Stuffed Baked Potato Soup

(Not low fat)

Cook 8 slices of bacon. (I make more for topping.) Cool and chop. Using some of the bacon grease in the frying pan, saute 1 cup diced onion. Add 2/3 cup flour. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Add 6 cups chicken stock gradually, then simmer.

Add 4 cups diced baked potato (peeled) (I bake potatoes ahead of time, and peel/dice right before adding to base), 2 cups heavy cream, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 1 1/2 tsp granulated garlic (I've also used fresh, or McCormick minced garlic), 1 1/2 tsp basil (dried), 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 1/2 tsp tobasco. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup grated cheddar cheese.

Top with sour cream, grated cheddar, bacon bits, green onion....

Enigma

Why is it that when I most need my child to take a nap is when she is most resistant to taking one? I've decided that she is going to spend some quiet time in her crib while I have a Pepsi and watch Sex in the City. It makes me a better mommy...

Border Battle

Tomorrow Mike and I are headed to Madison to watch the Gophers take on the Badgers (in hockey, of course). A is going to stay with Nana and Doodoo on Saturday. I'm anxious to see if Bridget's belly has gotten bigger. I think she'll be surprised by my size! I'm huge (for me.)

A and I went to the zoo this morning. It's humorous that one of the things she gets most excited about, and requests by name is, "ducks!!!" The ducks are in the gibbon area, and she speeds right by the Komodo dragons to get to her beloved ducks. So glad we bought a membership to the zoo, when all she wants to see are ducks. Oh well, I had a good cheeseburger at the cafeteria, and A had a little cup of ketchup, which she ate with a spoon.

Can't think of a title

A had a wonderful time at my parents' house this weekend. They did too! Her appetite has improved since the week of fever, and I am going to have to get some grocery shopping in to replenish the pantry. I had a great time at Danielle's cabin, and finished a novel! Woah, I can't remember the last time that happened. I got some much needed sleep too.

Today Mike and I have dentist appointments, and tomorrow we meet a new midwife at our prenatal appointment. I have been meaning to get a picture of my 30 week belly posted on the blog, but it will most likely be a 31 week belly pic.

Single Motherhood

Last night went very well. I got A to sleep at 6:30, loaded up with prophylactic Tylenol, and she didn't wake until 11:40. I went in and told her it was still night time, and that everyone was sleeping, and didn't need to go back until she woke up this morning at 7:40. It was so nice going in to her room, and not feeling a flaming fireball of a child as I picked her out of the crib. She did have a difficult drop off at block time (3 hrs of child care every Thursday for my sanity), which is unusual. I'm anxious for the report when I go to pick her up in an hour. I've got to get going- I'm making a stuffed baked potato soup for my girls' weekend!

Our baby is back

We completed the pediatricians’ office trifecta this morning, leaving without answers, but with a happy girl. She actually smiled a few times during her exam. Her temperature was down when it was checked at the clinic, and she hadn’t had any Tylenol or Motrin since 3:45 am. We decided to skip a chest xray or repeat blood work. It is so nice to have our sweet pea back! She ate some craisins and jello, and that’s the most she’s had in about a week. She also played in her room when we got home, taking all of her swimming suits out of her drawer, and she danced. Mike and I are so relieved. No more getting sick and scaring us like that!

Hot Child in the City

Today is day 5 of A's fever. We are loading her up with Tylenol and Motrin every four hours around the clock, and it is doing a good job of keeping the 104 temp under control. Tomorrow we will win the hat trick award at the pediatrician's office, since we've visited every day since Sunday. Sunday poor A had blood drawn for a CBC and blood cultures, today she had a urine cath, and who knows what tomorrow will bring. Her cheerful behavior at home saved her from a spinal tap at today's visit. Mike and I are exhausted, mostly from the stress of having a sick child. It's no fun. A has been allowed to watch as much 'tubbies as she wants, and I even let her have JUICE! (If you know me, you know that I view juice as the beverage of the devil- just kidding.)

Mike leaves for Orlando on Wednesday for a softball tournament, so he is hoping that we will have some kind of conclusion to A's illness before he leaves. I am looking forward to a girls' weekend away, and also hope that A is back to her good old self before I leave her in the care of my parents.

Back in the Saddle

It's great to be back in ECFE! We had a nice time today with playdoh and sliding down the elephant slide, not to mention playing with the parachute during circle time. The title of my blog is in reference to my daughter's limited diet. Now, she won't even eat cheerios (o's)! She is living on milk, and not much else. She did have some yogurt for lunch today, but that's about it for the day. She didn't have breakfast, or snack at ECFE. I know I'm not supposed to worry about how little she eats, but I kind of do anyway.

I Passed!

I found out yesterday that I passed my three hour glucose tolerance test. I actually passed all four out of the four blood glucose levels, so what a pain that was! Oh well, better safe than sorry. I am so glad that ECFE starts up again this week- I've been going crazy!! Yesterday, A and I went to the post office to buy a bunch of 2 cent stamps, and that little outing just wore me out! Today we went to story time at the library, and A was finding it very funny to run down the aisles from mommy, climb up on the librarians' stools, and pull books from the shelf. She then laid down on the floor as I went through the self checkout, and I couldn't even coax her to get up, so here I am with all my belly girth, bag of books, and coats, heaving a 22 pounder on to my hip. We drove straight to Mike's office, but found that he was at the club, so we went inside to find him throwing a softball against the wall. A ran around the gym for a while, and then we went out for lunch.

Tomorrow night I'm going out to dinner with my friend Becky, who shares my birthday. Then, Mike's dad is coming for Thursday and Friday to help with construction on A's new bedroom. Saturday night, we are going to Mike's company holiday party. So I've got plenty to look forward to for the rest of this week.

Conservatory field trip

A and I walked around the conservatory at the Como Zoo today. It was nice to feel the humidity, and not wear a coat. We shared an order of fries, and now she is down for a (hopefully) long nap. When we got back from the Mall of America yesterday, there was a message on the machine from the midwifes' office. I failed my glucose tolerance test, so I have to take the three hour glucose challenge. I had to do it last pregnancy too, and it sucked. The glucola you have to drink is sickeningly sweet, and it made me really nauseous on an empty stomach. Mike is taking tomorrow morning off, so we can hang out at the hospital as a family! Woohoo. We don't have any plans for the weekend, but sometimes that is even better than having something fun planned. I'll let you know.

Haul to the Mall

A and I went to MOA to return a Christmas gift this morning. I ended up getting a new maternity shirt to wear to Mike's company holiday party. While in Motherhood Maternity, A filled her pants and almost fumigated the whole store. That will be a story to tell her when she's a pouty 14 year old.

Hat Girl

Our daughter LOVES to wear hats!

Back to the Daily Grind

Arrhrhrgghghgh! I had a lovely post for today, but I don't know what happened to it- so I will paraphrase. We had a great weekend- a nice combination of getting some stuff done around the house, hanging out with friends, and getting out. Mike took me to Marshall Field's yesterday to exchange my Christmas presents, and I ended up with two really nice pairs of shoes, and both a fall/spring coat, and a winter coat, so I won't look like a bag lady any longer. Mom and Dad came over yesterday after nap to play with A, so Mike and I could clean and organize the basement. That was a productive afternoon!

We don't have ECFE or block time this week again, so I am going to have to find some things to occupy our time during the days. I went through the White Castle drive through, and we headed to Mike's work today, but he was out to eat with a coworker, so A and I had lunch in his parking lot. That was fine, because we really just needed a change in scenery.