This may end up being a much longer post than my norm. But I really do want to let you in on a few things that have happened over the course of the year that have caused me to refocus!
In case you didn’t pick up on the little hint in the last post, one of the biggest changes is that I am now a first-time homeowner. M and I moved into our first house back in July and we’re absolutely in love with our new home! Of course, one of the wonderful joys of owning a house: LOTS of projects! We were very lucky to find a house that was completely move-in ready and there still aren’t any major projects that are needed. We are incredibly grateful!
That being said, the projects I’m referring to are not major renovations and I have, sadly, done absolutely no furniture building thus far. At this point, we’re only working on organizational systems and little crafty projects to make the house feel like home. But we’re loving every minute of it (even when it means I have to go up on the roof)!
One of the other major changes is that M is now in grade school! Not only is this just awesome and she impresses me daily, but it also means so many adjustments to our daily lives. Instead of driving her to daycare every day, at whatever time fit with my work schedule, we’re now pressed to drop her off at school right when the school opens so that I can get to work on time. Plus, we have to pack her lunch EVERY DAY! The HORROR! 😉 *yes, I know we were super spoiled before….. and I only mini-miss it..*
Obviously, packing a lunch isn’t the end of the world and, sometimes, it’s even super fun when I can get M involved. But packing a lunch for a child who was lucky enough to be served a healthy, hot lunch everyday at her old daycare tends to be a crazy challenge. Especially when most of her suggestions go like this:
M: How about soup?
Me: To eat cold? There are no microwaves…
M: Oh. What about pasta?
Me: Still no way to heat it up….
M: Right…. ummmmmmmmmmmmm
Regardless, we’ve managed to make preparing her lunches almost an easy experience… after a few months of practice!
The final major change isn’t quite as upbeat as the other two, though it’s really not the end of the world. I toyed with whether or not to mention it – but in the end, it will be a major part of my life now – and maybe discussing it here could help others who may be dealing with a similar issue. I won’t go into a lot of detail in this post, as I’d like to give people the option to easily skip over a post about medical issues – which has little to do with the general crafty-nature of this blog.
However, I was diagnosed with Gastroparesis a few months ago after experiencing pain very similar to the pain I had prior to having my gallbladder removed last summer. After freaking out thinking the major organ that had been attached to my gallbladder (i.e. – my LIVER) was failing (truth – the pain really does radiate throughout the chest making it incredibly difficult to really localize), my awesome specialist was able to confirm somewhat quickly – after many tests – that I have moderate Gastroparesis. My specialists explained it to me as this: if I eat the same meal as a “normal” person – in three to four hours, the other person’s stomach would be empty. Mine? Still half full. I’m still super holding onto that optimistic “half-full” concept 😉
Since I am still in the “moderate” zone of this condition, and due to the amount of pills I have to ingest for another unfortunate condition, my doctor and I agreed that for now we would try to maintain my health through dietary changes. This is DEFINITELY still a work in progress. A couple times a week, I’m on a liquid diet to give my stomach a much-needed break. I was warned that the best possible way to keep my stomach happy is to “eat” like I don’t have teeth. Smoothies are my best friend. Too bad I love solid food. So everything in moderation has become an extreme and I’m struggling to find a balance with still enjoying food (even my love of salads isn’t helping me here) while not causing extreme pain that makes me want to both scrunch up in a ball of pain and bend all the way backwards to somehow stretch my stomach out… it’s bizarre, I know.
Though I’m not likely to spend many days writing about these struggles – there may be instances, especially during the holidays, when this condition will play a major role in our lives and will probably sneak its way into posts.
All in all, I certainly cannot complain about the past year. I have so much to share with you all and I can’t wait to get started! I promise much more crafty-talk and pictures to come soon!! Now to get caught up with work so that I have the time to fill you in on all the exciting things we’ve been doing!!
a singular knitter 