Picture 6: Full what?

I almost didn't use this picture for today's post. It is pretty gross looking after all. But, let me explain. We bought this new vacuum cleaner when E was about 2 and a half weeks old. He had developed congestion, and I was worried that the dog hair in the house was a contributing factor, and went out and bought a good, dog-hair picking up vacuum. So, started using this around mid-September of last year. Flash forward to today. We are not using maid service anymore, trying to work out the stay-at-home-mom budget, so I am slowly getting back into the swing of things in how to clean my house. We had started using the maids back in the summer, before I went on bed rest, because I was so swollen and had carpal tunnel so bad, and was working, I just couldn't do stuff at home. Having the maids was fabulous. In fact, as I cleaned the master bath today, I realized I haven't thoroughly cleaned that bathroom in months, didn't have to because someone else was doing it. I was also struck with the realization that it is nice to have energy back, and the full use of my hands! (the carpal tunnel is pretty much gone, still have this weird stiffness in my right hand but that's another story). I hated being on bed rest, being limited in my daily activities, having to be dependent on others to help me. It was hard even when I first came home from the hospital, having to depend on others to help, but it was easier to make myself back then, especially recovering from the c-section. Today it hit me as I was cleaning upstairs, I feel like I have been living in a cave and am finally coming out fully for air, the fog is lifting. And truly, it is - this fog of Having a New Baby and Staying Home as a Job is slowly but surely starting to fade. Oh sure, I've been to church, to holiday events, running errands - but still haven't felt fully myself. Which brings me back to the vacuum cleaner (believe it or not, I hadn't forgotten that I have not yet explained the picture). So I thought to myself today, Wow, I really should clean out the vacuum. It sure does look full. As I sat with it outside, I was able to remove the bottom cup portion and dump out the gross dirt, dog hair, and who knows what else. The top part wouldn't come off though. I couldn't figure out how to get the gobs of grossness out of the top portion, so I finally got a spoon and managed to dig it out. As I sat there outside, digging dirt and doghair out of my vacuum with a SPOON, thinking someone at Bissell needs to know that this is the most ineffecient way to clean out a vacuum and how on earth did they expect consumers to clean this thing, when something caught my eye on the removable portion laying on the ground. The word "Full" and a line. Ohhhhhhhhhh. (I even circled the word on the picture for you, my dear blog readers.) I was supposed to have cleaned it out when the vacuum ickies reached that line? I just giggled at myself - I thought I was acting relatively normal, but realizing tonight that I had never even looked at the vacuum in terms of when to clean it out, was just vacuuming because I knew I needed to and it's part of the old routine - made me realize that I still have been living in some "I have a new baby fogginess," even up till today. Well, I do need to add that really one would think the vacuum could hold a lot more than where the full line is located, but oh well. Seriously, I think the vacuum was probably full by the first week in October, and here I've been just vacuuming away...hmmm actually that vacuum must have pretty good suction to have kept it up so far! So, that's my image for today's life posting. A way too full vacuum cleaner, and a new mom slowly but surely getting back her handle on life.