Now, where did I put that meter?

We've entered new territory: Potty training proper. Okay, 'nough said for a blog on diabetes, right? Well, yes - and no. Because it takes an awful lot of time, energy, and patience to potty train your toddler - all the things that diabetes care needs, so they're in direct competition. At least I know the potty training has an end point, right?

Meanwhile, I've been thinking about baby proofing as it applies to diabetes supplies. When H was born, I was already putting my tub of used needles in a high cabinet, out of reach of - well, clearly a newborn, but also a kid the age she is now (two and a half). In fact, I moved all my diabetes supplies out of reach at that point. And it turns out it was good I did, because it would actually have been hard to find the time to stop and think about that at just the right point when it needed to happen - when she was around 10 months, and started pulling up on things and being able to open drawers. That cliche, about staying one step ahead, is the not-always-achievable goal, but I've found the more I can do it, the more I can keep some sense of sanity.

Lately, even my meter and test strips have been subject to grabbing by the pudgy little hands - along with my husband's razor, toothpaste, the usual bathroom items. I've taken to putting my bathroom meter, strips, and lancets in a zipped bag (not a Ziploc baggie, but a real zippered bag) at the far back of the counter. It's still within sight and my easy reach, so I remember to test! But she's not so curious about it and is less likely to be able to open the bag before I get to her. She can unzip things - but of course I can't leave her completely unsupervised forever, anyway.

Of course, I'm used to planning a lot because of having diabetes, which helps. It's not that far to go from keeping track of how much of all those supplies you have (the strips, lancets, pump reservoirs and infusions sets, blah, blah, blah...oh yeah, and the insulin) -- to thinking about where you put them. Likewise, it's not so hard to think about packing snacks for the kid, when you're already used to carrying snacks for yourself (but it sure makes for a lot to carry!).