A perfect (birth) day

Well now, how’s this for a great start to a great year: I figured out the carb count on last night’s birthday ice cream cake to perfection AND I figured out the carb count for this morning’s breakfast waffles, which I have struggled with since getting the pump six months ago – and I love waffles!

Exactly one year ago, on my birthday, Mario and I were touring Barcelona, checking out the so-called “world’s largest aquarium,” which was a bit of a letdown (but honestly, I haven’t found an aquarium that can stack up against Vancouver’s aquarium, which, in a word, is amazing) and getting swarmed by butterflies in Montjuic, and drooling over the footprint of Rafael Nadal … ok maybe that was just me 🙂

This year’s birthday was a bit more low-key (you can’t go to Barcelona every year!) but it was amazing nonetheless. The phone started ringing at 8:30 a.m. with happy birthday wishes, which I loved. A box of chocolates, before breakfast, called out to me “Eat Me! Eat Me!” so I did – Hey! It’s my birthday! And my dear husband surprised me with one of the most amazing gifts EVER: a trip to visit my Auntie Elsie and Uncle Herb in Edmonton in July. When I was a kid, probably about four or five years old, my Uncle Herb (who’s now 92, but still so sharp) told me he was gonna take me home with him, and I was so enamored by him that I actually went upstairs and packed my suitcase and was ready to go! I seriously can’t believe that Mario was able to keep it a secret … especially after conspiring with my moms, who can’t keep a secret for the life of her! We’re also going to be visiting with my cousins, who I rarely get to see, and there may even be a Bon Jovi concert in the outdoor Commonwealth Stadium on the itinerary! Now that’s a good husband 😉

We went out for dinner to The Boathouse in Port Moody, which got off to a bumpy start. Mario made reservations for 6:30, but they didn’t seat us until 6:45, which annoyed me. I mean, what’s the point in making reservations, if they’re not gonna have them ready. And then when they finally did seat us, they put us in the loudest, most traffic-laden spot in the entire restaurant, without a view of Rocky Point, in a booth – a booth! – when we’re all dressed to the nines. So my teeth are a little clenched by this point, and I was ready to say something, which rarely ever happens, but I knew we’d be spending a good amount of coin in this restaurant, and I felt we deserved to be treated a heck of a lot better – and it was my birthday dammit! So when the floor manager came up to the table, I asked if we could be moved, and I guess my tone probably wasn’t the most friendly tone, but hey they found us a table, so it worked out. AND they took care of the 1/2 litre of wine we got AND they gave me a sparkling birthday cake!
We left smiling 😀

However, about three quarters of the way through dinner, I felt this vibrating sensation against my inner thigh, where my pump was located in the Thigh Thingy. So I’m trying to see what’s going on – under the table! – but I can’t make out what the glowing words are saying through the black mesh. So finally, Mario suggests I go to the washroom (he’s kind of brilliant like that 🙂 … or maybe he was just really embarrassed with me pulling up my dress) In the washroom I discovered that something malfunctioned with the pump while the insulin was being distributed. I’m not sure if it was a satellite issue from the glucometre to the pump, or if my leg rubbed against the pump and accidentally pressed a button, which will stop the insulin distribution process. Regardless, I was short two units of insulin – ack!

By the time we got home I was pretty stuffed, and was seriously reconsidering whether I could down a slice of ice cream cake or not – I KNOW! But Mario wouldn’t hear a thing of it. “You can’t NOT have ice cream cake on your birthday,” he said.  I agreed.

Because it was a small slice (small for me) I bolused for about 30 carbs, and it was perfect. My blood sugars were 5.6 when I went to bed and 5.4 when I woke up. And for the waffles this morning, which are about 8X8 inches, I bolused for 65 carbs, and my blood sugars went up to 7.2 an hour after, but back down to 5.8 by lunchtime. Perfection!