Nerdy April

I'm just popping in here today to give a little shout out to all the new readers! I'm so, so happy you're here!! I thought I would give a little introduction (or re-introduction for you long time blog followers!).

This blog originally started as a personal time capsule of my "nerdy space adventures" but, over the course of nearly 10 years has morphed into a place where we can all gather to experience life, share successes and failures, inspire each other, and root for those who may lack a cheering squad. I love writing about my journey to experience an exciting aerospace career while wrangling a chronic illness - Type 1 Diabetes. I have found that these two facets of my life go hand in hand, advancement in one often spurs advancement in the other. But, above all, this path has taught me to never give up, no matter what. Being a woman in an aerospace field is not always easy, and neither is Type 1 Diabetes, but there are communities of people out there (and right …

Translation: I am greater than the highs and lows.

It's Tuesday night and I don't usually write while my blood sugar is low, but I decided I would give it a shot (ha, nice pun there April). I've been in sort of a diabetes black hole lately - I feel like I put lots of work in, but nothing great has been coming out. In fact, if you really drill down to the basics of a chronic illness, that is about the best you can hope for. Ugh, it's so depressing sometimes. Even with the best of blood sugar control there's no guarantee you will escape the wrath of "complications".

And being low is just, well, it's just the worst.

Obviously, it makes me a little agitated - these words are proof. And frustrated, and emotional. I can't put sentences together well, my mental to-do list is wiped clean, and my attention absolutely diverts from task-at-hand to survival mode. My CGM is probably vibrating...annoyingly. And that constant out-of-body reminder is incredibly i…

Manned spaceflight is not a challenge forged from one molten idea - it's not a put-this-in get-that-out equation - it's not a sport for the isolationists. The notion that it was "one man's passion" or "one nation's resources" that got us to this engineering moment is simply false. And the idea that alienation could ever lead to exploration is impossible. There is likely no other industry or singular goal so intentional about teamwork - from employing teachers to technicians, soliciting standard to specialized natural resources, planning short term and long, investing in ideas and inspiration, training fresh-outs to experts, and communicating technically and politically. Tangibly, the manned spaceflight challenge crosses borders and age and gender, there are pieces of its presence spanning the entire globe, and beyond! 
One of those spots - notable for it's history as the last piece of Earth many astronauts touched before launch - is the Kennedy…

In our house you won't hear "Alexa...play country radio..." for two reasons. (1) We are not that into country music and (2) our "Alexa" is named "Computer" just like the interactive onboard computer on the Starship Enterprise. That's how I like my home decor too - it's a style I've nicknamed "subtle nerdy".  #subtlenerdy

Apparently 'subtle nerdy' doesn't have quite the following that 'farmhouse chic' does...yet! So, that means I have to get creative and DIY many of my nerdy touches. And, while you may not be super onboard with the 'subtle nerdy' trend sweeping the home decor world this hole-in-the-wall-internet-spot, I bet you have your own ideas just waiting to be manifested on a blank wall! So, let's jump in, starting in our master bedroom!

The showpiece of this room is that gorgeous four poster bed and amazingly detailed hand-made quilt. Confession number one: I did not DIY the bed (it was an ex…

The bags under my eyes and the formula stains on my shirt are proof that I am a new mom, again. And the sweet chubby cheeks, striking eyes, and uncoordinated hand movements of the babe in my arms? Well, those are proof that Type 1 Diabetics can, absolutely, have successful pregnancies, no matter what Steel Magnolias depicts. Today I have decided to highlight the tech that made my two T1 Diabetic pregnancies (and subsequent, adorable children) possible!













1) Tandem t:slim X2 insulin pump During my last pregnancy I used the Animas ping exclusively, but have since switched over to the Tandem t:slim X2. There are many-a-T1-diabetics who can pull off the multiple daily injections (MDI) course of treatment, but for me, an insulin pump is a gift from the heavens, especially during a T1D pregnancy. My insulin needs change dramatically from those first few weeks after conception, to the last few weeks of omg-am-I-ever-going-to-have-this-baby. The Tandem pump allows me to fine tune my basal rate …

It's so interesting to start the week on Monday with hopes and dreams and thoughts and plans, and then see where you end up on Friday. For me, it often feels like I only got a tenth of what I had planned done, but then I scroll through my phone pictures and realize how many little moments, completely unplanned, were totally worth the to-do list derailment. Tell me I'm not the only one?! Those organic and authentic events, like when your baby wakes up and can't stop smiling, or your toddler uses the phrase 'good morning' like a polite adult, or when walks to the mailbox turn into a driving lesson, or you have to change a diaper right after you changed a diaper, or story time becomes a feminist movement. There's just no way you would even want to schedule these sweet memories because it would take away the incredible surprise ;-)

And while many times these little feel-good vibes aren't especially noteworthy or documented, they are absolutely my fuel day-to-d…