My Life Without Diet Coke.

Life is insane right now. As witnessed by my lack of family updates. My day starts at 5:30 when I go to give Tiegan a binkie to console her. Then I toss for another half hour before I get up at 6 to go running. (Seriously, I should just go at 5:30.) Once home, I get the kiddos up, cook up some breakfast (today was breakfast meatloaf and it was BOMB.). Then I whip Ross up a lunch while he gets in some extra time playing and reading with the kiddos. Once he's off, I play with the critters until they are ready for naps. Then there's the cleaning, and feeding, and changing, and cooking, and gathering off stuff before we head to the gym so I can squeeze in a lifting sesh before I head off to the salon. Ross meets us at the gym where I swipe the kids out of the play center and he swipes em right back in. We go to bed around 11 and wake up and do it all over again. It's an awesome crazy life. But it's also why we're antisocial and don't have any friends and I can't even manage to plunk out a family update on here.

But there was a major life event that requires documentation. My name is Katie Loveland and I haven't had a soda (ahem) DIET COKE in 44 days. What?! Seriously. Me, the person who had Diet Coke flowing through her veins gave up the bubbly goodness.

So here's what's up. Sure, it got me through long road trips, late night chemistry study sessions, but I first really really REALLY fell in love with the stuff after Claire was born. When Sonic was practically across the street. Mama Loveland come to help and introduced me to Sonic and the rest was history.

I had a rough transition into motherhood. Especially stay at home motherhood. I really struggled. My can of Diet Coke was literally my can of happy. I popped it open and was in a different place. Seriously. When the blow outs, sleepless nights, tantrums, and destructive two year olds happened, I was one drive thru away from serenity. Don't even get me started on how Diet Coke saved my pregnant little behind.

 The Sonic people knew me by name, would ask about my kids or comment on my new hairdo. There were days when I would go TWICE for a drink. That Provo Sonic is probably funded by sleep deprived moms. When we moved to Wisconsin, I looked up where the closest Sonic was.

But then something weird happened. I'd wake up in the morning and go straight for a can. But it wasn't giving me that JOY anymore. It was just something I automatically did. I NEEDED it. And I didn't want to be that person that depended on a drink to get me functioning. So I made the decision to quit.

The first few days, I didn't even have to think about it. But after that, the cravings set in. There were days that I NEEDED a drink. But I had such a good streak going, I didn't want to break it. I would dream about Diet Coke. Now 44 days later, I don't even think about it anymore. I still love something bubbly and cold, but instead I drink sparkling mineral water. I've noticed I have more energy, spend more time with the munchkins, and accomplish more during my day.

It almost sounds like a bad break-up. And it kind of is. But I will always be grateful to Diet Coke for giving me back the joy in motherhood when all I could do was survive. And thank goodness for Sonic's slushes, because the girls would be heartbroken if I broke up with Sonic, too!