Kid update!

So the biggest news is that Maddie is going to be a big sister! Her baby brother is due in April, and we are all very excited, especially since this will be my parents’ first grandson and my first nephew!

Halloween was exciting….it was Hailey’s first Halloween and she was Minnie Mouse!

I’d love to see this face at the door.

And right before Halloween, Miss Hailey started walking!

Maddie is a veteran trick-or-treater now but this year she helped mom pass out candy. The whole family got into the act and were….the Flintstones!

Maddie’s other grandpa calls her “Pebbles” because of the way she wears her hair, so….halloween inspiration.

“All the candy is for MEEEEEE!”

Maddie has also been taking swimming lessons and loves them! My parents went to visit a few weeks ago and they had fun taking Maddie to the parks, the zoo, and sharing Maddie’s Miss Rachel obsession (which Hailey also shares). Maddie also loves rubber ducks!

Down south, Patty was Cinderella.

Cinderella with a banana and a piece of pizza.

It was cold for Texas trick or treat, so thankfully Cinderella could wear a fleece under her gown.

And baby Maggie got into the act as a giraffe.

Hailey, like I said above, is walking and also babbling up a storm. Maddie is getting a “big girl room” and knows where “mommy’s baby” is, and also enjoys playing with her baby doll as practice for being a big sister.

I also have yarn for the new baby’s blanket!

For my readers who like Yarn Alongs, there is a big one coming this week—stay tuned!
Also keep your eyes peeled for my signed book special!

Eighteen

This is a photo of me and my godson, Ryan. (He’s also my cousin.)

I was fifteen when he was born. When I received my transplant, he was seven years old.

I loved him insanely. I kept his photos in my locker, and my friend Amilia remembers that we used to call him “baby.” (I still love him insanely, don’t get me wrong. The insanity of love does’t wane.)

He’s 25 now. He works in Pittsburgh and has a degree in economics. He’s learning Japanese.

When I was on the list, when I thought I might not get to see him grow up, one of the things I wrote during that time was a letter to him—things I wanted him to know.

Fortunately he never received that letter, because I did get to see him grow up. I saw him lose teeth, make his first communion, heard his voice break and his body shoot up in height, and I went to his high school graduation party and I know him as an adult.

Patty is three years old. When I had my transplant, her mother (my cousin) wasn’t even married. Neither were my siblings.

My nieces—sweet Madeleine and Hailey—weren’t even possibilities at that point.

Melanie and Madeleine (aka, Maddie, Baby Bear, Sweetheart, Baby Maddie….)

Bryan and Hailey (aka, Hails, Hailey Bug, Baby Bear, Munchkin, Baby Girl…)

Cheering on her favorite baseball player with Mommy!

There are so many gifts. So many things I didn’t even think of when I was twenty-three.

So many things I would have missed.

For some reason, I didn’t miss them. I got to experience them.

“I am, among all men, most richly blessed.”

---

Please consider becoming an organ donor, so that more families like mine can be blessed.

Also, my annual signed book sale is on! Get a signed copy of my book, a specially designed bookmark and prayer card, and free shipping, for $15! Email me with your address.

This Moment of June

I spent the weekend in Pittsburgh celebrating my grandma’s ninety-third birthday. I hadn’t seen her since 2021, and I’m missed her; one of my cousins got married last summer but there was COVID so I wasn’t able to attend the wedding. (Boo hiss) It was so nice to see her again and give her a big hug!

I also loved seeing my aunts and uncles and catching up with my cousins. My godson is learning Japanese!

On Sunday we went to Mass with my Aunt Chris (who is also my godmother) and Uncle Tom, and one of their grandchildren, who is adorable. We had brunch at Eat ‘n Park afterwards. It’s never a bad day when you an have Eat ‘n Park, in my estimation.

I came home to find the first perfect cherry tomato was ready on the vines, and it was delicious. I can’t wait for the rest of them to ripen. There are about 30 tomatoes in various stages of growth out there right now.

How’s your June been?

Putterings

My garden grows!

Long time no write! Time is just slipping by and I realized it’s been awhile since I’ve posted here. So here we go!

My garden, as you can see above, flourishes—I even have my first tomato!

It’s little but it’s there!

**In the garden this year I’m growing lavender, sweet basil, mint, and cherry tomatoes. I’ve never grown any vegetables before but when I saw that this type of cherry tomato grows well in containers I thought I’d give it a whirl. My grandpa grew tomatoes in his backyard, and I loved helping him take care of them and seeing the ripe tomatoes lined up on the kitchen windowsill. I didn’t really think they’d grow, but behold! So today I’m off to the hardware store to get a bigger planter, a tomato cage, and a trowel.

I’m hoping to dry a lot of the basil so I can have it on hand throughout the year. The mint is doing well, and the lavender is too, but I know the lavender is really going to be dependent on our weather. I tried to grow it a few years ago and the summer was so wet that it killed it. So I’m hoping we only have a moderately wet summer so it doesn’t drown. I had to really cut the mint back a few weeks ago because it had gone all leggy, but it’s doing better now.

**I’m going to have an essay published in The Public Discourse, probably at the beginning of June! It’s about transplants, gratitude, and memento mori (because I do think about that!) When the article is up I’ll post a link here and on my social media (you can find the links to all my accounts on the blog sidebar).

**Scotland trip planning continues! We’ve booked our tickets for Britannia, The Palace of Holyrood House, as well as some afternoon teas and meals. Can you tell I’m EXCITED?

Hive mind: Best tips for a long flight? I’ve never taken a trans-Atlantic flight! Tell me what I need to know/pack/do!

**In Knitting, I’m obsessed with the Sophie Scarf and the Sophie Shawl. So easy, so elegant, and so fun.

Here’s a completed Sophie Scarf in La Bien Aimee’s Merino Boucle “There Goes My Yarn Diet”

I’m currently knitting the Sophie Shawl in Quince and Co’s gorgeous Phoebe Yarn in the Orion color way. I’m doing the largest size, so you’d need two skeins of Phoebe to knit this up. These are perfect accessories for adding a little bit of flair to an outfit or for keeping the A/C chill off!

Phoebe in Orion

How’s your May going?

Happy First Birthday, Miss Madeleine!

I can’t believe we’ve gone from this…

To this…

Her smash cake is a Hedwig cake!

What an incredible year it’s been!

Dad and I went out to Denver to celebrate Maddie’s first birthday (Mom has a broken leg, so she didn't make the trip—thank goodness for FaceTime!). She had a Harry Potter themed party—my sister went all out and did a fabulous job creating a magical day for Madeleine!

The party table with the house scarves I made for Maddie’s sorting!

Maddie was sorted into Slytherin—though some people were calling for a re-do, saying that she was a Ravenclaw because she sat on that scarf—and greatly enjoyed eating her chocolate Hedwig cake.

And she very much enjoyed her presents (Aunt Sarah got her the Harry Potter PJs!)

Tunnel also from Aunt Sarah, Uncle Bryan, and Hailey!

Yes, there was Baby Lit.

Happy birthday, Miss Madeleine! We’re so glad you were born!

Blogmas '22 Day 11: Welcome, Miss Hailey

Hailey Rose DeArdo

December 15, 2022 at 3:24 A M

6 lbs, 2 oz, 20” long

Hailey was the best Christmas gift this year! She obviously could not wait to get out and spend Christmas with us, so instead of being a New Year’s baby, she’s a Christmas baby.

She is so sweet, and really, is there anything sweeter than a newborn at Christmas? I don’t think so, especially when I get to spend Christmas Eve with a snuggled up baby on my chest.

Because she was a little early and there’s so much respiratory crap going around this year, the pediatrician asked us to wear masks if we’re holding her, hence my face gear. :) But it’s me!

Music: This is one of my FAVORITES—”The Seven Rejoices of Mary”, sung by Loreena McKennit.

Blogmas '22 Day 7: Christmas Knits

There were three things knit for gifts this year and now I can talk about them since they don’t have to be surprises anymore!

One of them I think I’d already shared—Hailey’s baby blanket.

Wrapped up in it :)

This is an adaptation of the Sully blanket pattern I’ve used for all the baby blankets I make, but every time I keep adapting is! This time I added a border of garter stitch all the way around—I start with four rows of garter stitch and then end with four rows of garter stitch, in addition to the four garter stitches at the end of each row. I don’t like to block blankets so I think that this makes the blanket “lie” a little bit better.

I used Rowan’s cashsoft merino in three colors: snowflake, vintage pink, and rosy.

Project Number 2: A winter scarf!

This was actually planned as a Christmas gift—I made my dad a scarf in easy mistake rib, using a nice navy blue yarn—and he got it before Christmas due to the insanely cold temperatures we had here! I’m glad I’d thought to make it!

(I don’t have any pictures, sorry, bad blogger me!)

Project Number 3: A Cowl for my Sister-in-law

This was sort of a random project. I had some of Quince and Co’s limited edition yarn based on a Taylor Swift song—Lavender Haze. I bought a few skeins thinking it would make some good cowls.

Once Hailey was born, I felt like I needed to make another Christmas gift for Sarah (my SIL) since one of her gifts was Hailey’s baby blanket—but since Hailey was here, it was hers now! Knowing that she loves sparkle, I thought I’d pair Lavender Haze with a sparkly Knit Collage yarn to make a really quick cowl that will keep her warm on walks with Hailey this winter!

The colors here aren’t really representative—it’s much more pink in person, not orange!

The pattern is Knit Collage’s Yarnicorn Cowl knit with Quince and Co Puffin and Knit Collage’s Star Spun in Lunar Landing. You need one skein of each and it seriously takes about two hours to knit up! Knit Collage’s yarns create really fun, unique knits. I’m going to make another one of these for my sister, except using the Knit Collage Kona Sky color way with the Lavender Haze.

Did you knit/crochet/craft any Christmas gifts? Tell me about them!

Blogmas '22 Day 6: Maddie's First Christmas

It actually ended up being a first Christmas for both my nieces—Hailey, as I wrote in an earlier post, wasn’t supposed to celebrate hers until next year! But she decided she couldn’t wait and had to have it now.

She spent her first Christmas Eve snoozing on my chest, which I have to say is a great way to spend Christmas on my end.

But for Miss Maddie, who is almost a year old, her first Christmas was very exciting!

She loved her Advent calendar—the little figures with their velcro backs were very intriguing to her (and sometimes they got stuck on her clothes!). She loved playing with them and placing them on the nativity scene.

She also had a couple of trees—one in her room:

And one that she could play with:

It had a train and ornaments too!

Her Advent/Christmas corner!

Madeleine did go to see Santa! She wasn’t scared of him, I don’t think, more…intrigued.

And YES, Santa commented on her missing boot! :) Maddie is still fighting against shoes and socks.

And they went to see the lights at the zoo!

For her first Christmas she got….a tricycle! That’s foot powered! I have never seen one of these and I think it’s adorable.

My sister made some great meals, which of course Madeleine enjoyed.

She wants food, lots of food!

And her birthday is at the beginning of January, so it’s going to be party-palooza for Maddie over the next week or so. In my opinion she had a highly excellent first Christmas!

Blogmas '22 Day 5: How to Pack Your Meds When You Fly!

From my trip to Houston this summer

I’ve been reading the coverage of the Southwest Fiasco, and what’s really scared me more than anything else is the comments from many people about PUTTING MEDICATION IN CHECKED BAGGAGE.

via GIPHY

PEOPLE.

Never, ever, ever put your medications and medical devices in your checked baggage! EVER!

I always put my meds in my carry-on, which is an LL Bean backpack. Always. They are in a large zip-up pouch. I also take extra medicine, just for purposes like this fiasco, where you’re stuck somewhere—the last thing I want to worry about is my medication and my health. So I also pack the entire bottle of medication, in the pharmacy bottle, so if I have to take it somewhere to get refilled, I can do that and it will have all the information a new pharmacy would need to fill it.

(Some people say, “well, just have your doctor call it in to the new pharmacy!” Over the holidays, it might be hard to get your doctor’s office on the phone!)

My insulin, insulin supplies, blood glucose kit, and my cochlear implant batteries and charger also go in my carry-on, always.

Does this take up space in my bag? Yes. Does it mean I can’t fly with just carry-ons? Also yes. I must check a bag.

But it’s much easier to check a bag than it is to lose medications, get them replaced, and, oh, worry about my body going into meltdown while I’m stuck somewhere!

I didn’t fly a lot pre-transplant, mostly because it was hard to do with my CF related machinery (aerosol machine, nebulizer, etc.) , but I have a travel size aerosol machine that I used when I did fly or travel, and it could fit in a backpack and wasn’t terribly heavy. I could also fit the supplies in my bag. So if I had to carry those around now, I could do it (They have much smaller ones now than they did in the year 1999!)

Folks. I beg you. Never, ever, EVER put your medications and medical supplies in your checked bags. Never in life. Do not do it. Pay to check the bag. NEVER EVER put your medicines in a place where you can’t get them.

Maddie: Eleven months!

In less than a month, Madeleine will be a YEAR OLD! In the words of Mr. Mom, “I can’t believe it! I can’t believe it!”

She’s had a big month! She’s had her first Thanksgiving….

She clearly loved it all.

She wondered at her parents bringing a tree into the house…including a little one for her!

And she has her own Advent/Christmas corner—she loves playing with the Advent calendar characters in each day’s slot!

She and Duke the Dog weren’t too sure about this light up, dancing Santa that Daddy gave them…

She met Santa….

And saw Christmas lights…

So basically it’s been a huge month for Maddie.

She’s been crawling like crazy, pulling herself up, and growing by leaps and bounds. I cannot wait to see her next month for her first birthday party! And most likely, by then, she’ll have a cousin! (My brother and SIL are having their first baby basically anytime now. :)) In one year, my niece quotient has doubled, and I am pretty darn happy about that.

Mommy and Maddie at the doctor’s :) Maddie is, as usual, cheesing. :)

Monthly photo gallery:

Maddie: TEN MONTHS!

I cannot believe we are INTO THE DOUBLE DIGITS with Miss Maddie.

(Yes that deserves all caps.)

Cheesing at Target.

A big event in her life this past month was a visit from my parents—her Grammy and Poppy!

There was much reading of Five Little Pumpkins!*

And snuggles and kisses in general….

This is Good Morning God!*

We also celebrated our first Halloween! Maddie was a little Hermione, and they went to Trunk or Treat at their parish.

Here’s the update!

Maddie is/can:

-fit in 18 month clothes

-growing lots of hair

-has a “cheesy” smile (her new nickname is Cheese)—see top photo :)

-still 6 teeth

-climbs on blocks!

-pulls to stand

-got her first flu shot and doing well

LIKES:

-her blocks

-moving in general

-her crib; she’ll chill in there for an hour after waking before whining

-the Command Center!

She likes food and she cannot lie.

-eating (she LOVES chili and hummus)

-any toys that spin

-Doggie and Kitty (Kitty is more active so Maddie likes that)

-going outside for walks

-going out to eat

-going out in general

-facetimes

FaceTime with Auntie Em :)

-reading (especially “good morning God” and “five little pumpkins”)

HATES:

-changing table

-being left alone

-being tired

-sitting in the car/ stroller and not moving

Books are good!

Photo gallery:

newborn

One month

Two months

Three months

Four months

Five months

Six months

Seven months

Eight months

Nine months!

Mid August Daybook

Flowers at the local French cafe

Outside my window::

Sunny and breezy—great late summer weather.

Listening to::

The Rings of Power soundtrack. I’m very excited for the show to start on September 2!

Wearing::

crops and a gray t-shirt—a uniform of sorts for me.

Grateful for::

Conversations with Di, Patty, and Johnny.

Good Echo results!

new knitting projects

Pondering::

Functional fitness. As I wrote in the last daybook , this is important in just keeping up the house and doing regular things, but it’s also important in giving my body the tools it needs to “get through” things. If I’m stronger at the outset then I have less to lose if/when I get sick.

Like right now, I have a sinus infection. Wheeeeeee again. I’ve had a lot of them sine 2020, and that’s unusual for me. I had a long-overdue sinus surgery last December, but that didn’t seem to solve the problem the way it normally does.

So right now I’m on Cipro, which is a great, super powerful antibiotic which will clear up the sinuses—but will also mess with my tendons. So that is a bummer when it comes to the whole “functional fitness” thing, because I really do not want to rupture a tendon.

This means that my workouts have to change—I can’t be doing things like treadmill workouts. So I’m doing gentler things, but things that my body still needs, like yoga/stretches for my body, especially my legs (because my legs get really tight), and things I can do that don’t put a lot of stress on my knees or Achilles’ tendon, because these are the areas that tend to get grumpy with me. I’ve gotten some permanent injury to my right knee because I didn’t listen to my body when I’ve been on Cipro, so I don’t want to repeat that.

It’s a fine line, but it’s one that I have to figure out how to manage, and I think I have a good plan for the next two weeks that I’m on this medication.

Reading::

The Silmarillion,* The Book of Lost Tales (Part 1),* (yes, lots of Tolkien right now!) The Crossing* (my parents are really into this book series and so I’ve started reading them too), and Memories Before and After The Sound of Music.*

In case you’re wondering how I read multiple books at one time—I was an English Lit major in college (and Political Science), so I’m very good at reading multiple books at one time! I’m reading Silmarillion almost like I’d read it for a class; I take it slowly because there are a lot of names and places and things to remember. I try to read 1-2 chapters a day. The other books I’m not reading like that. But I’m very good at juggling books and plot lines.

Creating::

A '“stupid easy” shawl with some of the gorgeous yarn I bought on the yarn crawl!

The pattern is Casapinka’s “Woven”, which I had bought and forgot about in the wilds of my desk, but as part of the house reorganizing/decorating project, I was going through papers and found it, and then decided it would be perfect for this yarn. Ravelry notes here. I still have two shawls to block as well.

(Yes shawls are my favorite thing to knit. They’re so diverse and you can have o much fun with yarn and technique! BUT color work is also really fun. And I’m liking cowls. So cowls/shawls are my favorites right now.)

To live the liturgy::

Today is the feast of St. Bernard, Doctor of the Church and Abbot. Did you know he wrote “O Sacred Head Surrounded” (or “now Wounded” in some translations)? I didn’t! I love that hymn. He’s also featured in Dante’s Paradiso. (The last part of the Divine Comedy. If you haven’t read it, I recommend it!)

Around the house::

Still going on the big project but things are coming together! Yay!

From the kitchen::

I will make another load of Sourdough sometime this month to incorporate Diane’s suggestions to my last attempt! I’m actually really excited. I need to feed Sammy the Starter today.

Plans for the week::

All day doctor extravaganza on Monday for yearly testing. WHEEE. Since I’m on Cipro I won’t have to do the six minute walk, which I sort of hate anyway, so that’s a plus!

End of July Daybook

It has been so long since I’ve done one of these, but I saw that Elizabeth Foss has re-started them over at her blog and that gave me the impetus to go ahead and write this one! Because I like them and it’s been way too long since we’ve had one!

Outside my window::

It’s a sunny day, the grass and trees are green and thriving (see above photo!). It’s only going to be 81 today so that mens I can sit on my porch and read without frying to a crisp. This is excellent.

I am listening to::

In the car, it’s the Six * soundtrack. It’s so fun. I’ve also been working on learning Scottish Gaelic, so sometimes I tune into the BBC Scotland (Alba) channel and get a mix of Scottish music and talk radio—sometimes in English, sometimes in Gaelic. I’m really good at picking out the word “and”! (which is agus).

I am wearing::

You know, when the world shut down in 2020, it was so easy to get into the “I am not going to get dressed” thing, right? I’ve never been a person to leave the house in my pajamas, and I’m still not. But yes, my favorite leggings and a great t-shirt are sort of my summer uniform, along with a fun lipstick. (One of my New Year’s Resolutions? Wear more lipstick. It sounds really funny and sort of silly, but I love doing it now!) Generally my hair is up. When I’m dressed like this I feel like I can get a lot of things done, which is always a good idea!

Grateful for::

Talking to Maddie and my sister this morning—Maddie is blowing raspberries and it’s so cute.

Good weather

The local farmers’ market, which I remembered to visit yesterday!

A new baby to knit for

a local yarn crawl to attend!

Pondering::

Two big projects—but not writing projects. One of them is a wholesale overhaul of my apartment. The other is about gaining back muscle strength and endurance post COVID lockdowns.

The apartment is something I’ve been wanting to do for awhile, and this has two parts: the really deep clean + organizing, and then the decorating part. The two are sort of dovetailing because as I deep clean/sort/donate/organize things I notice things that need replaced or things I need to get to ensure things are running smoothly around here. The other part is replacing broken things with things that I, in some cases like better, like the lamp below:

This lamp is perfect!

The goal is to have the cleaning and organizing done by Labor Day. I think I can do it! The decorating will take a bit longer as I look for things that are good fits, like the lamp above. There was a lamp there that didn’t really fit the space or my style, but I kept it because I hadn’t found anything else I really liked. As soon as I saw this lamp (from Target) I knew it would be perfect, and it is. So then I was able to get rid of the old, broken lamp!

Another part of housekeeping is having the energy/stamina to do it, because I don’t always. If I get sick, the entire system collapses, so I need a better system, for starters, but that also feeds into the second project—getting my stamina back. Lockdowns did a huge number on my overall fitness, and so I’ve decided that I’m really going to re-focus on that. I’m doing Take Up and Read’s Well and Good summer program, and that’s been really helpful in addressing certain issues I’d been having. I’m not trying to lose weight—at this point, I want to be strong and be able to function on a daily basis, for myself, but also for Patty, Madeleine, and my new niece!

So I’ve been working out three times a week—the goal is to build that up to 5 days. The workouts vary but I can already seem changes in my stamina and strength, which is all for the good. And if I have more strength, I can do more around the house as well! It all works together.

Reading::

The King’s Pearl*, about Henry VIII and his daughter Mary; Mansfield Park*'; Taste: My Life Through Food*, and Theology of Home III: At The Sea. *

Creating::

a shawl—I’m in a yarn club so every quarter members get a special kit with an exclusive pattern, yarn for the pattern, and a knitting notion. I’ve been knitting through kits I have, and this is the one I’m on now—hopefully I’ll have it off the needles by August’s Yarn Along! I’ll have full notes there too.

To Live the Liturgy::

Today’s the feast of St. Martha!

Around the House::

See above! :) But right now the laundry is going as I write this.

From the Kitchen::

When I visited Diane, she taught me how to make sourdough bread and gave me some of her starter. I am most likely going to bake my first loaf with it within the next week. Fingers crossed!

Patty observes the process!

Plans for the week::

As we head into August my schedule is lovely and clear. August has two medical days—an Echo as part of my yearly transplant testing, as well as the whole day testing/doctor visit extravaganza. But other than that, the month is so clear and I love it.

Seventeen

Me and my first niece, the Maddie Bear!

There’s something about this transplant anniversary that just hits differently. Maybe it’s because it’s seventeen, which is getting up there in transplant years, and it feels more remarkable. I think it’s because some big things have happened in this transplant year.

My sister became pregnant, had Madeleine, and I got to meet the sweet little girl, who is my first niece! Then my brother and his wife announced they too are pregnant, with a girl, so I’ll have two nieces by the end of January 2023. Wow!

Something about nieces just hits differently. Maybe it’s because of the genetic connection. Maybe it’s seeing my siblings become parents. Maybe it’s both? It’s undefinable, I think. It’s just a special thing, to be an aunt. It’s different than being a godparent, which I also love!

How can you resist Patty? You can’t.

And I turned 40, which, to be honest, wasn’t something I was sure I’d see. But I did.

When I was twenty-three, my sister hadn’t met her husband. My brother had met his wife, but they weren’t dating. Diane, Patty’s mom, wasn’t married yet (although she was dating her husband) so her kids weren’t even thoughts. (Well maybe they were thoughts. haha.) My godson was seven years old.

So many things hadn’t happened yet.

Thanks to Suzanne (my organ donor) I was able to see all these things, and more.

Recipe: Diane's improvised pasta sauce--toddler approved!

While I was in Houston Diane made some amazing food, including her sourdough (which she taught me!) and this improvised pasta sauce. We all liked it so much that I told her we had to write it down because it was that good.

You can see that Patty enjoyed the fruit of her mother’s labors!

Diane’s Improvised Pasta Sauce

Makes enough for one pound of pasta (we used penne)

1 jar of marinara sauce

2 fresh tomatoes, quartered

jarred mined garlic or fresh minced garlic, 2 tbsp.

Extra virgin olive oil, about 2 tbsp.

salt to taste

Pinot grigio, 1- 1 1/2 cups

heavy cream 2/3 c.

basil, fresh or dried (Diane has a basil plant so we used fresh)—as much as you want.

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a pot, then add quartered tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Once the tomatoes are soft, add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add wine, cook until about reduced by half. Add marinara sauce and basil leaves, bring to a simmer and let simmer for 1-2 minutes. Take off the heat, add cream, taste and adjust seasoning if necessarily. Use immersion blender to blend (Or a regular blender).

You can either use fresh or let cool and put in the fridge for later use.

Travel Tips: How I Travel With All My Medication and Medical Stuff!

I don’t leave home without my pink InPen, obviously. :)

A lot of people assume I am a “bad packer” because I always have to check a bag—I can’t do any trip with just carry-ons. That’s not because I bring a lot of stuff for fun—it’s because I have so much medical stuff to pack! Traveling is easier now that it was pre-transplant because I don’t have to bring machines with me, like my aerosol machine and nebulizers, and all the parts that go with that. But I still have quite a few things that I have to take with me, so I thought I’d give you my tips and strategies in case you ever need them.

The first thing is my big bag of meds. I probably started doing this about 10 years ago. I keep all of my medications (except my vitamins) in a large zip top bag. (I use one of these). That way I can just grab the bag and go (this was actually done in case of random hospital admits. My parents would be able to just grab one bag and take it to the hospital without wondering if something was left behind.) When I travel, I do put my supplements and vitamins in here, as long as they fit. If the bottles don’t fit, I just put them in plastic bags. The reason I take the bottles along is in case I need a refill or something happens (always be prepared!), I have the pharmacy bottle and people can see exactly what I take. It’s also good in case I get stuck somewhere longer than I had planned; this way I have all my meds with me at all times.

Once I’m at my destination, I don’t have to carry my meds around with me, because they’re morning and evening meds, so I just take them with breakfast and whenever before bedtime is at my destination. (In Denver, I took them whenever we got back from my sister’s house.)

The big bag of meds on my insanely covered kitchen table!

Second is my insulin and other diabetes things.

I always carry in my purse my glucose meter (just in case my continuous glucose monitor has a hiccup) ,as well as backup insulin (both types), pen needles, and my emergency glucagon kit (this is “emergency glucose”, basically.) I keep all of these things in one of these pouches and that pouch always lives in my purse. I also try to remember to keep candy in this pouch in case I need it. I make sure my glucose monitor has lancets and plenty of (non-expired!) test strips. I will also keep two cartridges of short acting insulin for my inPen in there when I travel, so if I had to reload it when I’m out I can do it easily. (The inPen is the pink item in the top picture.)

Here’s what goes in the blue pouch: Pen needles, backup insulins, emergency glucose (in the red case) and my glucose meter. There are more pen needles inside.

For traveling, I have to bring more insulin. I take two kinds: short acting (right before meals) and “intermediate acting” that lasts for about 10-12 hours. These live in the refrigerator until I need them. When I travel, I take the supply I need and put them in one of these pouches* (do you see a trend here with pouches?) These pouches are great because you don’t need ice or ice packs! They work with cold water and keep insulin cold for up to 45 hours. These are fabulous and they come in tons of sizes!

So what I do is prep the pouch the night before and then stick my insulin in there. I pack waaaayyyy too much insulin—I’m getting better about that!—but I’d rather have too much than not enough. It stays in a refrigerator once I get to my destination (if you don’t have a fridge, you can use the pouch—there are instructions for continual cooling included) and then I prep the pouch again the night before I leave. When I get home, the insulin that I took with me is first in line to get used at home, so that way there’s no issues with waste or things not being cold. (My insulin can be used at room temperature as well, as in, it’s not “bad” if it’s at room temperature. I just use it first. But not all types are like this, so check yours!)

The other things I pack are: keto urine test strips, and a backup continuous glucose monitor, in case the one I’m wearing comes loose or gets accidentally removed. I also pack alcohol wipes. I put the monitor and the alcohol wipes in their own plastic bag and hopefully I won’t need to use this, but better safe than sorry!

The third thing I pack is candy or something that will raise my blood glucose if I need it. This is usually candy or a non-diet drink (like regular Gatorade that I’ll pick up at the airport if I’m flying). If I’m staying with someone I usually ask them to get me regular orange juice just in case I need it. (Or really any kind of juice, orange juice is my current favorite.) For the trip to Denver I put a few boxes of Sour Patch Kids in my luggage and in my carry on backpack, and picked up some additional candy and Gatorade at the airport. (This is also useful for taking my meds, since some of them are really nasty if taken with plain water! Steroid, looking at you.)

You can see, this is quite a bit of stuff; it all goes in my carry-on, which also holds my makeup and anything else I don’t want to risk being lost (like jewelry) and my chargers, which I need for my phone, but also my cochlear implant charger. My extra CI battery goes in my eyeglasses case, which is also in my carryon, as well as my contacts. (I have two CI batteries; one that is the backup and one that’s being used. I try to rotate them daily so they don’t wear out quickly. A battery can last up to 24 hours when fully charged.) In case you’re wondering, I use an LL Bean backpack as my carry-on, because it has lots of compartments and it’s extremely sturdy.

And that is all the medical stuff I pack! Whew! I really find that the pouches are great in keeping my organized, so I highly recommend those. I don’t use any pill boxes because I can remember what I need to take and for me it’s easier to just dole out the meds individually each day. This is my system, and it might not work for you, but I hope that some of these times are helpful!

Colorado Travel Notes

Time for a travel post!

Here I’ll be talking about places we stayed, ate at, and visited while we were in the Littleton area. I hope it’s useful for you if you go visit!

Stayed

Marriott Courtyard Denver Southwest/ Littleton

We really liked this hotel for a lot of reasons. It’s close to my sister’s place, located right off the “main drag” of Littleton (Santa Fe Dr.) , and they had a great restaurant! They also have a little pantry where you can buy drinks, snacks, and small toiletries. This was really useful in helping us sty hydrated, and also for me in keeping my blood sugar levels up! There’s also a fire pit and a swimming pool. The rooms were very comfortable and had couches and a desk, as well as coffee/tea making supplies and a refrigerator.

View from my room

EAT

Toast I’m a HUGE fan of Toast so I was glad we got to go eat here during this visit! They have an amazing array of choices, from their famous French Toast to pancakes, sandwiches, and all sorts of other great lunch and breakfast goodies.

I got the Berries and Cream French toast, as well as a side of bacon.

in-Tea: Located in Downtown Little, this adorable tea salon offers a huge variety of teas, as well as bakery items and sandwiches, and beer and cocktails! I had a fabulous time in here and bought two types of tea to take home—they also have an online shop and will ship to you!

So much tea!

My order: Iced English Tea—their special Earl Grey blend + half and half+ honey (and a refill is standing ready!)

There are a ton of places to sit, from cozy nooks like this one to regular tables and outdoor seating!

Tavern Littleton is located two blocks down from In-Tea (downtown Littleton is adorable and has tons of places to eat and shop). Tavern is a sports bar, and they have fabulous chips and salsa and burgers. I’d been here twice on my first trip to Colorado and I was happy to visit again. (And they have a parking lot behind the restaurant, bonus!)

Breckenridge Brewery: This is where we had lunch before Maddie’s baptism. It’s really a campus, like the website says; the restaurant is on the right as you drive in, and the brewery, which is open for tours, is on the left. The restaurant is great—they’ll even give you free tastings at a bar when you walk in!—and they sell the brewery’s products as well as branded merchandise.

memento mori at the brewery!

Maddie clearly enjoyed it.

It’s very kid friendly and allows dogs, so this is a popular place, for good reason. There’s an extensive menu and everyone who worked there was very friendly. I’d love to go back! (And maybe drink some more of their Palisade Peach!)

(For those of you worried about me consuming alcohol: I had a taste of it, and a few others, at the tasting bar. :) I didn’t actually have a whole glass. My meds don’t play nicely with alcohol, but I am allowed to have some a few times a year! So, yes, I could’ve had a beer if I had wanted it.)

Rice sushi and bistro (delivery) : Mel and Jason (and my dad) really like sushi, and mom and I love Chinese/Asian food, so this was a great choice for us. We ordered it in on our last night there and it was delicious!

Dirt Coffee: Mel and I had coffee here, and it’s Mel’s favorite coffee place. It has a unique mission:

Located in Historic Downtown Littleton, DIRT is a local, women-run social enterprise with the mission to bring you quality crafted Huckleberry coffee, food, and drink while training, employing & empowering neurodivergent individuals through workforce development programming.

Sounds good to me—and they had great coffee! Mel and I both had the lavender lattes. (And I got a sticker that says “ableism is trash”, which I greatly enjoy)

Outside of Dirt—they have a lawn with seating, porch seating, and indoor seating, as well as water bowls for dogs!

Snooze: Another lunch/breakfast place like Toast, Snooze is a chain that’s expanding across the country but so far I only get to eat it in Colorado! It’s another great place where I had shrimp and grits and fruit for breakfast, along with their great house coffee.

Shop

Tattered Cover (at Aspen Grove) : One of the best independent bookstores in the country, Tattered Cover is always worth a visit when in Colorado!

Aspen Grove: This is an open-air mall/shopping center in Littleton that has stores and restaurants. We visited here briefly. Rice Sushi and Tattered Cover are both here, as well as a Chik-Fil-A.

Meeting Miss Maddie

My parents and I just got back from Colorado, where we finally got to meet Miss Maddie!

Let me tell you, it was a lot of love.

She smiles. A lot.

She ponders which key to hit!

I know I have a really large bias here, being her aunt and all, but I have to say that Maddie is just precious. She’s so alert! You can almost see the wheels turning in her head when she’s trying to figure something out (like rolling over—so close!). When she met us for the first time, you could tell she thought we were familiar, but here we were in person, not in a little screen!

Maddie checking us out for the first time.

I am so glad we were able to go visit, and also glad that things like FAceTime are available. I honestly don’t know how people did it back in the day. Think about the beginning of Little House on the Prairie. Caroline and Charles’ parents never saw Grace. They never saw their children and grand-children again after they left. Of course they had letters, but that’s not the same. At least I can see and talk to Maddie and she can talk to me! (And my sister and brother-in-law, of course!) It makes distance somewhat more bearable.

Madeleine was baptized on Saturday at their parish:

And she was a very good girl through it, even if she did have a bottle right before Mass started and um, spit some of that back up before we got to the font. :) But it was OK she was a champ during the actual baptism itself. She didn’t seem to like the baptismal garment very much, although it was very pretty! She kept tugging at it.

Maddie also has a very cute habit of only wearing one sock/one shoe and getting rid of the others. It’s very Cinderella. (As you can see in the photo at the top of the post.) Apparently she only needs one sock or one shoe, the other foot can go bare, it’s fine.

She also likes to feed herself!

I got this, Aunt Em.

But feeding her and reading to her is awfully fun.

And she is, indeed, my little sunshine.

I will definitely miss being greeted like this

And I’ll miss seeing my sister and brother in law every day.
And cuddling Maddie.

And playing on the floor.

I’m not sure when the next time we’ll see them will be. I hope it’s soon.

Until then, I’ll just keep looking at the pictures my sister sends, and sending her cute clothes and books. :)

Maddie is Three Months Old!

Yay, Maddie! :)

She is the sweetest baby I have ever seen, and she’s so happy! She loves her little morning chats with Melanie. :)

(Here she is at two months and here’s one month)

Here’s the low down on Miss Maddie at three months old

LIKES:

—pacifier (Longhorn buddy, also Elephant buddy, also plain pacifiers!)

—Food, but WARM FOOD, thank you very much.

—reading! She and mommy have reading time now.

—people. People. More people. Did I mention people?

—Her swing and her play gym.

—music

—Duke the dog!

—going to church

—going places in general

—her carrier (Patty also REALLY likes her carrier)

—smiling is her favorite!

—talking. Apparently she has a lot to say!

DISLIKES:

—napping alone in her crib

—the cold milk dislike continues

—being cold

—being bored!

—having a messy/wet diaper

—not being able to see people (see people person, above)

—gas! poor baby!

I can’t believe how much she’s grown in the past month. I mean look at this:

She just keeps getting cuter, as evidenced below:

Her dad went to UT, hence the Longhorn gear. :)

Maddie is Two Months Old!

I cannot believe that Madeleine is two months old already! Time flies!

Here she was last month!

Things that she likes and dislikes at two months old:

LIKES:

• pacifier, especially her Longhorn Buddy

• food :)

• cuddles!

• Her swing

• naps

• New this month: Her play gym. Holy cow does she love her play gym, especially kicking and grabbing the clouds, rainbow, elephant, and star!

At first she wasn’t too sure about the Elephant. Now they are buds.

• Also, SMILING! She’s smiling a lot more and it’s just adorable. She smiles whenever she sees Mel and/or Jason!

Checking out her toys! Also that onesie is from Auntie Em. :) :) I love dressing her.

She also took her first trip to a ski resort—Jason loves to snowboard.

Mel and Maddie on the cabin deck. This is one of my favorite photos.

She also still loves music! Mel will even put her in her baby wearer and play the piano, which Maddie enjoys.

As far as dislikes:

• baths have moved into the “I’m OK with them” category, so yay!

• Messy diapers.

• Being interrupted when she’s eating

• Being held too long—she wants to sit up and look around and PLAY!

• Cold milk! (If it’s a bottle right from the fridge)

• Being left alone too long! Again, she wants to be around people!

She has a very sweet personality and beautiful eyes! Also, she and Patty wore that onesie at the same time last week, which just cracked me up. They’re twinning.

We’re so lucky to have this little doll in our lives.