tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20732154296280490092024-02-20T19:06:59.126-08:00My MiraclesMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606858347320237837noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2073215429628049009.post-30299443544348996862012-01-01T14:42:00.000-08:002012-01-01T18:27:54.096-08:00Chouriço BurritosThese were so yummy! I am so excited to share this one with you! I am also determined that soon I am going to start including pictures in these posts! Hopefully with my next recipe!<br /><br />This recipe was from <span style="font-style:italic;">Crock Pot The Original Slow Cooker Recipe Collection</span> binder. It's really got some pretty good recipes! I may post some others from there at some point also.<br /><br />I should start this one by explaining what chouriço is. Chouriço (For the Wikipedia:<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorizo"></a>) is a spicy red pork sausage. The official title of the recipe in the book is "Chorizo Burritos" and you may find this type of sausage in your store by that name. The sausages are similar but chorizo is Spanish and chouriço is Portuguese. I typed it as (and used in my recipe) chouriço or chorico because I come from New Bedford, MA, which has a large Portuguese population, and that is what I grew up with. I don't know that I have ever had true Spanish chorizo, I'm not exactly sure what the difference is.<br /><br />On to the recipe!<br /><br />My changes from the original: I went with green pepper, the original called for red or green, I also changed the flour tortillas it called for to wheat. The recipe called for canned corn, I used frozen because that's what I had, I think I would just stick with that in the future, I see not need to used canned in this recipe. The recipe calls for 1/2 tsp each of cumin and cinnamon, I used slightly less cinnamon and slightly more cumin. <br /><br />Chouriço Burritos<br /><br />15 oz Chouriço cut into quarters lengthwise then 1/4 inch slices<br />1- 15 oz can Red Beans (drained and rinsed)<br />1- 14.5 oz can Diced Tomatoes, undrained<br />1.5-2 cups Frozen Corn<br />2 Green Peppers<br />1 cup Chicken Broth<br />1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin (see my changes above)<br />1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon (see my changes above)<br /><br />8-10 Wheat Tortillas<br />Hot cooked rice (I think I made 1 cup uncooked?)<br />Shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (alternately the recipe said you could also use sour cream, we used the Monterrey jack and it was really yummy!) <br /><br />Place everything except the last 3 ingredients in the crockpot, mix well and put on low for 6-8 hours (your house will smell yummy!!!) <br /><br />Serve in tortillas with the rice and cheese.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606858347320237837noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2073215429628049009.post-38589620498001101832011-11-29T14:39:00.000-08:002011-11-29T14:42:26.049-08:00I am a terrible blogger!! (fried rice recipe enclosed...)That being said I tend not to try a lot of new recipes in the summer. I get more inspired in the winter! I do have a few recipes to share though! Hopefully I can get them up in the next few weeks! <br /><br />This was a simple and healthy version of fried rice that came out of Annabel Karmel's <span style="font-style:italic;">First Meals</span> book. I made probably 70% of Anna's baby food and that book was such a great resource! It's got some great recipes and snack ideas as they get older too! Definitely a good investment!<br /><br />Egg Fried Rice with Chicken and Shrimp<br /><br />1 C. Basmati Rice<br />3.5-4 T. Vegetable Oil (this is the one ingredient I want to play with a little, she calls for 4, I think you can use a bit less)<br />1 Small Onion peeled and finely chopped<br />1/2 C. Red Pepper, deseeded and finely chopped<br />Salt and Pepper<br />1 Egg, beaten<br />1/3 C. Frozen Peas<br />1/3 C. Frozen Sweet Corn<br />1 Large Green Onion, sliced<br />1 Chicken Breast, cut into thin strips<br />1/4 lb. cooked shrimp<br />1 T. Light Soy Sauce<br /><br />Cook rice according to package directions. (if you have cooked Basmati before then you know this is different from regular rice)<br /><br />Heat half of the oil, in a large frying pan or wok (I use the Pampered Chef family skillet), then add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes, add the red pepper for another 7-8 minutes. <br /><br />(I did this different from Annabel's recipe) Season the egg with salt and pepper and make a well in the middle of the veggies. Pour the egg in and cook it until firm breaking it up like scrambled eggs but into tiny pieces. Once it's cooked all the way remove the pan from the heat to make sure it doesn't overcook or burn while you break up the egg to be sure there are no big pieces then mix it together with the veggies. <br /><br />Return the pan to the heat and add the corn and peas to cook until tender. Remove veggie/egg mixture from pan and set aside. <br /><br />Add remaining oil and sauté green onion for a minute then add the chicken and cook until no longer pink and season with salt and pepper. <br />Add the cooked rice and toss on high heat for 2 full minutes. (I think this helps to dry out the rice to absorb all the flavors. It was kind of fun to do, you definitely need to keep stirring though!), then add shrimp (my shrimp usually needs to be cooked, I just cook it with the chicken and leave it in there for the rice part, no big deal). Return the egg/veggie mixture to pan, add soy sauce and toss together until heated through. Serve and enjoy!!<br /><br /><br />Note:<br />Even though the first word in the title of this recipe is "egg," neither Chad nor Anna like egg and they both still gobbled it up. There is so little that you don't notice it. It's not a big deal, however it is easily skipped for an egg allergy :-)Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606858347320237837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2073215429628049009.post-54229981884674089712011-11-15T12:21:00.000-08:002011-11-15T12:22:07.733-08:00<div class="sflyProductPreviewWidget" style="width:425px; height:494px;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetTop" style="height:6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/top.gif);"></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetCenter" style="height:482px; padding: 0 6px 0 6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/bg.gif); background-repeat:repeat-y;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewLogo" style="width: 105px; height: 34px; padding: 14px 0 0 14px;"><img src="http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/logo.gif" style="padding: 0; background: #ffffff; border: none; box-shadow: none;"></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewContainer" style="height:350px; text-align:center; padding: 0;"><a href="http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AbuWTJi4aNmbwg&cid=SFLYOCWIDGET&eid=118"><img src="http://images-community.shutterfly.com/prs/v1/0AbuWTJi4aNmdg/0AbuWTJi4aNmdu4A/p/67b0de21b3127d902548/JPEG/1321388446000/0/" style="padding: 0; background: #ffffff; border: none; box-shadow: none;"></a></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewMessageContainer" style="height:55px; background-color:#f4f4e9; text-align:center; padding: 15px 0 15px 0; line-height: 19px;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewTitle" style="font-family: arial, sans-seris; font-size: 15px; color: #333333; font-weight: bold;"><span>Photo Card</span></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewViewCollection" style="font-family: arial, sans-seris; font-size: 13px; color: #333333;"><span>View the entire <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery" style="color: #6666cc;">collection</a> of cards.</span></div></div></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetBottom" style="height:6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/bottom.gif);"></div></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606858347320237837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2073215429628049009.post-57493240198802803712011-04-14T12:51:00.000-07:002011-04-14T13:36:38.598-07:00Pasta e LenticchieDon't even ask me how to pronounce this recipe, all I know is that it was yummy!! LOL I saw this on the TLC show "The Kitchen Boss" a couple of months ago and thought it looked really good so then when I saw it again recently I decided to make it. It came out so good and it wasn't really hard! Even Anna really liked it! <br /><br />I'm not sure I have many notes on this recipe, I made it according to the directions and it came out. The online recipe does call for water but someone commented that in the episode he used chicken broth and that sounded a lot better so I did that and that is reflected in my ingredient list. The only other thing I did different was I didn't use the optional Parmesan rind.<br /><br />Pasta e Lenticchie<br />1 Tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil<br />2 slices extra thick cut bacon, cut into dice (I used 3 slices of Oscar Mayer thick cut)<br />1 small onion, chopped fine<br />1 stalk celery, chopped fine<br />1 carrot, peeled and chopped fine<br />salt<br />2 plump garlic cloves, peeled and minced<br />1 cup brown lentils<br />1- 14.5 oz can plum tomatoes with their juice cut or torn into pieces (I just bought crushed plum tomatoes)<br />5 Cups chicken broth <br />Chunk of Parmesan rind (optional)<br />1 cup just undercooked (or cooked al dente), drained and rinsed (to stop the cooking) ditalini, or other small pasta shape (one cup before cooking)<br /><br />Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and bacon and stir to coat bacon in oil. Allow to cook until softened and some fat is rendered. Add the celery, carrots and onions and stir to coat. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and saute until softened. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Next add the lentils and just stir to coat then stir in the tomatoes, water, a pinch of salt and Parmesan rind (if using). Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally for about 20-30 minutes until lentils are just tender. Add the pasta and continue cooking another 10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked to taste. Adjust the seasoning with salt and serve. <br /><br />I served with a bit of shredded Parmesan on top and some good Italian bread on the side. (Buddy also recommends a drizzle of good, fruity olive oil and fresh grated black pepper on top)<br /><br />Original recipe as found on the Kitchen Boss TLC website:<br />http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/pasta-e-lenticchie-recipe.htmMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606858347320237837noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2073215429628049009.post-51215895221395385262011-04-14T12:15:00.000-07:002011-04-14T12:49:25.161-07:00This is a cooking blog...Not a baking blog... However, yesterday I decided to try my hand for the very first time at some made from scratch brownies and they came out so good that I had to share! I do also have a great Sicilian pasta dish for you too but for now, some fantastic (and not hard) brownies!! <br /><br />If you like cake-like brownies, you may not like these. These are a bit more of a "fudgey" brownie, but not overly dense and chewey. They are really soft and moist! I used Ghiradelli cocoa, highly recommended but ultimately cocoa is something that does matter, just like when you buy a chocolate bar to eat, would you rather buy a delicious ghiradelli chocolate or a store brand chocolate bar? Same with cocoa, it does matter in the end product... <br /><br />I doubled the recipe and made it in a 9x13 pan but did not double the frosting and there seemed to be just the right amount of frosting on top so my guess is that making the recipe as is would make a pretty thick layer of frosting on top (which some may like!). The frosting does add a nice touch! Another tip on the frosting, the original recipe said to just used softened butter but in reading the comments on the recipe (which I have linked at the end) I melted it completely, which was the right choice, also, I added just a bit of warm milk to make it a bit more spreadable but you want to gently and slowly spread it on the brownies as soon as they come out of the oven and that will help you to spread it so it doesn't need to be really thin, it can be thicker than you might think as the heat will help you spread it.<br /><br /><br />Best Brownies Recipe<br /><br />1/2 Cup butter (1 stick)<br />1 Cup sugar<br />2 Eggs<br />1 tsp vanilla extract<br />1/3 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder (don't go cheap here)<br />1/2 Cup all purpose flour<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />1/4 tsp baking powder<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.<br /><br />In a large saucepan, melt butter. Meanwhile beat Eggs well in a small bowl. Remove butter from heat when melted, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder, stir for about 50 strokes or so with a wooden spoon, you don't want to overmix but you want to get everything well mixed and smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. <br /><br />Bake for 25-30 minutes. Do not overbake! If you know your oven tends to overbake things then set the time for 20 minutes and check it (I had set my timer for 20 minutes with the 9x13 pan and it took about 25 minutes to be done) Take it out when the toothpick is just about clean. While baking mix together all but the butter of the frosting and just melt the butter and add when the brownies have a minute left.<br /><br />Frosting:<br />3 Tbls butter<br />3 Tbls unsweetened cocoa powder<br />1 Tbls honey<br />1 tsp vanilla extract<br />1 Cup powdered sugar<br /><br />Blend all ingredients together with a fork. Slowly incorporate a small amount of warmed milk until it's just smooth enough to be able to spread (but still thick). As soon as it's ready and the brownies are out of the oven, slowly and gently spread it on top of the brownies (watch your hands on the hot pan!). The heat from the brownies will help you spread it the thick frosting.<br /><br /><br />This recipe came from Allrecipes.com<br />http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/best-brownies/Detail.aspxMichellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606858347320237837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2073215429628049009.post-88346548338992332762011-03-28T12:09:00.000-07:002011-03-28T12:33:12.911-07:00Nacho Mac and CheeseThis is an easy weeknight dinner that came from the Taste of Home Simple and Delicious Cookbook. I first made it probably a month ago and it is already a favorite! I haven't adapted it too much yet except some of the methods, not many of the ingredients yet (but I'm sure that's coming). It's just too yummy to not share though! Very family friendly! <br />This tastes a little like a homemade (MUCH healthier) version of hamburger helper. I love this because it has that yummy, comfort food taste and feel but with the addition of fresh ingredients and vegetables! <br />You'll find that I use a lot of ground turkey, because I can not eat beef. I will write my recipes with ground turkey but note when the recipe called for ground beef. This is one of those cases. Most of the time this substitution works out absolutely fine and is almost not even noticeable. Sometimes I add extra seasoning because I am using ground turkey because it is not as naturally flavorful as beef is but I don't think that is necessary in this case. <br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br />Nacho Mac and Cheese<br /><br />3 Cups of Gemelli or Spiral Pasta (any pasta is really fine, I used elbows last time)<br />1 Pound Ground turkey (recipe called for beef)<br />2 Cups sweet red peppers (this is about 1 and a half)<br />1/4 Cup butter, cubed<br />1/4 Cup all purpose flour<br />1 envelope taco seasoning<br />1/4 tsp pepper<br />2 1/4 Cups milk<br />2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese<br />1 Cup Frozen Corn<br />1 Cup coarsely crushed tortilla chips<br /><br />Cook pasta, drain and set aside.<br /><br />Cook ground turkey and red peppers until meat is no longer pink; drain.<br /><br />Add butter and once melted, stir in flour, taco seasoning and pepper until blended.<br /><br />Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes until thickened. Lower heat. Stir in cheese and corn until cheese is melted. <br /><br />Add pasta and stir to coat. Top each serving with crushed chips.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606858347320237837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2073215429628049009.post-66396172052782172272011-03-15T12:33:00.000-07:002011-03-15T12:51:28.332-07:00Curry Chickpea CouscousThis is a recipe that I have adapted from Ladies Home Journal that takes about a half hour to make, it's a great meal to prep in advance (cut the onion and zucchini) and throw together in 20 minutes! Chickpeas are a great source of vegetarian protein and are a good food for lowering cholesterol. They're also a good source of zinc, folate, and magnesium! Add in peas and zucchini and this is a really great weekday dinner. Anna loves it too! The recipe calls for vegetable broth, which would make it truly vegetarian, but I often don't have any on hand so I use chicken broth and it comes out just as good!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Curry Chickpea Couscous</span><br /><br />1/2 medium red onion, chopped<br />2 small zucchini, diced<br />1.5 to 2 Tablespoon Curry Powder (depending on your preference, we like a bit more flavor, you might like a subtler flavor)<br />1/2 Cup Frozen Peas<br />16 oz Can of Chickpeas, drained<br />3 Cups Vegetable or chicken broth<br />1.5 Cups plain Couscous (this is one regular size Near East box) <br /><br />Saute onions and zucchini in olive oil until soft, salt to taste. Add remaining ingredients except couscous and bring to a boil. Stir in couscous, cover and remove from heat. Let sit for 5 minutes. Enjoy!!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606858347320237837noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2073215429628049009.post-26795045911346407362011-03-13T21:09:00.001-07:002011-03-13T21:09:10.995-07:00I am a Home CookNot a gourmet cook by any means but I love to cook!! There is a huge difference between what I make and what you will get in a restaurant but I like to think I am a good cook. I aim to cook my family fairly healthy foods that taste good and we eat a pretty wide variety of things.<br /><br />Having said all of that, my blog is changing. I will likely still say things about Anna (I can't help it!) but I am going to devote my blog to what has become my favorite hobby: home cooking. In the next few days I hope to change the look of the blog to reflect that and I'll post a few recipes to get started. After that I'll post new recipes or ideas as they inspire me (which is fairly frequently, I try to try at least one new recipe every 2 week grocery shopping cycle). I'll also share my favorite meal planning ideas and cheap meals as I think of them! Keep watching and eat well!!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606858347320237837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2073215429628049009.post-62022228674154483832011-02-12T18:29:00.000-08:002011-02-12T18:58:50.893-08:00Ah sickness!I've had enough! We all have... I know! I also know it's been way too long since I blogged!!<br /><br />First, soooo many times this past week I have wished I could breastfeed Anna again, is it weird that I feel like it would almost be like a medicine to her? Unfortunately, that is just not possible anymore! LOL!! Anna has been more sick over the past almost week and a half than she has ever been in her 16 months of life! It's such a heart wrenching feeling to watch your little one be so sick and not be able to do anything! <br /><br />We took her to the doctor on Friday with a 102.5 fever which came back down on Saturday afternoon but her "cold-like" symptoms continued to get worse. We did not go to church on Sunday, had to skip playgroup Monday and then Tuesday morning her temperature was higher again. By 11:30 it was 101.2 and she was feeling yucky so I gave her Motrin, she ate lunch, had a normal afternoon and went down for her normal "rest time" at 5, when Chad went to go get her she was shaking. I took her temp and it was up to 104.1 and she was trembling!! Poor thing!! I gave her Motrin immediately and the trembling did subside soon but she was almost completely lethargic. She was whining initially but then she didn't even have the energy for that. She just laid in my arms and occasionally would cough and drink a little from her cup (thank goodness she was still drinking!!). It was the scariest thing! Chad called the nurse on call and she asked a million questions and didn't think the ER was necessary but we ultimately decided to bring her. When we got there, Anna vomited (because she coughed) which caught me off guard (it was the first time she has ever thrown up in her life!) When they took her, her fever was only down to 103.3, they gave her Tylenol (2 hours after Motrin), which brought it down to 102.3. Ironically, about an hour before both meds were due to wear off her fever completely broke on it's own and hasn't come back since! By 11:30 in the ER she was doing a lot better (still sick, but not lethargic). The next day, anytime she was awake she was crying, it was awful! Luckily, she slept a lot! Thursday, she woke up late, then took a 4 hour nap (from which we had to wake her up!). Friday she was getting a lot closer to normal but still definitely a sickie. Last night she fought falling asleep and then was awake for 2 hours in the middle of the night so this morning was miserable but once she woke up from her nap she was like a new baby! She has been totally herself all day since then!! I have my Anna back!! Yay! We are hoping this trend continues! She did take an extra nap this evening that she doesn't normally take, so that tells me that she will still need a little bit of extra sleep but we are almost there! <br /><br />I know this is not the last time we will have this kind of illness but it was the first time and we have learned a LOT!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606858347320237837noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2073215429628049009.post-45767957583835121142010-12-09T13:46:00.001-08:002010-12-09T13:46:55.730-08:00Merry Christmas!!<div class="sflyProductPreviewWidget" style="width:425px; height:494px;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetTop" style="height:6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/top.gif);"></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetCenter" style="height:482px; padding: 0 6px 0 6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/bg.gif); background-repeat:repeat-y;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewLogo" style="width: 105px; height: 34px; padding: 14px 0 0 14px;"><img src="http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/logo.gif"></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewContainer" style="height:350px; text-align:center; padding: 0;"><a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery"><img src="http://images-community.shutterfly.com/prs/v1/0AbuWTJi4aNmdg/0AbuWTJi4aNmduLA/p/67b0de21b3127d902548/JPEG/1291930998000/0/"></a></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewMessageContainer" style="height:55px; background-color:#f4f4e9; text-align:center; padding: 15px 0 15px 0; line-height: 19px;"><div class="sflyProductPreviewTitle" style="font-family: arial, sans-seris; font-size: 15px; color: #333333; font-weight: bold;"><span>Simply Scarlet Snowflake Christmas</span></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewSEOText" style="font-family: arial, sans-seris; font-size: 13px; color: #333333;"><span>Personalize your <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards" style="color: #6666cc;">Christmas cards at Shutterfly</a>.</span></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewViewCollection" style="font-family: arial, sans-seris; font-size: 13px; color: #333333;"><span>View the entire <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery" style="color: #6666cc;">collection</a> of cards.</span></div></div></div><div class="sflyProductPreviewWidgetBottom" style="height:6px; background-image:url(http://cdn.staticsfly.com/img_/share/preview/msc/widget/bottom.gif);"></div></div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606858347320237837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2073215429628049009.post-13323969666780510462010-11-11T08:21:00.000-08:002010-11-11T08:40:11.013-08:00Anna Duggar is pregnant again......but that's not what this post is about. I am happy for them. <br /><br />It brings to my mind once again the thought that I am not ready to start trying for another child yet though. Anna had the same due date as me and Mackynzie was born just a few days before my Anna. <br /><br />I also know others who are pregnant who have little ones the same age or even younger than my Anna. There are also those whose children are Anna's age who are not pregnant, but there are quite a few who are.<br /><br />No one is pressuring me but the questions have already started "When do you think you'll have more?" I don't know. Honestly, I don't. I'm not bothered by the question. I am just so happy being Anna's mom, there are times that I can't picture even having another child in the picture at all! I feel like she is it sometimes, like she just makes our family complete. I do think we'll try for one more but I think it's going to be later than what it seems like most "expect." Not too long, but I am not in a rush to start trying again. It's just not even in my realm of thinking right now. <br /><br />Part of it is definitely just not being ready to go through a c-section again and the recovery process and wanting Anna to be older for that but the bigger thing really is just wanting to be with Anna. Sometimes I almost feel bad about that, like I am being selfish for wanting to wait and just spend time with Anna. Anyone else feel that way?Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606858347320237837noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2073215429628049009.post-62468009141027969242010-11-07T12:16:00.000-08:002010-11-07T12:33:03.807-08:00Separation AnxietyI thought I was just lucky and we were not going to have to deal with this... I no longer think that's the case. Anna now sometimes, not always, cries when one of us leaves the room (today even though I was holding her she cried because Chad went outside!). <br /><br />She cried when I left her in nursery today for the first time ever! That broke my heart! I don't mean that she hasn't cried in a long time when I left her in nursery, I mean she NEVER has! I started putting Anna in nursery at around 10 months and she just today cried (and tried to follow me!) as I left for the first time! I didn't cried but I'll admit that I started to get a little misty! Poor baby! She was fine though, I checked on her a bit later and they told me after that they picked her up and she was fine right after I left. Oh my baby!<br /> <br />The hardest thing definitely is nighttime though. Anna has slept 12 hours a night since she was 6 months old but the last couple of weeks she has been waking up once a night again. I think it started out because of her teeth, she has gotten 3 teeth in the last month, with at least 3 more on their way, but now I think she just wants me! I think it's kind of partly a separation anxiety thing! If I go in, pick her up and rock her just for a few seconds and then put her back down, she cries for a minute then goes right back to sleep! She needs to go back to knowing how to out herself back to sleep! It's funny how once you have a good rhythm they go and change things up again! She is also starting to decide not to nap very well either, kind of doing the same thing. Ugh! We'll get back there though, babies, are amazingly resilient! Ah the joys of motherhood!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606858347320237837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2073215429628049009.post-9573936537287025732010-09-28T15:04:00.000-07:002010-09-28T15:35:03.115-07:00Weaning...I know I mentioned the fact that Anna is being weaned in my last post but it's something that is very much a part of my life right now. <br /><br />Anna has never been a great breastfeeder. Around 3 and a half months she went on a nursing "strike" refusing to breastfeed at all except during the overnight and the first feeding in the morning. She did that for a week and a half. Before that she would fuss every time to latch on, which made nursing in public impossible. After the strike though she really seemed to "get it" and didn't fuss to latch on anymore! From then on she was really good but around 6 months she started refusing feedings or feeding for very short periods. By 9 months she had cut herself down to 3- 5 minute feedings during the day and a bottle before bed. There was not much I could do about it but she continued to grow and gain weight (I think my milk has a pretty high fat content) so the doctor told us it was fine. I am glad that Anna has breastfed this long. My goal was always to go 6-9 months with 12 months being the ideal. There were several times when I didn't think we'd make it but we have come this far! <br /><br />At 9 months we decided that since we made it that far we really wanted to try to wean straight to milk and skip formula altogether. The doctor had told us that if we weaned after 10 months we could do that. I wanted to wait to start giving her milk in her cup until 11 months but we started making her cereal with whole milk at about 10.5 months. We also started giving her breastmilk in a cup (thus eliminating a feeding) at the same time. At 11 months we eliminated the second daytime feeding and she started having 1-1.5 cups of breastmilk and half to one cup of whole milk. This week I stopped pumping in the mornings and she is getting whole milk in her cups for lunch, snack and dinner. She still breastfeeds in the morning and will continue that for awhile. She also will continue to get breastmilk in her bedtime bottle until there is none left. Next week I will stop pumping at night and we'll just use the frozen supply till it's gone (probably 2-3 weeks). <br /><br />It's a bittersweet time. On one hand I am proud that we came this far and to some extent am happy to be getting my life (and my body!) back, but on the other hand, those were sweet times to just sit and be quiet and cuddle with my baby. I will still have the mornings, and I think that one will be hard for me to give up! I will NOT miss pumping twice a day! Actually it has been somewhat strange to get back that hour in my morning. I have decided to use it to exercise. I have started doing Wii Fit in the morning and hope to continue! Once I am doing better at that (I am SO out of shape) I will move on to pilates. I don't know what I'll do with the hour in the evening, probably relax. That one will be really strange, as I have been pumping every evening for much longer! There were times when I would skip a morning session but I never skipped an evening session! I am looking forward to being done though with that but I am glad that because of that she will get my milk a bit longer. <br /><br />Breast really is BEST!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606858347320237837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2073215429628049009.post-89365523742527761592010-09-17T13:21:00.000-07:002010-09-17T14:16:03.641-07:00A little Behind...Ok I really intended to do much better with this blog! :-P I even have my iPod set to remind me to blog every Monday! Hmmmm need to work on that...<br /><br />We have a busy couple of months coming up here! I can't believe my little baby girl is going to be a year old in less than a month! Aaaahhhhh!! She is getting so close to walking! She stands quite steadily on her own and has taken a step or two here and there. She does great walking pushing her push toy or pushing the excersaucer across the room! She is such a joy and the apple of her parent's eyes!<br /><br />For her birthday party we decided to do 2 and a half parties! We'll do one with Chad's side of the family (that one is first) then another with my side. The half party comes from a little pizza and cake party we'll have while on vacation visiting friends.<br /><br />I am also weaning Anna. By the time we go to NY in October she will be down to one feeding first thing in the morning. I will also be done pumping twice a day! Right now she is only taking that one feeding and had one cup of breastmilk and one cup of whole milk plus a bottle of breastmilk at night. We will probably keep that one feeding in the morning for some time, who knows how long but it is a sweet time for both of us.<br /><br /><br />The other part of our busyness is our first family vacation! We are going to NY to visit friends. We are so looking forward to it but there is a lot to pack! Holy cow!! We are excited!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606858347320237837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2073215429628049009.post-36272099370662732732010-08-11T10:38:00.000-07:002010-08-11T10:46:55.325-07:00Free Range Baby!Anna has a definite need to move! As with most babies, I think, she won't be restrained (whether in a car seat, high chair or even in our arms!) for very long periods. She likes to be free and be able to crawl and explore. We have found that if we have a day that we are out and about and she doesn't get those opportunities she will get increasingly fussy as the day goes on. We found this at a party we went to that was outside but it was raining so she had to be either in our arms or in a stroller under the tents. She was miserable! Often when she is getting fussy because she wants to get out of something (usually a high chair), we will joke as we out her down "Go Anna! Be a free range baby!" <br /><br />The reason I explain this is that when we first started thinking about her first birthday party some months ago we had thought about having it at a nearby restaurant (Jumpin' Juice and Java, for you locals!) but when I started to consider it again recently I realized that I could not just let her roam around there! It would be no fun for her at all! We need to have it in a place where she can be a free range baby! We have a small house so I think this is going to actually mean having 2 separate birthday parties for her, one for family and one for friends. That will be much better for her as it will be less people and in a familiar environment. <br /><br />Anna is 10 months today! Time does fly! Love this baby!! <3Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606858347320237837noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2073215429628049009.post-20305573745947813942010-07-28T13:34:00.000-07:002010-07-28T13:42:13.576-07:00The gym!I went back to the gym today! This was the first time since sometime during my first trimester of pregnancy that I went! When I first got pregnant I had every intention of going but exhaustion and then body aches prevented me. <br /><br />After Anna was born I wanted to wait until she was crawling to bring her to the child watch. Well, she is crawling (very well I might add!) and we went last week but child watch was not open so we went today. It felt so good ton be active again! Anna did ok, though we need to work on the timing a bit, she was ready for a nap. I am hoping they have more times for child watch in the fall. <br /><br />One of the benefits of Chad's new job has been the ability to rejoin the YMCA. They have great kids programs and obviously a child watch so I can work out. In the fall I want to sign Anna and I up for a parent / child swim class. The class is basically about getting the baby used to being in the water, they don't actually start learning to swim until age 3. I am excited about it, I think Anna will be really into it, she loves the water and I think they do music and movement type things in the water, which I also think she'll enjoy.<br /><br />I guess this just reminds me of how important it is to be active and get involved in things when you're a stay at home mom. Especially with little ones, it can be a very isolating role. It is good for Anna and for me when we go to playgroups, swim classes and even things like child watch at the gym or MOPS / Moppets where we are not necessarily together. It gives her exposure to different people and situations that she doesn't get just staying at home.<br /><br />Ok baby awake! Mommy out!Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606858347320237837noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2073215429628049009.post-27416254606406847882010-07-20T16:33:00.000-07:002010-07-20T17:52:35.124-07:00DiscoveryAnna is always discovering! I love it! I love watching her learn new things! Watching her learn how to crawl and stand and even babble was amazing! She used to sit in her swing staring in awe into the mirror an just coo at herself, it melted me every time! It's jus,t so neat to watch her learn all these things, that we take for granted for the very first time!<br /><br />A perfect example of this came the other day when my mom was here. She was sitting on my mom's lap facing her and started looking at her hands. We thought it was cute, though at 9 months old, she "discovered" her hands long ago. All of a sudden she started clapping them together! We had not prompted this at all! It was the cutest thing! I almost cried! Love it! Welcome to my blog!<br /><br /><OBJECT id=BLOG_video-4130b841ee8b1185 class=BLOG_video_class width=320 height=266 contentId="4130b841ee8b1185"></OBJECT>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17606858347320237837noreply@blogger.com1