Hi Guys!
A medicine cup works good too. It's actually good because it provides a measuring cup of how much you can tolerate. I was banded on Monday and this morning I actually was able to tolerate 4 oz of soup, but haven't been hungry all day, but it's progress.
As far as picking up the kids, I have 3 year old twin boys who are very active and I show them the bandages and the bruising and since my abdomen is black and blue they seem to understand. They keep asking me if I'm better because they want me to pick them up, but that can not only pop your stitches it can give you a hernia. Be Careful!