Improvement!

Tomorrow is a big day for me....I go back to work!  Just for a couple hours, but it's a step in the right direction.  :)

I'm doing much better, overall.  Keeping liquids down, some solids, and BABY is doing well.  Heartbeat of 168!

There's still "concern" over my weight (still going down, but more slowly).  Apparently my home health nurse keeps threatening to call my doctor.  My doctor doesn't really seem to care.   Whatev.

So that's what's new.  I'm tired of sticking myself with needles, but otherwise good.

Back on (and off) the juice

As of yesterday, I am 10 weeks pregnant!

I spent last Sunday night in the ER, getting more fluids, and the entire week on home IVs, again.  Luckily, after going off the IVs (doctor recommended this time...), I am doing much better.  Keeping down fluids, and a little food.  I'm even able to sit upright for brief periods of time.

Now the big problem:  I'm BORED.  Going in the car makes me vom, and driving is out of the question (it took one day of driving down the street and vomiting to nix that idea).  I nap at least once a day, but TV is boring, the internet is boring, and it all makes me dizzy.  So I spend a lot of time just lying down with my eyes closed.  Yay.  My day is then broken up by showering (an hour long adventure that involves lying down afterwards), and attempts to eat.  Seriously, a month ago I was working, running my etsy shop, hanging out with friends....sigh.  Now I'm down 20 pounds and stuck in my house, too weak to really do anything.

This is not forever.

This is not forever.

This is not forever.

Colds and stomach viruses, and HG, OH MY

Having HG is like losing the lottery.  Or getting called for the hunger games.  Or something stupid like that.  It sucks.

Now, imagine Effie called your name for whatever district you live in, you get on the train, and BAM!  Stomach virus.  And BAM!  You get a cold.  I mean, really....what are the odds?  They'll just throw you in the arena anyway, even if you're coughing, sneezing, pooping, etc.  You already know life sucks, and you can cope just fine with a cold or whatever the rest of the time, but really...REALLY?  What are the odds?

Yes, I have spent the past week lying on the couch, wondering why we haven't developed human hibernation, and fighting off a stomach virus AND a cold, along with the HG.  And trust me when I say that both of those illnesses make HG way way way worse.

So I spent Monday through Thursday on IVs (luckily the nurse only needed 2 tries this time), which means I was literally stuck on the couch...our bedroom is too small to maneuver the IV pole.

Can I just share how bizarre the whole IV-at-home situation is?  They literally shove a needle in your arm, show you how to change the bag out, and PEACE, you're on your own.  I mean, you can call and ask questions, but keeping yourself from dying of an air embolism, sepsis, etc....that's all on you.  Oh, and removing the IV.  That's on you, too.  Let that sink in for a second.  Yes, last night, in a fit of "my life sucks, EFF THIS", I got to remove my own IV.  One handed.  I'm a little badass.  The first time I had to do this, I asked if there were other options.  The phone nurse's reply:  "well, your husband can do it."  Yes, Jeff, the man who passed out on the doctor once during a skin biopsy, is coming nowhere near a catheter hanging out in my arm.

Oh, and my 2 year old hates the IV.  He knows he has to be gentle, and it hurts mommy, and he's a little scared of the pole, but I know he misses close mommy snuggles.  This morning when he joined me in bed (never thought I'd miss my bed so much!), He was SO excited and rubbed at my arm.  I asked him if he liked me better without the IV, and he said "uh huh.  OMMY."  And followed it up with a giant hug.  Be still my heart.

So that's where I stand.  No one seems fazed by the fact that I unilaterally decided my IV hydration was over, and as long as I can keep down more than 32 ounces a day, I'm golden.  We've raised my medication repeatedly.  I can't breathe through my nose...I'm a mess, but still better than I was on Monday, when I would have willingly been admitted.  Sigh.

Breaks in the Clouds

Wednesday, I was driving to work.  It was a cloud, dreary day, but the clouds were almost striped across the sky.  In between the dark puffiness, there were moments of brilliant blue sky.  As I drove, I would literally get to drive through stripes of rain, stripes of clouds, and a few bright moments of actual sunshine.  Beautiful.

That got me thinking about this pregnancy.  I wish, more than anything, I could enjoy pregnancy, be one with the Earth, etc.  Mostly I just pray that September gets here quickly.  But there are moments of sunshine, and those moments get me through.

Had one of those moments today.  Between Dr's appointments (WHY do they need so much of my blood!?) and work, I stopped by home for a few minutes to rest and try to drink some fluids.  And I felt really really really alone.  Everyone around me is excited for my pregnancy.  Everyone around me feels great.  I feel a little bit like I'm being watched from afar...I get pity, but not many people have actually been here, and know what it's like to feel awful 24/7, alone and isolated.

Then it hit me.  This is one of the few times in my life that I am never alone.  I have a little person in there, surviving the same things I'm surviving.  If he/she can make it through this, I can too.  It's not going to be easy or pretty (although I prefer when I know what to expect and when to expect it!), but we'll make it through together.  Just like Levi and I did.

So there's some moments of sunshine between the clouds.  I just have to learn to embrace those moments.

Small Victories

Hyperemesis means that "success" is redefined.  

Before my first pregnancy, I assumed that "success" in early pregnancy meant making it through work, not killing your husband, and getting a nap every once in awhile.  

Thanks to HG, success currently looks like....

~Keeping my ketones down!  Yay!  I am no longer digesting myself!

~Keeping my weight stable

~Keeping down more than 32 ounces of liquid a day (the point at which I have to go back on home IVs)

~Successfully changing my infusion site daily

~Keeping down bland, carb-laden food

~Pooping.  Thanks, Zofran constipation!

~Possibly making it through a few days of work

So keep me in your prayers as I go back to work tomorrow!

Zofran pump: Yes, I get to stick needles in myself...

I got all set up with home healthcare yesterday.  This means a nurse comes to my house and gives me IVs as needed, and taught me to use my Zofran Pump.

The first two bags of IV fluids went well.  The third wouldn't go through, and it turned out my arm had clotted off the IV.  So a nurse came BACK again today to try to re-start it.  After trying in 3 different areas, all with no luck (and lots of bruises), I told her just to give up.  The poking around was actually making me more nauseous.  I'm keeping liquids down, so maybe I can stay hydrated enough.  Hopefully.  If not, maybe my veins will be better tomorrow.  Sigh.  And now the doctors office is mad at me for "refusing treatment", and I get to go in and be lectured tomorrow.

Aside from that, the pump is great!  I've been keeping everything down (and by everything, I mean lemonade, lime sherbet, and frozen waffles).  I even changed out the injection site myself, so I'm pretty proud.  I have a serious needle phobia, so the ability to stick myself is a big deal!

I have to go into work for a few hours tomorrow....wish me luck.

That time I got a pity ultrasound...

Today, I got a pity ultrasound.

After a morning of taking tiny sips of water, and immediately throwing them up, all while entertaining a toddler from the floor of the bathroom, I had my follow up with my OB.  And was promptly sent back to the ER for more fluids.

Before I left, however, she looked at me with pity in her eyes and said those glorious words:  "I feel like if you're here this frequently, we should at least get a peek at the baby!"

I've never been so happy in my life to see the jumbo probe covers that accompany a 1st trimester ultrasound.  And there was my little bean!  Heartbeat of 120, bouncing around happily!  I'll post a picture tomorrow so we can do the whole Ramzi thing.  Other weird stuff:  this baby also came from my right ovary, just like Levi!

Then it was on to the ER...where the nurses recognized me, apologized for the giant bruise on my left arm, and promised to be kinder this time.

Another Alleluia: I am approved for home health care!  They're sending people to my house to give me IVs and a Zofran pump!  Hopefully this means I'll be back to (limited) work next week. She said I wouldn't be 100% (not that I expect that), but I should be 50% better than where I am.  A miracle, if you ask me.

My biggest fear now: sticking needles in myself.  No longer do I need a Xanax to get a shot, but I still do not LIKE needles, let alone sticking them into myself.  So pray for me for that!

It's Baaaa-aack... (The Hyperemesis, that is)

Today I announced to the world that I'm 6 weeks pregnant.

Those close to me all asked the same follow up question:  "How are you feeling?!"

For me, this question is far more loaded, and contains far more subtext...beyond queasiness, beyond tiredness, beyond the growing pains of pregnancy.  This question means "is your hyperemesis back!?"

The short answer: yes.

The long answer: yes, but managed far, far better than last time.

I went into this pregnancy on a special diet (high protein, extra vitamin b6), extra medical treatment (chiropractic care, pre-conception doctors meetings), and a wing and a prayer.  With my Levi-pregnancy, I started feeling sick at 4.5 weeks.  So early that I thought it was all in my head.  This time, I made it a whole extra week.

This puts us at Tuesday the 15th.  Actually, the nausea started Monday the 14th, but I chalked it up to the fact that I got stuck at work longer than anticipated, and was STARVING when I got home.  Then, Tuesday morning, I woke up feeling awful.  The few sips of gatorade I managed came right back up.  Things were smelling weird, and I was grossed out by even my favorite foods.  Luckily, it took a quick phone call to the doctor, a hurried visit (2-year-old in tow), and a Zofran prescription to at least get me to the point where I was keeping water down.  Whew, right?

Well, Wednesday I stumbled through work, kept a few things down, and fell into bed.  Thursday was worse...it was Levi's birthday, and there I was, dry heaving in the parking lot of Choo Choo Johnny's.

Sidenote:  My toddler thinks this is hilarious.  He stands in the doorway and giggles when I vomit.  He makes gagging sounds when I do.  When I was in the ER Friday, he pressed the "Y for Yak" button repeatedly as I was checking in.  He's a peach, really.  It really made his birthday special that he had a "meal on train wheels" AND a barfing Mommy.

Friday morning, I woke up and felt like I was having a panic attack.  Realized that my heartbeat was super fast (heartrate in bed: over 100), and called the doc back...and was promptly sent to the ER.  Last time I had HG (My HG story), I fought tooth and nail to avoid the ER.  I have a HUGE needle phobia, hate anything medical, and worry about the cost.  But, in a clear, non-HG moment, I promised myself that I would get fluids if needed this time.

Let me tell you, it was the best.  After the first bag, I was still panicky, heart rate was crazy, and my blood pressure was like 100/52.  The doctor had the "there's a crying pregnant woman" look in his eyes, and I was promptly hooked up to bag #2.  At this point, Little Guy went home to sleep, and I got fluids, more IV Zofran, and Anderson Cooper, uninterrupted.  Heaven.  I felt a million times better.

Today I've been fine on the Zofran, kept food down (melons and mashed potatoes), and had enough energy to throw my little man a birthday party.  We also told all the relatives and friends with this shirt:

He wouldn't hold still long enough to get a picture!

So I will keep the internet-world updated.  Hopefully my life won't involve any more IVs (or punctured veins...I currently look like a heroin addict), and hopefully this little person will be nicer to me than Levi was!  

Hyperemesis Awareness Day!

May 15^th is Hyperemesis Gravidarum awareness day!  In honor of this day, I thought I’d share my HG story.  

Slacking off...

For some reason, I didn't think about how much starting back to work, even part time (for now) would impact the rest of my life.  After all, I usually got a lot of stuff done after baby is in bed, and before I am.  Those two precious hours are usually my "grown up" time.  

What I forgot was how much I usually do during the day so I can have that grown up time!  Running errands, cleaning, meal prep...all of this is now either crammed in my too-short mornings, or that two hour window at night.  The time I get with my little guy should be play/fun time!

Funny story, my second day back at work, I picked up Levi around 4 from daycare (an awesome in-home daycare run by a friend).  We got home, I gave him a snack, tossed Curious George on the TV, and went to clean the bathroom, my Wednesday chore.  As I was on my hands and knees wiping the grout around the tub, he toddled into the room, took the rag out of my hand, and sat in my lap.  I melted.  We went back into the living room and snuggled on the couch for about an hour.  I'll do my cleaning at night.  

March Madness: 2012 Brackets, Mascot Style

First order of business:
I'm slacking on the de-cluttering.  This week I've started a new job, re-started an old job (bringing the job count up to 3 - each of which is like 8 hours a week...I should de-clutter my jobs!), started Levi in daycare, enjoyed 75 degree weather in Chicago in March, and made an amazing steak dinner using this recipe.  Do I get a pass?  I'm ahead of my 40 bag goal.  And I'm planning on spending this weekend clearing out the garage, which will more than make up for this week's craziness.  I do expect to get rid of some stuff tomorrow, as I have half the day off.  Whew.

Oh yeah, and I did my March Madness bracket.  A bit of history:  I know exactly zero about March Madness, but a few years ago, I wanted to participate, so I made a bracket based on which mascots would win in a fight.  This has continued for the past 6 years, and as always, I will do the same.  Here's how I see the tournament going:

In the south, The Witchita State Shockers dominate, because frankly, you can shock a lot of things, including Hoosiers (who beat Aggies because I feel like it, and no one knows what either actually are) and Kentucky Wildcats, who don't really understand electricity.  Speaking of Wildcats, they'll go to the Sweet Sixteen by trouncing the Hilltoppers in the first round (mostly by biting), and some other UConn Wildcats in the second. How does one determine which wildcat wins? Wildcats are native to Kentucky, but I'm pretty sure they're not hanging around Connecticut.  Correct me if I'm wrong.

Highlights from the rest of the south: the Duke Blue Devils will join the Shockers in the Elite Eight, because Satan is pretty powerful, even over worthy foes such as Mountain Hawks and the Irish (who, as we know, rarely conquer the devil that is whiskey, yet can beat the Musketeers because there's only 3 of them).  The Devils will have a good fight with the Baylor Bears, who have God on their side, but they are ultimately just Bears, and the Bible doesn't really address whether Bears truly have souls.   The Bears start out the tournament by beating the Jackrabbits for obvious reasons, while the Rebels will beat the Buffalo, because that's what happened during the 19th century.  The Rebels will, of course, be torn limb to limb by the Bears.  In the final epic battle between the Blue Devils and the Shockers, we learn that the Blue Devils are ultimately a hologram meant to frighten (a la the Wizard of Oz), and the Shockers will simply turn off the lights, making the Final Four.

Meanwhile, in the East, the competition heats up when, in a series of upsets, the Syracuse Orange beats a Bulldog, who didn't realize that his color blindness was his downfall, the USM Golden Eagle defecates on the Wildcats, blinding them, and the Commadores, using their skills learned while on tour doing early 80s R&B, overcome the Crimson, a color which is not appropriate for spring fashion.  Elsewhere in the East, the Badgers are dominating because frankly, they don't give a shit.  Not about R&B, and not about Golden Eagles, who beat the Orange with their keen eyesight.  Also, Orange is a color, and I can't see many ways that a color can win a fight.

The Bearcats also dominate because if Bearcats really existed, that would be super cool.  They'd be fast like cats, and scary like bears.  A Bearcat could easily overcome a Ram or a Seminole.  Side note:  I have no clue what a Bonnie is, but I'm pretty sure an Indian could take one out.  Meanwhile, the Ohio State Buckeyes are choking everything in their path, from Mountaineers (who can easily outlast Bulldogs, who have a shortened snout and are prone to breathing problems when climbing mountains) to Greyhounds.  However, like my cats, the Bearcats would rather bat around the small, round Buckeyes than attempt to eat them, effectively shoving them under the TV stand where no one ever hears from them again.  In an epic showdown, the Bearcats then face the Badgers.  As internet nerds hold up pictures of the Badger's pom squad (the honeys), the Bearcats realize that the Badgers don't give a shit that Bearcats are awesome, and thus lose in a truly psychological battle.  Know your (Honeybadger) meme.

Out West, Spartans are dominating everywhere, as both Michigan State and Norfolk enjoy a series of wins, realizing their no-frills lifestyle prepares them well for battle.  Michigan Spartans eat the blackbirds (in a pie, like the nursery rhyme), and spear the Tigers (who have recently destroyed Billikens...WTF is a Billiken?).  They then face the Lobos (another shout out to 80s music - Los Lobos) who appear to be wolves and i'm pretty sure that historically speaking, Sparta did  good job of beating down wolves.  The Lobos were pretty tired anyway, having taken out some Wildcats and 49ers, who were frankly underprepared to do anything but pan for gold.  I panned for gold on vacation once, it's not as fun as it sounds.

On their way to facing Norfolk, UVA wins out over Florida.  Although UVA is the Cavaliers, as in horse-riders, I choose to imagine them as Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.  Cute, right?  They beat out the Gators because the game takes place in Phoenix, and Gators don't thrive in that climate.  Unfortunately, the Spartans have no use for small, adorable, useless puppies.  The Murray State Racers easily outpace their opponents (Rams, Eagles) including the UVA Spartans, who have no horses due to their minimalist lifestyle, and simply can't keep up.  The Michigan State Spartans, however, have recently realized the advantages of owning horses, and are able to keep up with Murray State, fueled by Blackbird pie, and are victorious.

While all this is going on, there are some pretty epic battles in the Midwest.  The Blue Jays sail over the Crimson Tide, and the Tarheels outrun the Catamounts (seriously, who comes up with these things?).  The Wolverines, as awesome as their name suggests, beat out the Wildcats and the Owls (who trumped the Bulls in a nighttime showdown).  Meanwhile, the Azteks and Titans are dominating,   The Azteks come out ahead of the Boilermakers, who narrowly beat the Gaels (a team that nearly won based on the fact that they share a name with my street).  The Titans are able to squeak by a Wolfpack and some Bears (who again beat a Bulldog - this is a fairly common matchup over the years).  When it comes down to the Titans and Azteks, the Titans win out because they just sound fiercer.

So we're down to the final four.  The Badgers and Titans both fight bravely, but ultimately the Badgers overcome.  I base this on my slightly irrational fear of badgers, having read On The Banks Of Plum Creek as a child, where Laura is unreasonably frightened of a badger.  During the other game, the Spartans and the Shockers face off, a match up that proves to be one sided as the Spartans have no idea how to utilize electricity, and are quickly shocked to death or loss or whatever happens in these matchups.

In the final game, the Badgers and Shockers are matched up.  While one may initially think that the Shockers would employ their usual shocking tactics, they forgot one important detail:  Badgers don't care.  They cannot be shocked.  And so, the Badgers win the 2012 March Madness tournament of Mascots.

Frankly?  They're not impressed.

My complete bracket can be seen here:  http://apps.facebook.com/cbssports/brackets/64600515/1

Strange Things....

Today I am going to get rid of the strangest thing in my home.

A tin of dog ashes.  From a dog I did not own.

You may be wondering how I came to be the owner of this particular tin of dog ashes...so here's that story.

Squash Mac & Cheese

I love Mac & Cheese.  I think most people do.  Any opportunity to add vitamins and fiber to a crowd-pleasing dish is A-OK in my world!  I like this dish because the squash adds an extra layer of flavor, while cutting down on fat and adding lots of good vitamins.

Friday: The Shelf Fell Down! (Day 15)

At some point yesterday, my laundry room shelf fell down.

Let me first point out that I'm the one who "installed" the shelf.  And the one who hoards various laundry and cleaning products.  And balanced it all precariously on a poorly installed shelf.

But the fat cat is the one who jumped up on the shelf, unbalancing it and making it tip over, scattering everything around the room.  So really, this is 100% Faith's fault.

You're not pinning this on me.  

Speaking of pinning, after we cleared out the laundry room, got rid of a bag of stuff (including some boxes we didn't need, mostly empty bottles of detergent, and an extra iron), I reorganized my pinterest-inspired cleaning product storage.  

Yep, it's an over the door shoe holder!  I also realized that I have multiple bottles of most cleaning supplies...time to start using those up, instead of just buying new and forgetting about the little bits I have left.  

Days 13 and 14 - Running up against resistance...

Yesterday's purge was just about the same as Tuesdays...books, books, and more books.  I have two crates ready to go, once I find a charity book box, or the Salvation Army people set themselves up in front of Walmart again.  I figured, rather than bore you with another post full of pictures of books, we'd just move right along (ironically, one book that I kept is titled "Organize Yourself"...this same book was once in a bile of junk in my first apartment and my roommate took a picture of it and posted it on Facebook...yes, I've read it, and the author is insane...she advises that you alphabetize your canned goods...don't know why I'm keeping the book).

So onward to today.  I already need a break from the office...I get overwhelmed in there because about a quarter of the stuff belongs to my husband, and while's he's vocally on-board with the purge, I don't think he's truly on-board.

Case in point:  the kitchen.

I figured the kitchen would be a good place to purge tonight, because he doesn't really care about the stuff in there as far as I know.  One thing that's bothering me lately is the area on top of the cabinets.  There are a few things up there that I use (food processor, crock pot, cookie cutters), and a few boxes that we *may* need if we move again.  Then there's the other stuff...

Freezer meals (the basics, plus chili), Part 1 of many

So, when I go back to work, my husband is going to be on his own for dinner (for himself and baby) 4-5 nights a week.  I'm hoping to eventually cut that down to 3 nights a week, but while I'm building my caseload, I'll be gone every night.  

Like most people, he's so tired when he gets home from work that it's tough to get together a good, healthy meal without resorting to frozen pizzas and skillets.

Before baby, when we both worked, we did just that.  We'd generally have frozen pizza one or two nights a week, those Bertolli skillet things at least once, and something really easy like spaghetti with sauce or mac and cheese.  Then, once I was pregnant, I didn't go in the kitchen for almost 3 months.  To be completely honest, I have no idea what my husband ate.  Since the grocery store made me vomit, he did all the shopping, and as far as I know, he fed himself on like $25/week.  All I could eat was tator tots and iced tea.  I'm pretty sure he ate a lot of hot pockets, frozen pizza, and mac and cheese.

After Levi was born, I started changing our eating habits: more whole grains, fewer processed foods.  I try to limit our skillet meals...those things have a TON of sodium.  However, I was only working a few hours a week, so I had time to make good, whole food meals most days, even if it was in a crock pot.  Don't get me wrong, we still eat those skillets sometimes, or frozen pizza, but I make an effort to keep our diet low in processed food.

So all of this leads me to my freezer meals project!

I'm starting of easy: crock pot meals.  I love love LOVE the Reynolds slow cooker liners.  They make it easy to store and freeze food, plus they give me a happy husband because he doesn't have to scrub out the slow cooker.

So here are the basics of freezer cooking in Mindy-land:

1.  To store crock pot meals, I put the food in a slow cooker liner, twist it shut, and put that in a plastic gallon freezer bag labelled with the date, the food, and what needs to be added in the slow cooker.

2.   Most Crockpot recipes are pretty basic:  Add veggies, add spices, add meat, freeze.  Then add liquid or sauce when you put it in the slow cooker.  Easy peasy.

3.  The following things don't work well in a slow cooker or freezer (although there are exceptions): Noodles, rice, dairy, herbs, anything you want to eat crunchy.

4.  Crockpot recipes are fabulous for adding extra veggies...shredded carrot can be hidden in almost any recipe.  So can chopped onions.

So, without further ado, here's my first crockpot freezer recipe:  Chili!

Chop half an onion, and 2 cloves of garlic.  Grate a carrot.  Place veggies in a bag with 1/2 pound of dried beans.  Add 2 Tbs Worsteshire sauce, and a packet of your favorite chili seasoning.  Top with a small can of tomato paste.  Add in 1 pound of ground chicken, turkey, or beef.  Freeze.

On the day you want to eat it, place crockpot liner of food in crockpot.  Add 2 cans of beef broth.  Cover and cook on high for 6 hours, or low for 8 hours.  Serve with cheese, chopped green onions, and sour cream.

Finally, the office! (Day 12)

Today (well, yesterday...I wrote half the post then had to go to the laundry mat because our dryer broke), I braved the office.  It's totally overwhelming, totally overflowing, an (along with the garage) totally embarassing.

Let's start with the books.  I have a book addiction, and I hate getting rid of them.  I was so glad to get a kindle for Christmas...at least my book fetish won't be taking up any more space in my house!  Even better, I won't have to move any new books I get...

Recipe time! Whole Wheat Tortillas!

It's a good day.  Mom made quesadillas!

I'm going back to work next week!  Since halfway through my pregnancy, I've only been working 8-10 hours a week, and I'm going crazy!  But I finally got the state of Illinois to cooperate, finally got my Psychotherapist license, and was hired on by my favorite internship site!  

In preparation, I'm slowly filling the freezer with food.  It's not that I don't trust my husband to get food on the table at night (since I'll be working evenings).  It's that I don't trust my husband to get healthy, fresh food on the table while being followed around by my favorite Toddler.  

First up for the freezer food:  whole wheat tortillas!

Why tortillas?  I mean, they're dirt cheap at the store, keep forever, and are easy to find.  However, I've been making a commitment to try to get 75% of our grains as whole grains.  And whole grain tortillas are a) expensive, b) not always 100% whole grain, and c) still full of a bunch of crap I don't want to feed my child.  So I make my own, with only 4 ingredients.  And they're delicious.  

Too Many Sippies! (Day 11)

Before Levi was born, I had this dream. A dream that he would use the Take n Toss sippy cups - the only ones that stack together nicely and take up very little room.

Of course, once we introduced the sippies, I learned that it was not to be.  We tried several kinds of sippies, hard spouts, soft spouts, straws....finally he decided he'd accept the Munchkin Mighty Grips sippies.

Which are now discontinued.  Or at least not available at any stores near us.  Sigh.

I've gotten him to the point where he'll drink juice out of the Take n Toss, but he only drinks milk if it's in the Mighty Grips.

Of course, this means I have a cabinet full of rejected sippy cups, plastic dishes, and unmatched tupperware.  It can't be babyproofed (well, not with my sophisticated hair-tie system), so it's Levi's favorite cabinet.  He loves to "help" in the kitchen, surrounded by rejected sippies.

In my fancy bag-counting system, 2 Target bags = 1 garbage bag, and the sippies only filled one Target bag, so I scoured the rest of the kitchen and filled a second bag with odds and ends.  A couple of extra spatulas.  An extra can opener (my excuse for keeping it before: "what if I lose one?").  And my second tea kettle.  Again, I have no idea why I thought I needed two tea kettles.  The one I'm keeping looks like a cat, so I'm in good shape.

Of course, to get some of the kitchen stuff, I had to stand on a chair.  Which apparently taught Mr. Toddler to do the same.

Day 10 - 1/4 of the way done!

So here I am, 1/4 of the way done with my Lenten purge.  Some fun facts:

1.  I am a giant nerd.  I have a spreadsheet of the areas I've cleared out, how many bags/boxes I've removed, and where they went (trashed/recycled, sold, donated, returned).

2.  From this spreadsheet we can learn that I have removed 19 bags or boxes of stuff from my house.  Let's let that sink in...19.  So I'm ahead of schedule!  Eight have been donated.  Three have been sold (or at least listed....still waiting on some pick ups!).  Three have been recycled or trashed, three returned to their original owners, and one has been passed on to a friend.  This is one of those times that I wish I could pile it all up and take a picture.  The sheer volume of this is mind boggling...and I still have 3/4 of Lent to go!

3.  There have been some major improvements to my daily life.  Since clearing out and organizing Levi's toys, my nightly clear-out of the family room has been cut down to 5 minutes instead of 30.  My clothes are easier to see and organize.  The linen closet is no longer spilling out into the hallway.  Best of all, we had friends over last night, and instead of spending the entire day cleaning, we spent an hour doing the deep cleaning things (mopping floors, vacuuming) and were done!

4.  In the words of my husband (who is only kind of on board with this project) "but we still have way too much stuff!"  Seriously, it doesn't feel like we got rid of 19 bags of stuff.  I can still look around and see tons of stuff that is begging to be bagged, listed on Craigslist, and taken out of my house.  

So onward we go!  Last night when our friends were here, we gave them back their baby swing that they loaned us for Levi.

Levi napped in that thing for almost 6 months. He had reflux, so the upright position and the rocking soothed him.  Even so, I was grateful to see it leave our garage.  If there's anything I learned about baby gear, it's this:  Everyone has too much.  If I'm ever in need of a baby swing again, I'm sure I can post to Facebook and have one in my family room in days.

And now I'm glad it's Sunday, a day of rest.