks like an iPod. You can skip tracks, and more importantly, pause the music if you want to watch a video. With that said, I present "Stomp" by the Brothers Johnson:



I watch this video all the time. It's just a silly song that makes me smile, and when I get to work at 3:00 in the morning, it's often just what the doctor ordered. And the video is a classic. Some thoughts:

1. I wondered what Jackie Chiles did in the early '80s before he started defending Kramer.
And now I know: frontman for a funky dance band.








2. I wish that I could dance like the bass player does at the 2:11 mark of the video and look as cool as he does. Trust me: I've tried it. NOT GOOD TIMES.

3. Speaking of dancing, I am amazed that a band full of smooth singing brothers stuck two white guys at the critical rhythm sections in the band. First the drummer is white, and second, the token "guy who plays background instrument but really just dances" is a white guy as well (see 0:19, 3:03 and 3:23). That's an upset of USA v. USSR 1980 proportions.

4. My favorite part of the video comes at the 3:00 mark when the lead singer says "Well...well...WELL...WELLLLLLL!!!!" Just awesome. No wonder that white guy is grooving.

5. Lastly, (and this comes from many, many viewings) the video cuts off at the end and the last second shows the video picture sliding to the left, accompanied by a sound that makes me think I'm at a hockey game and someone has scored a goal. What is that all about? It literally drives me crazy.

Great stuff..."The beat is on, and the funk just won't leave us alone". Indeed.

Quick thoughts: Tuesday edition

Since we now hold the awesome power of a blog in our hands, I hope to post short thoughts or stories, especially concerning Lexie, so that we can record some of the funny/amazing/frustrating episodes of our lives. With that said:

I was changing Lexie yesterday morning from pajamas to her clothes, and she was helping me out. She has struggled in the past to take her shirt off, and while we try to teach her how to pull one arm out, then the other, her patience often runs out and she starts to get mad. But yesterday, she did it perfectly...one arm, then the other, then over her head. I congratulated her, and told her that I was proud of her. Then I had a thought: when do I stop being excited about her ability to take off her clothes? Shouldn't I be encouraging her to keep her clothes on instead of praising her for her ability to shed clothing? I suppose that as long as we don't get her this for Christmas, we'll be alright.

We're back!

Well, we got back from our wonderful trip to Sun Valley last night. Besides the gorgeous scenery and MUCH milder temperatures than here in Salt Lake, we ate some great food and had a wonderful time. Here's a slideshow:



I'll post some video of Lexie soon!