birdie says tweet...

March of Dimes

2010-03-09T08:14:00.001-06:00

ey friends and family,
It's that time of year again... time to start building our March of Dimes TEAM ADDYSON for the March for Babies! This year's march will take place on Sunday, April 25th. Registration is at 9am and the walk is at a new location: White River State Park, downtown Indianapolis, near the Zoo and Victory Field! The website still states that the walk is 5 miles, but I've walked it before (for the Liver Walk for my dad) and I honestly don't think it's that long. We'd love to build TEAM ADDYSON by keeping our wonderful team of last year and adding some new team members, so please check your calendar and sign up to be on TEAM ADDYSON.

This years March for Babies falls on Addyson's 3rd Birthday, so even more to celebrate!!!

As you all know, Addyson was born on April 25, 2007, 15 weeks early, weighing 1 lb, 7.9 oz, and measuring 11 1/2 inches. She fought her way out of the NICU and back home with us on August 22nd, 2007. Thanks to the wonderful doctors and nurses and staff at Riley Hospital, IU Medical Center, our friends and family, and of course the March of Dimes, Addy was able to come home with minimal medical issues.

So, what does being part of TEAM ADDYSON mean? Honestly, it doesn't take much to be a part of our team! While we'd love for you to raise money, the whole idea behind the event, we're happy to have friends and family join us to support our efforts in any way. For some of you, that may mean a donation, a fund raising effort, and/or walking with our team. Last year we had shirts printed up for our team that could be used each year. We still plan to wear those shirts, so if you have yours, please wear it! If you don't have one, you don't have to wear one, just dress comfortably! If you'd like to order a tshirt, you may do so HERE.

To sign up to be a part of TEAM ADDYSON, please visit the link HERE.

To donate to my fund raising efforts for TEAM ADDYSON, please visit the link HERE.

P.S. I know some of you have told me you are already signed up, but the only two people who have signed up are myself and my sister, Amy, so please double check your status!

THANKS!!!!! for all of your support,
Ryann Wroblewski

time for a little Addy update...

2010-01-13T23:54:00.001-06:00

Well, I realize it's been a VERY long time since our last update. Lots of things have happened, mostly all good things, and I didn't want to jinx any of it, so I've really hesitated posting about them.

We were finally able to get Addyson signed up for the Medicaid A&D Waiver, which enables us to received skilled nursing respite care for Addy. This means we'll get a set number of hours per week in which a skilled nurse will be here at our house to care for Addyson, giving Nick and I a bit of respite. We can use this time to get chores done, run errands, sleep, basically, so whatever things we need to get done. This is wonderful, especially in the winter (cold/flu season) when we don't like to take Addy out to run errands. I'm hoping to use the time to visit the library and work on some of my personal goals, unrelated to Addy. I think the extra socializati

on and structure will also be good for Addyson.

We were also able to get approval for Medicaid Disability, and since she qualifies for the A&D Waiver (above), the monthly spend down is $0. This means that we are able to have excellent health insurance for Addyson, which she desperately needs, for no out of pocket monthly fees or co-pays. Honestly, I had been working on this since May and finally got all approved for the start of December.

We've been cleared by the pulmonologist to discontinue daily breathing treatments, and just keep the script and nebulizer for an as-needed basis, when she is sick, which, thank goodness is not very often (thanks to our persistance with hand washing and little to no exposure!). She will continue taking the Singular, which is given through her gtube for issues with inflamation in the lungs.

The gastroenterologist suggested we use a medicine called Ondansetron to control nausea, in hopes to reduce the vomiting. It's primarily used in cancer patients, those who become sick from the radiation/chemo. It's been a miracle drug for Addy and has really assisted in controlling her vomiting. As most of you know, it was not uncommon for her to vomit multiple times a day, and now... the vomiting is once every few weeks!!!! We will continue to also give Addy the Omeprazole (Prilosec) to help with the GERD (reflux disease) that she has issues with in hopes to keep the acid from destroying her esophagus.

A decongestant (Dallergy) is also given to Addy daily in attempt to keep inflamation and congestion under control, since that tends to be a trigger to her lung and vomiting issues. Just last week, the developmental pediatrician wrote a script for a different decongestant that he'd like us to subsitute. It's also known to stimulate hunger, which is something we wonder if Addy has the ability to feel or understand.

Because of the way Addy's body is fed, her digestive system needs some assistance, so she continues her daily dose of Miralax. (I'm sure as she gets older she'll hate that I share this info with the world!!!)

But, there is lots of great news!!!

We've been working on oral feedings more and more, as she's showing some interest. In the past few months, we've been able to work on "controlled feedings" on the weekends. This means that for two days a week, we offer oral feedings only and use water through the gtube, just to keep her hydrated. She still gets her typical night time feeding, so she is getting some calories. The idea behind this is to encourage hunger so that she will have the desire to eat... it's easy for all of us to eat when we are hungry, but when you've been fed through a tube on a 4 hour schedule all your life, it's hard to understand the link between your belly growling and needing to put food into it. It's been working fairly well. It's still a slow, long process, but we've been encouraged by her progress. While it's hit and miss, we've watched her eat 1/2 of a pudding cup or 1/2 of a yogurt cup, a few tablespoons full of macaroni & cheese, 30+ pieces of dry cereal (Dora Cereal, Froot Loops, and Honey Kix are her favorites!), and a scoop of icecream. She has also eaten vegetable soup, cheetos, scrambled eggs, shredded cheese, and a whole lot of other things. Basically, if she asks for it, we let her try it! Lots of food still gets spit out after she's chewed or sucked on it for a while, so we have to just keep trying and encouraging her.

She weighed 24 1/2 lbs at her appointment last week, and she's still a shorty, but her height to weight is proportionate, so we're not worried about her size. Most of her pants are 18 month in size, while her shirts are 2T, they have to be long enough to cover that g-tube and big belly of hers! :)

We had a little incident this weekend, and Addy fell out of her crib. She's OK, but it really scared me. So, we've converted her crib into a toddler day bed. It's low enough to the ground that if she rolls out of bed, it's not a big deal, and I've put a long pillow on the floor to help that too. So, she's in a BIG GIRL BED!!! I have to really make sure she understands that she can't just get up and walk out of bed, since she's hooked up to her night time feeding pump all night, so I'm sure it will take some getting used to. We've had 2 nights in the new bed, and she's shown a lot of promise!

And of course, now that she's in a Big Girl Bed, she's really shocked us and has been asking to sit on the Big Girl Potty! We've been talking about it and asking her to sit on it for months now, but after the first night in the Big Girl Bed, she asked to sit on the Potty! She sat a few times during that day, and we were so proud of her. Today, she actually had success on the potty, so it's been a HUGE weekend for Addy!!! We couldn't be more proud of her!

She's talking up a storm, and although most people don't have a clue what she's saying, it's mainly because she talks so fast. GUILTY, both Nick and I are so guilty of that. We have to watch ourselves and encourage her to slow down so we can understand her. Like most 2 year olds, a lot of understanding comes from the context of the discussion. She's such a funny girl and we laugh a lot at the things she comes up with!

The therapy that she recieves (Speech, Occupational, Nutritional, and Psychological) through First Steps will no longer be available to her after her 3rd birthday in April, so we are meeting with the local school system to determine if she will qualify for developmental preschool, which would provide continued therapy services. We are really torn and aprehensive about this next step in her life, but we know she could really benefit from the structure and socaial aspect that the preschool would provide. We are unsure of what direction we will take if she does not qualify for developmental preschool, so we are researching our options.

Mark your calendars, the March of Dimes walk falls on Addy's birthday this year, Sunday, April 25th. We will be walking as Team Addyson again and collecting donations as well. Please let me know if you are interested in being a part of our team or making a donation! Here's the link to our Team Website. You can sign up to be a part of the team HERE or make a donation HERE. It's a great way to celebrate Addy's life and help others!

Ok, now I'm going to work on getting some new pictures up here in the next week or so, so stay tuned!!!

Savory Crescent Chicken Squares

2009-12-21T11:26:00.002-06:00

Ok, this is one of my favorite recipes. Since I only make slight changes to it, I'm posting the link. I first had this at my friend, Amber's house. It's a yummy one

Savory Crescent Chicken Squares

Ok, here are my suggestions for alterations to the recipe:
double it, trust me!
don't use the chives/onions
don't use the pimentos
add in one pkt of dry ranch dressing (if you double, otherwise just 1/2 pkt)

This can be made into a decorative ring instead of packets if you double the recipe.

Easy Enchiladas

2009-12-13T02:10:00.002-06:00

Easy Enchiladas

Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

8 servings

4 points per serving

2 t canola oil (I don't use this, just a nonstick skillet with some nonstick cooking spray)

1 lb ground turkey

2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped

¼ c chopped onion

2 t chili powder

1 t ground cumin

one can diced tomatoes

one can black beans, rinsed and drained

one can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

¼ t black pepper

8 taco sized flour tortillas

1 c shredded reduced-fat cheese

Preheat oven to 350; spray a 9x13 with nonstick cooking spray. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Saute the turkey, peppers, and onion, stirring frequently to break up the turkey, until browned, 6-8 minutes. Add the chili powder and cumin; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, and black pepper. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
Place the tortillas on a work surface, spoon the turkey mixture down the center of the tortillas, then roll them into cylinders. Place, seam-side down, in the baking dish; sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until heated through and the cheese is melted, 30-35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

We don’t usually serve anything with this, except some fat free sour cream. It’s very filling and somewhat spicy, so adjust to your tastes. If you have too much filling, it’s great the next day over a baked potato!

Beef and Vegetable Soup

2009-12-13T02:10:00.001-06:00

Beef and Vegetable Soup

Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers Cook It Quick
8 servings
3 points per serving

1 t olive oil (I don’t use this because I use a nonstick pan, sprayed with cooking spray)
2 medium onions, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
20 oz boneless round steak, about ½ inch slice, cut into ½ inch cubes
2 c low sodium beef broth (or 2 bullion cubes dissolved in 2 c water)
2 cans green beans, drained (or two cups frozen, thawed)
2 cans corn, drained (or two cups frozen, thawed)
6 scallions, sliced (I do not add these)
½ c chopped flat-leaf parsley (I do not add these)
½ t freshly ground pepper
6 c water
2 cans diced tomatoes

Heat the oil in a soup pot, then add the onion, celery, carrots, and beef. Saute until the beef is browned. Add the broth, beans, corn, scallions, parsley, pepper, water and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender.

I serve this with Sweet Brown Bread.

Sweet Brown Bread

2009-12-13T02:09:00.002-06:00

Sweet Brown Bread
Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

12 servings

1 point per serving

1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour

1 t baking powder

1 t grated orange or lemon zest (I omit if I do not have on hand)

½ t baking soda

½ t cinnamon

1/8 t salt

½ c low fat buttermilk (or substitute ½ c skim milk with 1 t white vinegar)

1 egg

3 T molasses

2 T packed dark brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 375; spray an 8x4 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, orange zest, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg, molasses, and brown sugar. Pour over the flour mixture, mixing quickly to blend (do not overmix).
Transfer to the pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.

We like to serve this dense bread with soups to complete a meal. Add a little jam and it's a great snack.

Southern Oven "Fried" Chicken

2009-12-13T02:09:00.001-06:00

Southern Oven "Fried" Chicken

Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook
4 servings

5 points per serving

½ c fat-free buttermilk (or substitute ½ c skim milk and 1 t white vinegar)

2-3 drops hot red pepper sauce

½ c cornflakes, crushed

3 T all-purpose flour

¼ t salt

¼ t pepper

1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless, chicken breasts

4 t canola oil (we just use cooking spray)

Preheat the oven to 400; spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large shallow bowl, combine the buttermilk and pepper sauce. On a sheet of wax paper, combine the cornflake crumbs, flour, salt and pepper. Dip the chicken in the buttermilk, then dredge in the cornflake mixture, coating completely.
Place the chicken on the baking sheet; drizzle with the oil (or spray with cooking spray). Bake 30 minutes, turn the chicken over. Bake until cooked through, 15-20 mintues longer. (You may not need this much time if your chicken pieces are smaller/thinner).

We typically serve this with Sweet Potato Suprise and some green beans.

Sweet Potato Suprise

2009-12-13T02:08:00.001-06:00

Sweet Potato Surprise

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker's Low-fat, Low-cholesterol cooking today
6 servings
2 points per serving

1 18 oz can of sweet potatoes, drained
1 T packed brown sugar
6 large marshmallows
1 T margarine, melted
1/3 c cornflakes, crushed

Heat oven to 450; spray 8x8 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mash (really well) sweet potatoes and brown sugar. Shape 1/3 c potato mixture around each marshmallow into a ball.
Brush 1 sweet potato ball at a time with margarine; roll in cornflake crumbs to coat. Place in pan. Bake uncovered 8-10 minutes or until coating is light brown.

This is typically served at my house with Southern Oven "Fried" Chicken and some green beans.

Chicken & Corn Bread Stuffing

2009-12-13T02:07:00.001-06:00

Chicken & Corn Bread Stuffing Casserole

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker's Low-fat, Low-cholesterol cooking today
Serves 4
6 points per serving

1 can (10 ¾ ounces) condensed 98% fat-free cram of chicken or celery soup
¾ c skim milk
1 can (15 oz) mixed veggies (or a 10 oz bag frozen, thawed and drained)
¼ c chopped onion
¼ t ground sage or poultry seasoning (I do not use)
2 c cut-up cooked chicken or turkey breast
1 box stuffing mix (corn bread variety)
1/8 t pepper
Paprika, if desired (I do not use)

Heat oven to 400. Spray 3 quart casserole with cooking spray.
Heat soup and milk to boiling in 3-quart saucepan over high heat, stirring frequently. Stir in mixed vegetables, onion, and sage. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently; remove from heat.
Stir in chicken and stuffing mix. Spoon into casserole dish. Sprinkle with pepper and paprika. Bake uncovered about 15-20 minutes or until hot in the center.

Serve with a side salad and some fresh fruit.

Stuffed French Toast

2009-12-13T02:06:00.000-06:00

Stuffed French Toast

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker's Low-fat, Low-cholesterol cooking today
6 servings

4 points per serving

12 slices French bread, ½ inch thick

6 T fat-free soft cream cheese

¼ c preserves or jam (any flavor)

½ c egg beaters or 4 egg whites, slightly beathen

½ c skim milk

2 T sugar

powdered sugar (optional)

syrup (optional) – points not calculated

Spread one side of the 6 slices of bread with 1 T of the cream cheese. Spread one side of the other 6 slices with 2 t of the preserves. Place bread with cream cheese and bread with preserves together in pairs (basically, make a sandwich with cream cheese and jam).
Beat egg product, milk, sugar until smooth; pour into shallow bowl.
Spray griddle or skillet with cooking spray; heat griddle or skillet over medium-low heat or to 325. Dip each side of sandwich into egg mixture. Cook sandwiches 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Transfer to plate; dust with powdered sugar. Serve with syrup.

Serve with turkey bacon or sausage and some fruit, like orange wedges. This makes a great “brinner” (breakfast for dinner) or breakfast.

Easy Ziti

2009-12-13T02:05:00.002-06:00

Easy Ziti

Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers Cook It Quick
Serves 6
7 Points per serving

1 (16 oz) jar reduced-fat spaghetti sauce
½ c part-skim ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
1 (1 lb) box ziti or other pasta (I generally try to use whole wheat pasta)
½ c shredded reduced-fat mozzarella or other Italian cheese blend

1. Preheat the broiler. In a large bowl, mix the spaghetti sauce and ricotta thoroughly, until smooth.
2. Meanwhile, cook the ziti according to package directions. Drain and stir into the sauce, then spread into a 9x13 inch metal baking dish (just make sure it’s safe for the broiler). Sprinkle with cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted and golden, about 5 minutes.

I generally serve this with some green beans, since I don’t really care for salad, but a salad would be perfect. To make variations, stir in 1 ½ c sautéed chopped mushrooms, zucchini, or a 10-ounce box of thawed frozen peas when you mix the pasta and sauce.

Unstuffed Pepper Soup

2009-12-13T02:05:00.001-06:00

Unstuffed Pepper Soup

taken from Aimee's Adventures

Serves 12

3 Points per Serving

1 Lb. 96% Lean Ground Beef, cooked
2 (14.5 oz.) Cans Diced Tomatoes seasoned with basil, garlic and oregano
2 (10.5 oz.) Cans Chicken Broth (or 2 bullion cubes dissolved in 21 oz water)
1 Large Onion, chopped
3 Bell Peppers, Chopped
2 (10 3/4 oz.) Cans Condensed Tomato Soup
1 1/2 Cups Cooked Long Grain Rice (I actually use brown minute rice)

Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Inside the crockpot, Combine the cooked beef, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, onion, bell peppers and tomato soup. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Warm up the rice, stir it into the soup and serve.

This is great served with some crusty rolls and some fat free cottage cheese!

Eggs, Bacon, Hashbrowns

2009-12-13T01:58:00.000-06:00

eggs, prepared to your liking
bacon, crispy
hashbrowns, browned

easy, no recipe

Easy Pot Roast & Veggies

2009-12-13T01:56:00.001-06:00

3-4 lb chuck roast
4 medium potatoes, quartered
4 medium carrots, quartered or 1/2 lb baby carrots
1 env dry onion soup mix
3 c water

Put all into crock pot, cover. Cook low 6-8 hours.

Easy Tuna Casserole

2009-12-13T01:55:00.001-06:00

1/2 bag dumpling size egg noodles (or extra wide)
1 can tuna, drained
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can peas

Cook noodles till done. Add tuna, soup and peas, heat through. Serve with bread and butter.

Italian Chicken, Grilled Potato, Corn

2009-12-13T01:50:00.002-06:00

Again, pretty simple. Marinade 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in 1/3-1/2 bottle of Italian Salad dressing for a few hours. (remember to get rid of left over dressing, you don't want to reuse it after chicken has been in it!) Grill chicken until cooked through. Clean 2-3 potatoes, pop in the microwave for a few minutes to start cooking, slice in half, lengthwise, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Place on grill to finish off. Serve with canned corn or corn on the cob or fresh green beans in the summer!

Steak, Baked Potato, Corn

2009-12-13T01:49:00.001-06:00

This is another one that doesn't really need a recipe. Grill a steak, serve with baked potato, and canned corn or corn on the cob.

Blackened Chicken & Beans

2009-12-13T01:43:00.002-06:00

2 t chili powder
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb)
1 T canola oil (I used olive oil)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 c chunky salsa
4 servings of rice, prepared

Combine chili powder, salt and pepper and rub over both sides of chicken. Heat oil in skillet, cook chicken in skillet, over medium heat 4-5 minutes, each side, until cooked through. Remove from skillet, but keep warm. Add beans, corn, and salsa to skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 2-3 minutes. Add warm rice to mixture and combine. Serve chicken on top of this mixture.

Creamy Cooker Chicken in CROCKPOT

2009-12-13T01:40:00.002-06:00

Warning: I have not tried this one, but plan to.

1 env. dry onion soup mix
2 c sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 servings of egg noodles

Combine first 3 ingredients in crock pot. Submerge chicken into crock pot. Cover. Cook on LOW 8 hours. Serve over prepared egg noodles.

I would probably serve this with peas or green beans.

Potato Soup in CROCKPOT

2009-12-13T01:35:00.002-06:00

8 large potatoes, diced
2 med onions
3 T butter
3-4 slices bacon, I leave whole so I can take it out before serving, it doesn't crisp up, but adds flavor
3 chicken bullion cubes
2 T dried parsley
6 c water
2 c milk
_____
1/2 c flour
1/4 c water
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 lb velveeta cheese (optional)

Combine all 8 first ingredients in crock pot. Cover, cook on HIGH 6 hours, then LOW 3 hours. Make paste out of flour, water, salt, and pepper. Stir into soup 1 hour before serving. Add the velveeta at this time also.

This is a very thick soup!

French Toast & Bacon

2009-12-13T01:32:00.003-06:00

3 Eggs
splash of milk
dash of cinnamon
6 slices bread

Heat griddle or large skillet. Wisk eggs, milk, and cinnamon in shallow bowl. Dredge bread into egg mixture. Place bread on heated skillet, flip to brown both sides. Serve with butter, syrup, and powdered sugar.

Serve with Bacon or Sausage!

Chicken Teriyaki & Potato

2009-12-13T01:28:00.002-06:00

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4-1/2 c teriyaki glaze/marinade
one baked potato per person
shredded cheese
sour cream

Cut chicken into bite size pieces, and cook in a large skillet. When almost cooked, pour in teriyaki and stir to coat, let reduce slightly. Smash baked potato on plate, top with teriyaki chicken, sprinkle with cheese, serve with sour cream.

Grilled Salmon, Rice, Peas

2009-12-13T01:26:00.001-06:00

2-3 salmon filets, grilled (we get ours from Market Day, always turn out perfect!)
served with prepared rice and canned peas.
nothing crazy... no real recipe for this one needed.

Chicken Fettucini Alfredo

2009-12-13T01:21:00.002-06:00

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
4-6 servings fettucini noodles, cooked
alfredo sauce (we like classico)

Add warmed alfredo sauce to just cooked noodles, mix in chicken. Warm through.
Serve with green beans and garlic bread.

Chicken Pot Pie & Mashed Potatoes

2009-12-13T01:15:00.003-06:00

1 pkg Pillsbury Pie Crust
1/3 c butter
1/3 c chopped onion
1/2 c flour
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 1/2 c broth (or water with bullion cube)
2/3 c milk
2-3 c diced cooked chicken
1 can mixed veggies

Heat oven to 425. Place bottom crust in pie pan. In a large saucepan, melt butter, add onion, cook 2 minutes. Add flour, salt, pepper. Cook 1 minute, stiring constantly. Stir in broth and milk, cook until thickened. Add chicken and veggies. Pour into pie pan. Top with top crust, pinching edges closed and cut off excess edges. Make a few slices in the top crust, for venting. Bake 30-40 minutes.

Serve with mashed potatoes (potatoes, butter, milk).

Breakfast Casserole

2009-12-13T01:12:00.002-06:00

6 eggs
1 lb ground sausage, browned and drained
1 c shredded cheddar
6 slices bread, cubed
1 t dry mustard
1 t salt
2 c milk

Blend all ingredients well, pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Cover and refrigerate 12+ hours. Bake at 350 for 45 min-1 hr.

Serve with canned fruit.

Sausage, Mac N Cheese, Peas

2009-12-13T01:09:00.002-06:00

1 pkg polska kielbasa sausages
1 box Kraft Macaroni & Cheese
1/4 c milk
1/4 c butter
1 can peas

Slice sausage into 1" pieces, brown in medium skillet. Prepare Mac N Cheese as noted on box with milk & butter. Serve with canned peas.

Sausage & Rice Casserole

2009-12-13T01:05:00.002-06:00

1 lb. ground pork sausage
4 servings worth of prepared rice
1 can of cream of celery soup
4 slices of American cheese

In a large skillet, brown sausage, drain, and return to skillet. Mix in rice and soup. Lay cheese slices over the top and heat to melt.

Serve with bread & butter and canned peas.

Addy's Health Update

2009-07-29T19:06:00.001-05:00

Thank you to everyone who responded, either by posting a response, writing in her guestbook, emails, private messages, phone calls, facebook posts, or by passing this info on to others who were able to help. We've compiled a list of tests and things to talk to the doctors about. We really feel that there is a medical reason that makes Addy vomit all the time and that once we get the vomitting taken care of, the oral aversion will lessen and the feeding will be easier to accomplish.

A family friend, Mr. Hill, read my last post and he works at St. Vincent's Hospital. He passed along our info to a doctor at St. Vincent's who has spoken to a few other doctors about Addy's issues. Today, I received a phone call from Jenny, a nurse practitioner at St. Vincent's. She is involved with a team of professionals at St. Vincent's called the Aero Digestive Clinic which consists of a Speech Therapist, Nutritionist, Ear Nose & Throat Specialist, Surgeon, Gastroenterologist, Pulmonologist, Developmental Specialist, and a Genetics Specialist (I think that's all of them... forgive me if I've missed one). She said that they meet twice a month to discuss children who are seen by multiple specialists that have special cases so that all the doctors can discuss together and stay on track, working as a team! They will be discussing Addyson on Aug 10th, their next meeting. In the mean time, she said that Addy needs to be seen by Pulmonology, GI, and ENT to discuss things further. They'll also do an MRI of her brain to look for any developmental issues or other abnormalities. Since she'll have to be sedated for that test, they'll wait till all the other doctors see her and decide if there are any other tests they'll need to do while she's sedated, that way they can all get done at the same time.

Tomorrow, we'll see the Pulmonologist, Dr. Sufi.
On August 19th, we'll see the GI, Dr. Schaefer and the ENT, Dr. Haymaker.

I feel so excited that these doctors have reached out to help, as well as all of you great moms that have offered suggestions and support! Thank you Mr. Hill for taking the time to get this coordinated for us too!

Help with Addy's Medical Issues

2009-07-10T00:21:00.001-05:00

Ok, I know it's been a while and you are probably hoping this is a happy post about how well Addy is doing, and trust me... in most areas, she is excelling. She's talking a ton now and even asked to sit on the big girl potty today. She wore piggy tails for the first time today and I'm loving being home with her every day. She loves library books and riding in her wagon. We're looking forward to a long weekend at Granny Camp next weekend too. (She's staying with Grandpa and Granny Harlow while mommy goes camping with her friend Angie). But, I'm feeling frustrated and I just contacted a doctor who specializes in wholistic medicine with the info below. I also posted it on IndyMoms. com. I want to get the info out there so lots of people can see it in hopes that someone out there can help us find the answer. So, much of this will be repetative and tell you things you already know, but I wanted to put a lot of info out there so maybe it will trigger someone to have the answer or can point us in the right direction. I'm wondering if there is an underlying medical problem that could be causing these issues/symptoms... maybe something rare that the docs aren't seeing or connecting the dots. I'm tired of waiting for her to grow out of it, so I'm hunting down the answers. Please Please Please pass this info on to anyone that might be able to help. I'm open to any and all suggestions.

I'm really feeling overwhelmed with the issues Addyson is facing and the lack of answers from our traditional doctors. I'm hoping that putting this out there will help me reach some help.

Addyson was born April 25, 2007 at 25 weeks, weighing 1 lb, 7.9 oz, 11 1/2 inches, due to my fight with pre-eclampsia. They took her by emergency c-section at IU Hospital and she was rushed over to Riley. She had a PDA ligation within the first few weeks of life and was intubated for a good portion of the first 2-3 months. The ventillator and oscillator as well as the c-pap prevented her from nursing and or taking a bottle, so an ng tube was used to feed her. I pumped for the first 9 months of her life and she recieved this with fortifiers. The doctors sent her home from the hospital 4 months after birth with an ng tube because they said she was probably aspirating the bottle. They never did any tests at that time to confirm. She was also vomiting a bit and they said it was reflux, medicated her and never did a single test. A few months after coming home, we requested a swallow study to see if we could start trying a bottle. By this time, she couldn't figure out how to suck/swallow and they told us that the tests showed that the formula was pooling and she was aspirating. We asked how long it might be that we were on the ng tube... they said it was hard to say but that it would be a while because we'd have to wait until she stopped aspirating before we could try to feed her by mouth. We decided to get a g-tube inserted so that she could lead a more "normal" life without that ng tube being inserted at every feeding and fighting with her about it. It was a real struggle to keep that ng tube in and she would pull it out dozens of times a day. It was causing her to not want anything near her face. At this point, we were using Neosure (a preemie/infant formula).

The g-tube was placed in November 2007. We are STILL using the g-tube for 100% of her nutrition. She doesn't chew/swallow well at all. Basically, she'll drink water and sometimes juice/milk. She'll put just about anything in her mouth, move it around, and spit it back out... it's almost as if she doesn't know how to chew/swallow. But, even worse is her chronic vomitting. Addyson has vomitted daily, sometimes up to 3-4 times a day, sometimes once, sometimes once every two days... basically her whole life. There seems to be NO rhyme or reason or pattern or trigger for the vomitting. We begged for Riley to get some GI tests run... I couldnt' get anyone to refer us, so I called myself. Dr. Fitzgerald ran a number of tests and reported that all looked normal and that there wasn't anything he could do for us. The developmental team at Riley (Dr. Dusik) was not very helpful. They told me all along that her Reflux was normal and that I'd just have to wait for her to outgrow it. They had her on lots of reflux meds until we saw GI. None of them worked. After the GI tests were done, we learned that reflux was not the issue. We discontinued using all the reflux meds. Developmental basically told us that we needed to have weight checks every two weeks and that she wasn't gaining enough and that they were very concerned. Obviously we were too, but we couldn't figure out what to do, the more we pumped into her, the more she would vomit. They were not helpful with formula changes or testing to see what the problem might be. The nutritionist at Riley basically told us we were neglectful. In all other areas, Addy's development was coming along very well, her height to weight has always been good, her head circumfrence is good. Obviously, being such a preemie, we had occupational, physical, and now speech therapy to assist with minor developmental struggles, but that's to be expected with such a preemie. At this point, Addy was about 18 months old and they still had her on Neosure. I continued to question them about this choice, but they assured me that it was the right formula for her. At this point, I had requested allergy testing to make sure she wasn't allergic to anything... they ran tests on the most common allergens and they all came back negative.

We decided to seek a new developmental doctor at St. Vincents. Dr Escobar was very understanding. He charted her height/weight on a PREEMIE chart, which made a huge difference. He said that he wasn't as concerned with her weight, that she seemed to be developing well. He did suggest a blended diet and a switch in formula. We currently use Boost Kids (45 cal/oz) and also blended food. He really wants her to be getting more calories, but we're not sure how do get them in her since she continues to vomit with increases. She receives 8 oz of the formula mixed with 2 oz baby cereal and 2 oz juice or smoothie mix on a pump through 8 hours at night. She receives 8 oz of the formula mixed with an adult size serving of a protein (usually Carnation Instant Breakfast because it has a lot of calories and contains calcium and protien, but sometimes we use peanut butter), a grain (usually a cereal or rice), a veggie, and a fruit during the day. We've been blending that and giving her 3 meals of 4 oz by syringe in the tube during the day (typically 9 am, 1pm, and 5pm or thereabout). Her overnight feeding starts around 9pm and ends around 5am. We were counting calories for quite some time, but Dr. Escobar told me to stop being OCD mom! :) I decided he was probably right and now we just go with the flow a bit more. I was so used to writing everything down because Riley had me scared to death of everything. I mean, she's a toddler now, I shouldn't have to keep track of every little morsel. The problem is... we haven't seen much of a change in the vomitting.

I'm getting worried because it makes life so ABNORMAL for her. It takes over an hour for every feeding, then we try to keep her calm for another hour. It's hard to keep a toddler still for that long. It's hard to go anywhere... cleaning up vomit from your car everytime you want to go shopping or to the zoo or library is no fun. We rarely go out to eat or do normal family activities for fear of her vomitting in public! I mean, it's gross for me and I'm the mom, I can only imagine what others might feel or how they might react. And daycare? Forget about it. My mother in law watched her in my home for the first 2 years. Now, I'm unemployed so I'm able to stay home with her, but we can't afford for me to do this forever. I worry about school. I know I have a few years, but I'd love to get her involved with playdates and more structured social activities... it's just not feasible to expect a preschool or daycare or other type of group to feed her through a tube and clean up her vomit. I mean, tomorrow we are planning on attempting our first public pool visit... I'm sick just thinking about how terrible it would be for her to vomit in the pool! I wish I could figure out what causes it because I just want her to have a more normal life. All other areas of her life are "normal" so it's hard to keep her from doing things because of this.

Oh, gosh... now I'm crying my eyes out. You know, we can deal with the tube feedings... I mean, if we have to do that forever, it's not so bad. Sure, I'd love to be able to send her to 1st grade with a lunch box, but if I can't, I'll get over it. What I won't be able to handle is sending her with a bucket so she can throw up in it! It seems trivial to most, but it's so hard to understand why we can't get anyone to help us figure it out. There's got to be a reason, something that's causing this. I'm so tired of hearing that she'll grow out of it. First they said she'd grow out of it by 6 mo, then 12 mo, then 18 mo, or surely by 2. But here she is 27 months old and we are still dealing with it.

Then we try to deal with her not chewing and swallowing... She'll put just about any type of food in her mouth and move it around, but she won't chew it up and swallow. Last week, we made slight progress with swallowing... she put small bits of deli turkey and or watermelon in her mouth and then took a big swig of water to make it go down, like she was swallowing a pill... but she never did chew it. We work at this mulitple times a day, have family meals, we've tried letting her eat while watching a movie or while playing... you name it, we've probably tried it.

Ok, now that I've rambled forever, I guess I need some support or advice on how to move forward in seeking medical help. Have any of you ever dealt with this or know someone who has? Is there a way for me to research these symptoms to see if there is some rare disease or issue we are dealing with? Any help is appreciated

Please help us CELEBRATE!

2009-04-17T11:09:00.000-05:00

Well, it's just one week and one day away from Addy's 2nd Birthday! Can you believe how time has flown by? We are looking forward to celebrating with all of our family and friends at the March of Dimes, March for Babies on April 26th. There are only 9 days left till the walk and we only have $490 of our $1000 team goal. If you'd like to help us reach that goal, please visit http://www.marchforbabies.org/teams/Addyson

Update on Addyson and March for Babies

2009-03-17T09:55:00.002-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

Addyson is doing so well and we've been blessed with nice spring weather. We've been able to get out of the house more and she seems to love blowing bubbles in the yard.

Although I have to report that the oral feeding is not really improving, we have noticed a significant decrease in the vomiting since we've switched to a blenderized food diet.

With Dr. Escobar's encouragement, we've been giving Addyson 12 oz of blenderized food through syringes during the day and she receives 8 oz of formula overnight. It's been over a week since she's vomited and we couldn't be happier with this outcome. While she hasn't been losing any weight, she hasn't been gaining either, so we are going to be making some slight adjustments to the blenderized diet. (Basically, we put a day's worth of fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy into a blender and liquefy it)

Addy seems to really be developing well in terms of speech. We've only seen the speech therapist for four weeks, but Addy's made such an improvement. Before long, I'm sure she'll be asking to use the phone to call all of you herself. Currently, she's doing a lot of imitating, but we are working on spontaneous use of words as requests for needs and wants. A new favorite? 'No' Thank you to whomever taught this to her.

And now, a reminder. The March of Dimes March for Babies is past approaching. As many of you know, the March of Dimes is an awesome group that fights for the rights of parents as well as supports research in hopes to prevent babies being born too soon or with birth defects. The March of Dimes was a great support to us while we were struggling throughout the early days of the NICU and beyond. Please visit http://www.marchforbabies.org/teams/Addyson to support our team by making a donation or signing up to walk on our team! The more the merrier. Last year, we were able to raise a great amount of money and hope to continue the trend. I know times are tough right now for many of us, but even a few dollars can help save so many lives. So, again, please visit http://www.marchforbabies.org/teams/Addyson to find out more.

Friends and team members can purchase team gear, including team t-shirts, at www.cafepress.com/Addyson. Of course, these aren't mandatory, but for those of you wanting to wear a t-shirt claiming your support for Team Addyson, you are able to get one very easily. Economy shipping is $5.25 for the first item and $0.50 for the second item, so some of you may want to combine orders to save on shipping. Don't wait too long, the economy shipping states 7-9 business days. I must note that the t-shirts are priced at COST, meaning we do not make money for ourselves or for the March of Dimes through the purchase of the items at Cafe Press. Thanks to Nicole Green for helping me with the t-shirt design this year!

Help me reach my goal!Sponsor Me at March for Babies!

2009-03-10T12:24:00.001-05:00

Apparently not...

2009-03-09T11:14:00.002-05:00

Well, after much number crunching and long discussions about goals and dreams, unfortunately, it isn't in the cards for me to become a stay at home mom right now. I know many of you have made serious adjustments to your life styles to be able to make it work for your family. We already live a frugal lifestyle, but with all of Addy's medical care and expenses, it's not working out the way I had hoped. I applaud all of you who are able to do it.

Can we make it work?

2009-02-13T13:47:00.003-06:00

Our family is currently considering the possibility of my becoming a Stay At Home Mom. With the way our health insurance is working out, it seems as though we'd benefit from my staying at home with Addyson. We still need to put pen to paper to make sure it'll work for us, but reading this post from PennyPinchinMomma certainly helped ease my worries. If you are considering it too, check out her post for real inspiration!

Winning with SwagBucks!

2009-02-13T12:42:00.003-06:00

If you haven't yet heard of Swag Bucks, let me introduce you. Swag Bucks is "an online portal dedicated to helping you earn digital dollars called "Swag Bucks", which can be redeemed for exclusive swagbucks.com merchandise." What do they mean by exclusive merchandise? Well, I just traded in 50 swagbucks for a $5 Starbucks Gift Card.

You can easily earn swagbucks by doing everyday searches like you would in google, ask, yahoo, or msn. The search results are excellent because it's powered by google and ask.com. There is no cost to participate. They don't send spam. You don't have to provide identification numbers (SSN or such). Since I do a lot of research anyways, I figured using Swag Bucks would at least pay me back for searching.

Other ways to win Swag Bucks? Recycle old cell phones. Shop online, but through Swag Bucks. Promote through your blog, twitter, FaceBook, etc. Invite friends and family to sign up too. When your referrals earn Swag Bucks, you also earn Swag Bucks! There are also online codes that float around every once in a while that you can enter into the Swag Bucks website that will give you more Swag Bucks.

Are you convinced that you are missing out on these Swag Bucks? Click Swag Bucks to sign up and start earning your Swag Bucks today!

What's a toddler eat?

2009-01-15T09:48:00.005-06:00

Ok ladies, I need your help. All this time, we've been feeding Addyson formula through her g-tube. New plan: offer her a meal typical of what a "normal" 20 month old should be eating. What isn't consumed goes in the blender and then "fed" to her in the g-tube. Ok, so since I've not had to be a "normal" mom before I have NO CLUE what a "normal" 20 month old should be eating. Types of food, meal suggestions for a complete diet, and amounts or serving sizes. Keeping in mind she weighs just under 20 lbs. She probably won't actually be able to "eat" any of the food due to severe oral aversion, which is why she is g-tube fed to begin with. This is mostly for practice and soon enough, maybe she'll get the hang of it! I'd love to stay away from pre-packaged "toddler" meals as much as possible, creating meals from scratch or utilizing the same foods my husband and I are eating. I've been doing some research, but it seems that this is one of those things that should come naturally as your child grows from a baby to a toddler. I missed out on that and now have to learn immediately. Please please please help me!!! (She'll still be getting a full nutritionally balanced diet because she'll still be getting a formula too, but the more balanced the food, the better!)

New Year's Resolution

2008-12-31T08:20:00.002-06:00

As I wrote about in the post here, I have decided to recapture my love of reading in 2009. Because I love structure and organization, I'm chosing to read books from a list I am familiar with. The Newbery Medal and Honor Books are for young readers (typically 4th-7th grade) and I did read a good number of them while I was in grade school. I thought going back to this list of books would remind me of my youth, be light and easy reading, and it would give me an opportunity to set goals and check off the books as I read them. I'm probably going to use this blog as a way to track what I've read also, just to keep me accountable.

You can find the list of Newbery Medal and Honor Books here. I've been looking for a better formatted list, something in an excel spreadsheet perhaps so I could keep better track. If you know of one, please let me know.

I did find a few of these books at a second hand bookstore earlier this month, so I was able to get a head start over the holiday break.

Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan was a 2003 Newbery Honor Winner. I had not previously read this book, but I found it to be fun and it kept my interest. In my review, I would say this book is about a young man, struggling to find his place in life, who has found himself living with a artsy homeschooling family where creativity is their passion. Through a series of humorous events, both the family and the young man are able to grow and learn from their experiences of working together.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell was the 1961 Newbery Medal Winner. I remember reading this book, probably in 6th grade, and struggling to get through it. This time around, I was able to read the book in about 2 hours and I was able to empathize with the main charachter. She, a young native american girl, finds herself alone on a small island near California and recounts the many years she survives the hardships and adventures of primative living.

I'll post more of the books as I read them.

Happy New Year!

CVS & Walgreens 12/17/08

2008-12-17T12:54:00.002-06:00

Well, I made my list of grocery items needed for the Christmas dinner I wrote about in my last post. With all of those items needed for the snack mixes, my list got quite long. I decided it might be a good time to take advantage of those $35.95 ECB I earned on my Thanksgiving shopping spree. I also had a great $5 off any purchase of $5 at Walgreens that I had earned during their "spend $25 (before coupons), earn $5 promo. So, on my lunch hour, I was able to hit both stores. Here's what I did:

Walgreens:
$4.98 - 2 Peppermint Mocha CoffeeMate Liquid Creamers (one for work, one for home)
$1.98 - 2 boxes of Turtles candy (for grandma's Christmas/Birthday)
$1.99 - 1 box Honey Nut Cheerios (we don't care for Cherrios in a bowl, but I'll find a recipe for some snack bars or donate to food pantry)
$2.50 - 1 package of Harry & Davids Chocolate Covered Bing Cherries (for Nick's stocking)
_____
$11.45
-$2.49 (BOGO Walgreens Coupon on the Creamer)
-$1.00 (printable coupon from the Coffee-Mate website)
-$1.00 (printable coupon from the Coffee-Mate website)
-$1.50 (Cheerios coupon that came out of Pampers package)
-$5.00 (Walgreens $5 coupon from last week's promotion)
______
$0.46 TOTAL OOP

While my CVS trip wasn't as good, I was able to get a good portion of my food list completed!
CVS:
$2.00 - Candy Bars (stocking stuffers)
$0.99 - Sierra Mist (for my lunch of leftover pizza)
$0.77 - CVS Basil (for the italian beef sandwiches!)
$3.99 - Lays Potato Chips
$0.00 - Lays Potato Chips (on sale BOGO)
$2.99 - Chex Mix (Decided to serve instead of Reindeer Snack Mix)
$2.99 - Chex Mix (Decided to serve instead of Reindeer Snack Mix)
$1.49 - CVS Carmel Corn & Peanut Mix (Decided to serve instead of Carmel Snack Mix)
$1.49 - CVS Carmel Corn & Peanut Mix (Decided to serve instead of Carmel Snack Mix)
$2.59 - CVS Apple Juice (Nick likes to sweeten his iced tea with apple juice?)
$6.00 - 8x10 Picture Frame (to frame our new family picture!)
$3.00 - 5x7 Picture Frame (BOGO 50%off) (Christmas Gift w/ family photo)
$6.00 - 5x7 Picture Frame (Christmas Gift w/ family photo)
$3.00 - 5x7 Picture Frame (BOGO 50%off) (Christmas Gift w/ family photo)
______
$37.30
-$35.95 ECB
_________
$1.35 TOTAL OOP

Once I started loading up my cart with all the stuff to make the snack mixes, I realized I was going to be spending more money, would have more work to do, and since I hadn't taste tested the recipes first, I wasn't sure I wanted to spend the money. I opted the safe, easy route of premade Chex Mix and premade Carmel Corn with Peanuts Mix.

I spent my entire stash of ECB and didn't earn any back, but I feel I was able to save from purchasing these items at the grocery store.

So, what's left on my list?
5 lb roast (for sandwiches)
2 envelopes of Italian Dressing Mix (for sandwiches)
16 hoagie rolls (for sandwiches)
jar pepporonccini peppers (for sandwiches)
provolone slices (for sandwiches)
lemon juice (to make lemonade)
apples (fruit tray)
strawberries or cherries (fruit tray)
pineapple (fruit tray)
grapes (fruit tray)
(I may find a premade fruit tray that would save time and money, we'll see!)
cream cheese (fruit dip)
marshmellow creme (fruit dip)
butter (just because!)
ice (yes, we buy ice! I know, it's easy to make, but not worth the hassle to me!)
I'm also going to make some iced tea & coffee, but I've got what I need for that.

works-for-me wednesday Casual Christmas Dinner

2008-12-17T08:22:00.002-06:00

This year, I'm playing hostess for my family Christmas gathering. Since Addyson's immune system is still so weak, we try not to take her out to large family gatherings (or anywhere that we don't have to!). So, this year, we've decided to have some family in from out of town to celebrate Christmas a bit early with us. My parents, my maternal grandparents, and my paternal grandma will be visiting from about 2 1/2 hrs away... not too long of a drive for a one day event. We don't see them as often as we'd like, so this was a good opportunity to have them over. Since they won't be staying too long, I wanted it to be a casual celebration. We don't do many gifts... actually, they only get gifts for Addy now, which is great. We've gone together with my sister and her family and made each of them photo calendars with Addy & Grace's photos through the year. My mom always used to make Italian Beef Sandwiches for Christmas, so I wanted to carry the tradition. Each grandma is bringing a dessert and one grandma is bringing macaroni salad. I thought I'd serve chips too. (I mean, hey, it's casual and we're having sandwiches!) I wanted to have some munchies for sitting around and I thought I'd make two different snack mixes (a savory and a sweet). I'm throwing in a fresh fruit platter too, just so we seem healthy! Easy stuff, most of which can be done a day ahead of time. Since they are coming on Sunday, it gives us plenty of time on Saturday. So, the task of searching for the perfect recipes... where else do I search? Allrecipes.com is always my go-to. I LOVE that they rate each recipe and there are always lots of commenters posting about what changes they made to make it better. I always look at how many reviews each got and how many changes each reviewer had to make to consider it perfect. Here are the recipes I'll be attempting this weekend:
Caramel Snack Mix - with so many high marks, this one can't fail!
Reindeer Snack Mix - seems to be a great savory snack mix
Fruit Dip II - to be served with strawberries, cherries, grapes, pineapple, and granny smiths
Slow Cooker Italian Beef for Sandwiches - to be served on hoagie rolls with provolone cheese

So, a casual Christmas dinner, Allrecipes.com, and hundreds of yummy reviews work for me. Read works-for-me wednesday to catch what works for others this holiday season!

Frugal Friday

2008-12-12T05:00:00.000-06:00

My husband often ribs me about my couponing and deal seaking adventures. Want to know how I know he is really proud of me? I went to his work the other day and the women there were asking me how I do it. Apparently, even though he pokes fun of me in person, he's boasting about my achievements to his friends and co-workers. It makes me smile when I come home with bags of stuff for mere pennies and he wants details of each transaction. Well, wouldn't you know it? The other day he says to me "Hey, I've got something to show you that I think your frugal blog friends will find usefull!" Oh, ok... hmmmmm. So he pull up a post on one of the gun lover's forums he belongs to and shows me these videos:

6 Volt Battery Hack! You'll Be Amazed! -

12 Volt Battery Hack -

12 Volt Battery Hack! You'll Be Surprised... -

Crank Charge Your Batteries! -

So, there you go, frugal bloggers. I can't confirm or deny that these are true, but I thought it was funny that my darling husband wanted me to share this frugal find with you all.

Need to be more frugal? Find out what other bloggers are doing to be frugal over at Frugal Fridays by Biblical Womanhood.

80's TV Trivia

2008-12-11T14:55:00.004-06:00

The other day, Nick and I were reminiscing about watching TV as kids and how there were always such great family sitcoms "back in the day" We tried to one-up each other with trivia questions about shows we watched in the 80s. In the quest to find answers to the ones that stumped us, I did a quick online search (using swagbucks, which gives me points just for searching that can be traded in for gift cards for amazon or other places! check it out... it's free and I LOVE it!). I found a website called In The 80s - Television Trivia Questions. For those of you who are in your late 20s or in your 30s, you will love this list of trivia questions. I'm going to post them here. Click HERE for the answers.

Who was Mallory Keaton's fiance?
Which one of the A Team was a Pilot?
What is the name of the cat in the smurfs?
What's the connection between Benson & Growing Pains?
Who was the leader of the good Transformers?
What was the name of the dog in Fraggle Rock?
What was the name of Punky Brewster's dog?
What was Angela's son's name in Who's the Boss?
What was Michael Jackson advertising when he was nearly killed?
What was ALF's girlfriend from Melmac's name?
What was the name of Arnold's fish on Different Strokes?
On Three's Company, what was Jack's retaurant that he opened and was head chef?
On Three's Company, what's the first name of Mr. Furley's (landlord) tight wad brother who owned the building?
On Three's Company, what city did the trio live in?
On Three's Company, what is the name "Chrissy" is short for?
On three's company, what was Chrissy's father's ocupation?
What current cast member of ER was on an 80's show of the same name?
Who was the bully who terrorized Arnold on Different Strokes?
What was Roscoe's dogs name on the Dukes of Hazzard?
What was the name of the school mistress in The facts of Life?
What were the names of the four main characters of the Facts of Life?
What was the name of the bartender on The Love Boat?
The Jeffersons was a spinoff from what show?
What star of the Breakfast Club was also part of the orginal cast of the facts of life?
What actor was famous for the line "nanoo nanoo"?
What was the name of Facts of Life's Mrs. Garret's gourmet food shop?
On facts of life, what was the name Andy thought up to give to the girls when they needed to form a singing group?
What did Webster call his adoptive parents?
What Facts of Life character was in The Godfather?
Who shot J.R. Ewing?
On Little House on the Prarie, what was the original name for the school teacher?
What is the name of the Dukes of Hazzards car?
On Little House on the Prairie, what was Laura's horse's name?
On One Day at a Time, what were the two daughter's names?
Name the two sets of sibling actors that worked together in Little House on the Prarie.
Who palyed Mork from Ork's son?
On the SuperFriends, what were the Wonder Twins names? (Bonus, what was the monkey's name?)
Which famous talk show host made a guest apearence on Laverne & Shirley?
Name the three children on Kate and Ali.
What method of transportation did Webster use to get from the upper level of the house to the lower level?
In Knight Rider, what does K.I.T.T.'s name stand for?
Mork and Mindy was a spinoff of what TV show?
What was the name of the robot girl on "Small Wonder"?
What show is The Dukes of Hazzard a spinoff of?
On Laverne & Shirley, what was Laverne's favorite drink.
What actress played Laura and Almonzo's niece on Little House on the Prairie?
What is the real name of the 'man of arms' in 'He man and the Masters of the Universe'
How old was John Schneider when he first played as Bo Duke on the Dukes of Hazzard?
On "Three's Company" what was Larry's (the upstairs neighbor) last name?
Which professional wrestler popped both of John Stossel's ear drums during a 20/20 interview?
What was Reverend Jims real last name on TAXI?
What was the name of the head master at the Eastland school for girls on the "Facts of Life" during its first premiere season?
How did Ann Jillian's character die on "Jennifer Slept Here"?
On the show Kight Rider, what was the name of K.I.T.T.s evil double? (Bonus, what does it stand for?)
On Punky Brewster, how was she abandoned by her mother?
What actor was famous for the line "Nanoo, Nanoo?"
What show was Family Matters a spin-off of?
What is the connection between Jeffersons and Good Times?
On Punky Brewster, her best friend Cherri was discussing marrying a guy named Donald...if she married him, what would her full name have been?
In "Family Ties" who was Alex P. Keaton's idol?
What was the name of the bar that the characters from "Three's Company" frequented?
What island did Balki from Perfect Strangers call home?
What was the name of the bar on Dukes of Hazzard?
In Knight Rider, what's the real last name of Michael Knight?
Elizabeth was the "Starchild" on this sci-fi show.
My dad was a big kid, a big RICH KID. What show was I on?
What was the name of the helicopter on Riptide?
What does ALF stand for?
What media icon invaded Network 23?
On what show would you find Gary Gnu?
If you heard the words "Hey You Guys!" what TV program was about to begin?
What was Webster's adopted mom and dad's name
What sitcom was "The Facts of Life" a spinoff of?
Where was Hawkeye Pierce's hometown in the show M*A*S*H ?
What was the name of the short lived spin-off of Three's Company?
Name the children on "Just the Ten of Us". Bonus: Name the dog.
What show was Just the 10 of us spin off of?
What was the name of the neighbors that lived next door to ALF??
What was the name of the actress who played "Melonie" on the show "Webster and Melonie"?
Who played the Uncle on Family Ties?
What was ALF's real name?
What was the name of the bar/restaurant on THREE'S COMPANY?
What was the connection between Family Matters & Full House?
What ws Balki Bartokamus' occupation when he lived in Mypos?
On Night Court, who was Harry's idol?
Who was the famous TV painter from the 80's?
What show was a spin-off of Transformers?
What TV personality did Doritos commercials?
What was the connection between The Facts of Life and ER
Who played Jo's sailor boyfiend on the Facts of Life?
How many children did JR Ewing knowingly have that lived on "Dallas"?
What is the real name of Jem from Jem and the Holograms?
What 80's Pro-Wrestler was turned into a G.I. Joe character?
In Battle Star Galactica, What was the name of the human leader of the Cylons?
Who all lived in the house of "Full House" when the show ended?
What were the two dogs names on Magnum PI?
What was the full name of Mangum P.I.?
On M*A*S*H, what was the name of BJ's wife?
What did the "P" in Roscoe P. Coltrane (from Dukes of Hazzard) stand for?
What was the name of Vanessa's last boyfriend on The Cosby Show?
What was the name of the detective agency in Moonlighting?
What was the name of the t.v. show with the theme song that began: "Believe it or not, I'm walking on air..."?
What was the name of the woman who helped run the school for the blind on "Little House on the Prarie?" (Besides Mary Ingalls)
What was the name of Murphy Brown's news program?
What was the date in 1955 did Marty from Back to the Future arrive on.
On Full House, what was Jesse's REAL first name?
What is the connection between Growing Pains and Full House?
What current popular sitcom star played Michael P. Keaton's girlfriend Lauren Miller on Family Ties?
What was the real name of the hospital on St. Elsewhere?
In the show "The Equalizer", what did the hero (McCall) call his former superior from the "agency"?
On "Out of This World" what planet was Troy from?
What was the Saved by the bell series with Hayley Mills originally called?
What was the name of He-man's legless, wizard friend?
What was the primary occupation of characters in "Falcon Crest"?
What was punky brewster's best friends name?
What Georgia town did the first Dukes of Hazzard episodes take place?
What was Al Bundy's nickname during the dream sequence with all of the women in his bedroom?
What is the connection between Gimme a Break and Family Matters?
What was the name of the Other short-lived spinoff of "Three's Company"
What 80's spin off of a 70's tv show did Martin Lawrence play on?
What does M.A.S.K. stand for?
What was crocketts first name on Miami Vice? His nick name was Sonny.
Name the three main bands featured on the cartoon series 'Jem' during it's entire 3 year run.
What was the name of the home that Sofia Patrillo lived in before moving in with her daughter on the Golden Girls.
What Famous congressman was on an episode of the Golden Girls?
What Show did the Simpsons first appear?
how did Rose Nilin's husband Charlie die on The Golden Girls?
Who was Michelle's first boyfriend on Full House?
Can you name the 5 original MTV VJ's?
The Jefferson's was a spinoff of what show?
In the cartoon show My Pet Monster, what were the only things that could send Beastor, Monster's enemy, back to the monster world? Bonus: When these items were put on Monster, what did they do to him?
Ben Affleck played CT on what 80's science education television show?
On Diff'rent Strokes, what pet did Arnold keep in his room? What was it's name?
What was the name of the older brother on Happy Days?
If you saw a segment of "Mathnet," what show were you watching?
What was the name of the principal on Saved By the Bell?
on Different Strokes, who got kidnapped?
What was the name of the castle that gave He-Man his powers?
Name the twins on the Thundercats.
What planet did the Thundercats live on?
On "Who's the Boss?", what was Samantha's liscense plate on her first car?
What short-lived sitcom featured Snow White and Prince Charming living as husband & wife?
On M*A*S*H, what was Walter 'Radar' O'Reilley's home town?
What did Archie Bunker on 'All In The Family' call his son-in-law Mike?
On the show Tour of Duty, for each of the three seasons the show ran for what were the three locations the team was based?
On night Court what was Bull's IQ? (hint: it's the same upside down as it is right side up.)
What was Rosanna Arquette's character's name in "Desperately Seeking Susan"?
In "Desperately Seeking Susan" two different women circle Jim's personal ad in the newspaper. With what(name both)?
In Desperately Seeking Susan: what's the name of the shop from where Susan gets the sequinned boots and later Roberta buys Susan's jacket?
Name the connection bewteen the "A-Team" and "Battle Star Gallactica?"
What was the name of the robot on Buck Rogers?
What planet did Alf come from?
What was the name of the helicopter service that was the cover for Airwolf?
What are the names of the Simon brothers from Simon & Simon?
What did AJ stand for in Simon & Simon's AJ Simon?
In Simon & Simon, what unusual thing did Rick live in? (Bonus: Where was it located?)
In Simon & Simon, what kind of vehicles did Rick and AJ Simon drive? (Bonus: what was the NAME of Rick's vehicle?)
Where did Simon & Simon take place?
What was the name of Magnum PI's suave superspy alterego?
Where did Thomas Magnum grow up as a kid?
In Magnum PI, what was the name of the charter service that TC ran?
In Magnum PI, Rick was not Rick's real name. What was his real name? Bonus: Why did he call himself Rick?
In Magnum PI, what was the name of the club?
In Magnum PI, what kind of car did Higgins drive?
In Magnum PI, where did Higgin's "illegitimite half brothers" come from? What did they do?
Thomas Magnum's dad was played by what actor? Bonus: What other show was that actor also a regular on?
Why was Wesley from Mr Belvedere afraid to go to junior high?
What is the connection between Good Times and Different Strokes?
What were the 3 Chipettes names on Alvin and the Chipmunks?
On Knight Rider, who was Garthe Knight?
What is the name of the cartoon that had ponies of all colors of the rainbow, and had a design on their butt, there were pegasus, unicorns, and earth ponies and they talked? Bonus: What was the name of the girl that took care of the ponies???
Name the spinoff show from Who's the Boss? Bonus: name the connection between it and Tom Hanks.
Who replaced Bo and Luke Duke?
On Magnum, P.I., what type of vehicle was Robin 3? Robin 2?
Who are the three annoying neighbors in "Small Wonder"?
What city provided the setting for One day at a time?
On the show Cheers,What was the name of the restaurant above the bar.
What is Iola cat that died on the episode of Mamma's Family.
Who steals a new razor on Little house on the praire?
What was the name of the home of the Care Bear Cousins?
What is MacGyver's first name?
On "It's Your Move," what is the name of the rock band that Mark and his friend Eliot pretended to be?
In the cartoon Jem and the Holograms, what was the name of Jems computer.
On Night Court, Harry had a "statue" of what animal in his office?
What was the first name of Sledge's partner on the show Sledge Hammer! ?
What is the connection between "Silver Spoons" and "Family Ties" ?
In the show Cheers, what was the name of the bar that always played practical jokes on the gang at Cheers?
What were the names of Amanda's boys on Scarecrow and Mrs. King?
What was the club house of the Get Along Gang?
What was the name of the comic strip that "Henry Rush" (Too Close for Comfort)wrote?
Who was the leader of the bad guys on Hulk Hogan's Rock N Wrestling that annoyed Hulk Hogan and his freinds?
On "You Can't Do That on Television", what were the two things that dropped out of the sky onto the actors' heads and what had to be said to activate them?
What did He-man say when he lifted his sword and gained his strength?
What 80's group sang the theme song to "Square Pegs".
What 80's cartoon theme song did Ricky Martin sing?
What 80's cartoon was a showcase for 'New Wave' Music videos?
What cartoon featured a boy with a community of tiny people living in his wall?

Please note that the author warns: "I am no longer accepting submissions for trivia questions. I received too many incorrect answers, and poorly asked questions for this page (I must get corrections for half the items entered here). So this is the final list of questions, if you have corrections, please send me email."

Enjoy this TV Trivia!

works-for-me wednesday

2008-12-10T08:47:00.002-06:00

Can you believe that I haven't read a book (besides a book to Addy) in years? Yeah, it's true. It's sad. I used to read all the time.

Just recently, my sister in law explained a project that she's working on. It's called 30 by 30 (or something like that). Many of her friends will be turning 30 in the next year or two and they've decided to make it a joyus occasion. Some of them are writing lists of 30 things they want to accomplish by their 30th. Some are writing lists of 30 places to visit, 30 foods to try, 30 people to meet... you get the point. My sister in law is asking her friends and family to each suggest a book for her to read. She'll be reading 30 books (one a month) until her 30th birthday. She's asking for suggestions because she wants each person to choose a book for her based on something they enjoy, something they think she'll enjoy, something meaningful to them, something that reminds them of her... etc.

The book that came to mind was My Side of the Mountain, written by Jean Craighead George. I read it first when I was in 4th or 5th grade? It's a Newbery Honor Book from 1960. It's a book about a young, adventurous boy who resourcefully survives alone in the mountains. As a young girl, I dreamed of running away to follow in the character's footsteps, learning as I traveled, about life and living. The reason I am going to suggest this book to my sister in law? She's an adventurous soul who has traveled the world and lived, quite resourcefully, in many different places. While she strives to help others, she also seems to always be looking for the next place. I hope this book helps her understand that it's ok to live in the moment and enjoy your surroundings but also helps her celebrate her adventurous spirit. We are all so proud of her accomplishments. Holding a Masters degree from Georgetown University, I'm sure she's expecting her friends and family to reccommend heavy themed non-fiction journals and such, but I hope she will enjoy what this book has to offer.

Since she's also asked us to scale back for Christmas this year, I am looking to purchase a book for her from a second hand store. I searched the two second had book stores in our little town and wasn't able to find this book, however, I did find 7 other books that I remember reading as a child that happened to also be on the Newbery Medal/Honor Book list. So, my resolution for 2009? Read more! I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for the books from that list and I plan to try to read the whole list.

So, my sister in law's 30 by 30 project has inspired me to make a great resolution for my life. Looking to others for inspiration works for me. So do second hand book stores!

Read about what works for other bloggers over at works-for-me wednesday by Rocks In My Dryer .

Finished Product: Family Photos

2008-12-09T08:48:00.005-06:00

Are you tired of hearing about my family photos yet? Well, I promise this is the last post about them until next time. You can see a preview of the photos over at our photographer's blog: nicolegreenphoto. For the full version of the photos, you can check them out here, but you'll need a password. If you can't figure out the password, comment me and I'll pass it along.

I think the photos turned out great. We had a hard time getting Addyson to smile, but I think it captures us pretty fairly. The time we spent with Nicole and her boyfriend, Dan was a blast, as always. Nick and I feel so thankful to have friends like them.

Enjoy the pics!

Photo Shoot Accessories

2008-12-05T09:22:00.004-06:00

Black sweater from Kohl's for Daddy
(hard to find bright colored sweater for dad's on short notice)
(may try to get him to wear a red scarf we have at home to brighten him up)

Mommy's Scarf from New York & company...

(to be worn with a teal sweater I already own)

Addy's sweater from The Children's Place
(to be worn with matching hat)

Socks for mommy from Target
(for the cute picture with the stockings & ornaments, probably will wear the stiped ones)

I found a lollipop similar to this one in the Target $1 spot, so I picked it up for Addy in the photo shoot too, thought it would be so cute.

I also got Addyson a cream cable knit sweater (found on the clearance rack at The Children's Place) to wear for some of the photos too. I'm going to look today for some little black shoes for her to wear... something other than the pink and white tennis shoes she has. We're all going to be comfy and wear jeans. Now I just have to worry about Addy's hair. It really needs to be trimmed, but I'm afraid to have it trimmed right before photos (it'll be her first haircut!). It's too short and fine to really do anything with, but it sticks up and out over her ears. I'll have to remember to carry her brush.

Family Photo Time

2008-12-04T10:02:00.009-06:00

Last year, we did a few impromtu photos near the Christmas tree and ordered Christmas Photo Cards from Walgreens. This year, our wonderful photographer, Nicole Green, will be capturing our family for the Christmas Card.

We were introduced to Nicole when I found her contact info on a website for the American Child Photography Charity Guild. Nicole was gracious enough to come to the NICU to photograph Addyson.

Those photos we have of the three of us during such a tumultous time are priceless.

(photo by Nicole Green)

We hired Nicole to take photos of Addyson this past spring for her 1st birthday.

(photo by Nicole Green)

Once again, we were in awe of the beautiful art Nicole creates. When we received an email from Nicole about doing Christmas Cards, we knew we couldn't pass it up.

For those of you that are wondering, yes, it does cost more than going to the photo room at JC Penny or Target, but for our family, it's worth the cost. The finished product really is art to us, not just a family portrait.

We are doing a mini session and will receive 8-10 proofs to choose from, which is great because I don't think I could choose from 97 (which is the number of proofs we got for her 1st birthday session!). I'm hoping to get most of them with just Addy and one or two of the family.

This is the look I'm hoping to achieve with the photos... (all following courtesy of FOTOSEARH)

Laundry Room Round-Up!

2008-12-02T22:02:00.007-06:00

This month over at I'm an Organizing Junkie, the Monthly Organizing Round Up focused on Laundry Rooms. It's my first time playing along, so hang in there!

BEFORE~~BEFORE~~BEFORE~~BEFORE~~BEFORE~~BEFORE

Can you see the laundry detergent that has stained the walls? I think the white paint is the original white builder's paint from 1984.

Are we the only family who doesn't put the clean laundry away?

Ok, seriously... this is lint, cob webs, detergent grime... you name it, it's been there as long as we've lived here because we've never cleaned this space since we moved in... 5 years ago. I'm so embarrased, but not anymore!

AFTER~~AFTER~~AFTER~~AFTER~~AFTER~~AFTER~~AFTER

My husband helped and we moved EVERYTHING out of the Laundry "Closet", including the washer and dryer. We scrubbed down the floors, walls, and everything in between. The washer even got new hoses and the dryer vent was cleaned out. It was GROSS! We painted the walls and the shelves a lovely blue color by Sherwin Williams called Drizzle. Everything was put back into containers for organizing. I have to admit, these are NOT the containers I intended to photograph. I had chosen some wonderful white wooden crates to be used, however when I went to purchase them, the store was out of them. I'll keep checking back in hopes that I can finish the laundry area like I had intended. I store my lightbulbs, cleaning supplies, and extra rolls of paper towels in this space as well as my ironing board & iron.

See the cute scrapbook ribbon I used for the light pull instead of plain string? So cute!

Believe it or not, this was a WEDDING present!

Tip Jar (for loose change found in pockets or for TIPS!)

New door knobs!

I'm now inspired and my husband is ready to tackle the hall bath now and replace the flooring in there! I'm shooting for new countertops and maybe a new cabinet too. I think I can get a good deal at work! But first, we need to replace our entire HVAC system in our house! Anyone up for a fundraiser?!

Apron Giveaway

2008-11-21T10:33:00.002-06:00

I LOVE aprons, I just bought a bunch of patterns to make aprons for both Addy and myself. I found a great Apron Giveaway over at The Apronista. If you win, we'll have to do a time share agreement, I get it one month, you get it the next, it's only fair since I sent you there! My favorite part about these aprons... they are built for us larger ladies! YEAH!

Giveaway you won't want to miss!

2008-11-19T11:17:00.002-06:00

I stumbled upon a blogger, named Michelle who writes a blog called Getting Unstuck. Her latest post is a giveaway post. A friend of hers has offered to take her on a girl's vacation to celebrate her 40th birthday. She's looking for suggestions of where to take this vacation. Make a suggestion in the comments section of her blog and you'll be entered to win a necklace from Cookie Lee Jewelry! I figured this tied in to my recent post about planning a getaway so this was a great tie in. So, check it out, there are two ways to win!

Guest Posting - Pre-eclampsia

2008-11-19T05:30:00.000-06:00

Today you'll find my post over at Parenting the Tiniest of Miracles. My friend Jessica (aka JessieLeigh) asked me to write about my experience with pre-eclampsia, which was the reason our daughter, Addyson, was born 15 weeks too early. Check out MY STORY in it's entirety and don't be a stranger... poke around to see what else JessieLeigh writes about. I find her posts filled with informative details and a passion for parenting... and not just the tiniest of miracles!

works-for-me wednesday

2008-11-19T01:00:00.000-06:00

For those loyal readers, I first want to apologize for being absent from blogging the last few weeks. I'd love to say it was because I was on some wonderful vacation with my family, but that's just not the case. We've been dealing with some ongoing health issues with my daughter, Addyson (nothing too serious, the the typical feeding issues and LOTS of vomiting... TMI!). And now on to the good stuff...

What's a better cure for the daily burn out than a weekend getaway with the hubby?! Since Addy was born in April 2007, Nick and I haven't really had much time to ourselves. And, that used to be OUR THING. We used to get away for a weekend at least 3 times a year. It's the time we would reconnect and replenish. We never traveled far, staying in Indiana. The lodge at Brown County State Park, tent camping in the heart of covered bridge country, a Bed & Breakfast in Southern Indiana, a cabin at a small campground, we found ourselves immersed in the local atmosphere, exploring the wilderness, and reliving history at the historical sites. I miss that time we had together and our relationship could use a good dose of rekindling. So, drum roll please.....

This upcoming Saturday morning, we are heading out on our first back pack camping adventure! We've always been tent camping kind of people, but it's always been at a campground... a fire pit at each site, outhouses or bath houses nearby, you know the kind. Pull up in your car, park, and unload your trunk. Hop in the car to go sight seeing around town or to run to the gas station for a bag of ice. This time is different. We are camping on private property owned by a friend of Nick's. There is a huge wooded area with a pond. We'll park at his house, load up our backpacks, and hike to the opposite end of the property to set up a campsite. We're trying to go as rustic as we are comfortable with. Obviously, we won't be miles and miles away from civilization, but I think it's a great way to prepare ourselves for future back pack camping adventures. Here's the hitch... according to the most recent weather.com forecast, Saturday we will see a high of 39 and a low of 24. That's pretty darn cold to be tent camping. Last year, we were able to get away for a camping night and it was pretty cold, but I don't think it was that cold.

I've been busy planning the trip, which has kept my mind off of dealing with the day in and day out crud. I've gotten our meals planned, our gear organized, and our warm clothes purchased and washed. New hiking boots were on my list and I was finally able to get some tonight. A bit more than I'm used to spending on shoes, especially since they are not everyday type shoes, but I hope to do a lot more hiking and camping in the future, so I think it's a good investment. I just need to figure out the best way to carry and keep clean water for the trip without it freezing. Nick thinks we may need to get a tent heater, just in case. I'm well prepared and don't think it's necessary, but we'll see. We plan on wearing layers of the proper clothing and our sleeping bags are really top notch and built for this kind of thing.

I'm looking forward to enjoying nature, my husband, peace and quiet, and trail mix! A toasty fire and a night under the stars works for me. I'd love to know what your ideal getaway with your significant other is, as we are always looking for new travel destinations. Share in the comments below, then read what works for other bloggers over at works-for-me wednesday hosted by RocksInMyDryer.

Prematurity Awareness Day

2008-11-12T14:39:00.003-06:00

November is Prematurity Awareness Day and November 12th is Prematurity Awareness Day. The local Indianapolis chapter of the March of Dimes is having a Candlelight Vigil tonight and a Preemie Roll Call. The city is dyeing the canal purple and there are purple ribbons tied around trees downtown. See what else is happening here or visit this link and enter your zip code to find out what's happening in your area.

Addy Update

2008-11-11T15:11:00.003-06:00

Addy's next test (Gastric Emptying Test) is scheduled for November 24th. We'll hope that it leads us to the answer for Addy's constant vomiting. I was cleaning up Addy vomit twice yesterday and once this morning at 6:30. I hate to see her getting sick like this. I mean, really. The poor girl has been vomiting almost every day of her 18+ months!

We are STILL waiting to hear about the synagis shots that Addy should be getting. I spoke with nurse Collette today. She sent the paperwork in to the insurance company on Oct 29th (You'd think it would have been done sooner, since RSV season is Nov-March 31st this year!). She said she'd call to let us know as soon as she finds something out.

We kept our insurance through COBRA even though it costs $700 a month for Addy and I because it was her only chance to qualify for the synagis. Our other option would be to be put on Nick's insurance ($550/month) but synagis is NOT covered by his insurance. Since the shots are about $1000 each and she should get 5 over the RSV season, we figured we'd stay on the COBRA insurance until after RSV season. If her insurance company says she doesn't qualify this year, I'm going to be really upset! Let's all keep our fingers crossed!

EDITED TO ADD: Collette called to say Addy has been approved for synagis. We should be getting a call this week to schedule her first shot!

The good news... Addy's physical therapist through First Steps visited Addy this week and said that Addy is doing so well, she doesn't need physical therapy anymore! Renee will visit us one more time to see if we have any concerns before she does the release paperwork. It's a great step for Addyson. Of course, Addy will still get her Occupational Therapy that works on fine motor skills and feeding skills. We are in the process of adding a Dietitian and a Psychologist to the mix too, so we can give Addy all the tools she needs to feel better about eating. Of course, who wants to eat when you're vomiting all the time, so we really need to get that vomiting thing under control before we can expect to see any progress in the eating.

I'd love to hear from other families who are going through DGE or motility issues as well as oral aversion. Any info or suggestions help.

Huggies Coupon Winner

2008-11-07T13:22:00.002-06:00

And the winner is...

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2008-11-07 19:22:38 UTC

Congratulations Jennifer. I will be emailing you for your mailing address.

I'll try to do more of these, as it seems to be an easy way to brighten someone's day!

Thanks for playing along.

Giveaway of my own.

2008-11-05T11:17:00.005-06:00

Contest is now Closed. See next post for winner.

Well, with all the Giveaway love going on around the bloggy world, I just couldn't be left out. I don't have much to give, but I'm sure with all the frugal mommies out there, someone could use these.

I have two (2) coupons sent to me by Huggies for $1.50 Off any package of HUGGIES Diapers (expires 02/02/2009). By combining these with sales and such, I'm sure a Huggies user could find these useful.

So, all you need to do is post a comment (if your name isn't clickable, please leave your email address so I can contact you.) I will randomly choose a winner the afternoon of Friday, November 7th post the winner, and will contact the winner for their address. I will mail these coupons out on Saturday morning.

I'd love to link this giveaway with the electronic signing of the March of Dimes Petition for Preemies button located in the right column of my blog, but since I have no way to track it, please just promise you'll check it out and sign it if you think it's important.

Back to our Regularly Scheduled Programming

2008-11-05T10:21:00.002-06:00

I have chosen NOT to blog about politics, like many other mom's whose blogs I read. However, I will say that YES, I voted. And YES, I am glad the campaigning and elections are over. Back to our regularly scheduled programming. Besides, our house is divided, so we don't discuss politics at home either... it works for us.

Org Junkie's Monthly Organizing Round-Up

2008-11-05T08:34:00.004-06:00

Well, I have to admit that I am not as organized as I used to be or want to be. I go through nesting phases where I have to stop everything and reorganize a closet or a room. There are many places in my house that could use a good clean sweep.

You may recognize the mention of the blog I'm an Organizing Junkie. I participate in her Menu Plan Monday on occasion and have recently been interested in another blog idea she hosts. It's called Org Junkie's Monthly Organizing Round-Up.

Each month, she calls out a particular space in the home. Participants usually take before and after photos of the space that they are organizing. Many times, she offers a giveaway to a winner. Last month, participants were asked to organize their craft/sewing rooms or spaces. I didn't participate, but was motivated by the before and after photos.

So, for the month of November, Org Junkie has announced that the Laundry Room will be the space of choice. This couldn't be a more perfect place for me to begin this Round-Up. You see, I don't mind doing laundry, but I hate putting it away, so I have a basket on top of the dryer that all the clean clothes have been going into and I pull stuff from it when I need them. This weekend, I pulled a sweater from the basket that had been there since last spring when I stopped wearing warm sweaters. I got a spider bite from a little spider that was hiding in the sweater, so I decided to rewash all the clothes in that basket, just in case! I keep all the extra cleaning supplies, paper products, lightbulbs, and other types of junk in the laundry room and I haven't reorganized since we moved in about 5 years ago... it's desperate!

You can join me and others by playing along with the Laundry edition of Org Junkie's Monthly Organizing Round-Up.

Want to win something great?

2008-11-05T07:47:00.002-06:00

This morning, I found two unique giveaways that I thought you might be interested in.

The first one is from Parenting the Tiniest of Miracles. She has been given the opportunity to share Basket of Indulgence gift baskets with her readers and is giving away one each week. Visit her blog to enter this giveaway and to learn more about the wonderful miracles we call micro-preemies. I won a pumpkin book from Parenting the Tiniest of Miracles just last week!

The second one is from Extreme House Wifeing. She is giving away a vintage Culinary Arts Institute encyclopedic cookbook from 1962. There are three ways to enter her giveaway, so be sure to visit her Etsy store, leave a comment, sign up for her newsletter, and post about the giveaway on your own blog.

I encourage you to visit these blogs... come on, branch out. IT'S TIME FOR CHANGE!

Smile

2008-11-04T09:26:00.005-06:00

This photo was taken when Addy was only 2 months old (photo dated June 29th). I'm sharing this in response to the My Story Monday post over at Parenting the Tiniest of Miracles. She didn't ask for a response, but I loved her photo of "C" so I thought I'd share one of my favorites of Addy on the c-pap machine too. This little machine makes her look like a little elephant with that long nose tube.

Trick or Treating with a GIRAFFE

2008-11-01T10:24:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween! (Addy update!)

2008-10-31T08:29:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween! I'll be sure to post back tomorrow with trick-or-treat photos. Since this will be Addy's first time trick-or-treating, I thought we'd do a reverse trick-or-treat and hand candy back to the houses we visit. Nick and I made cute little treat bags last night with about 5 pieces of candy in each. We used up some of my scrapbook scrap paper and they turned out so cute. We won't be home to pass out candy, so this is our way to give back. I hope people get it. We'll probably only hit 10 houses or so, but still, it should be fun. The weather looks great too. Between 60-68 degrees. Not bad for Halloween in Indiana!

Yesterday we had an eventful day. After working in the morning, we had to take Addy to Riley for her 18 month pediatrician appointment. She got a vaccine and a flu shot. Unless she gets sick, they don't need to see her for 6 months! YAHOO! Her weight is still a concern, but the developmental team is following that so the pediatrician said he didn't need to follow it too.

I asked the doctor to print the results of her Upper GI and Small Bowel Follow Through for me since I hadn't gotten them (test was done Sept 22). No problem. He did and it showed no abnormalities. I also received the results from the pH probe and the impedance study in the mail yesterday. Once again, no abnormalities... her level of acid reflux was totally in the norm, she didn't even need the prevacid we had been giving her for the better part of a year now! (Of course, she could have grown out of it a little too, but I wonder why no one suggested this test before we started medicating her!). The other day, we received a letter about the biopsies they did during the endoscopy. Of course, they were all normal, so all the tests we've done so far have not gotten us any closer to the answer to why she is always vomiting and can't handle her feedings well.

I called the GI office after returning home from the hospital. Dr. Fitzgerald, himself, called me back and said he really didn't think there was anything else they could do for us and he referred us back to developmental. His suggestion was that it was behavioral. I just couldn't really wrap my head around it. Why on earth would she be vomiting on purpose? Doesn't make any sense to me. Then, while on the phone with someone else, Dr. Fitzgerald called back and left a voicemail. He said that there was one other test that could be done, a gastric emptying test. The results of this may show why she is vomiting and not able to handle volume or rate increases well. He said his office would be calling to schedule the tests.

Dr. Fitzgerald has also passed all of these test results on to developmental and has requested that developmental contact us about doing a swallow study. I think the last one we did was about a year ago. This would rule out aspiration and would allow us to be more confident with giving her food by mouth. I'd also like to discuss a possible food allergy test with developmental, although I think this is done by the pulmonology office. I've asked from day one if she could possibly be allergic to something in her Neosure and all the doctors have been adament that it wasn't possible. We'll see.

Addy is 18 months and 6 days old (14 months and 21 days according to her due date) and weighs 18 lbs, 5.7oz. Her length is 28 1/4". Obviously, this is well below the pecentage charts and we'd all love to see her catch up. Look at the hair growing over her little ears... she may need a haircut soon!

Car Seat Dillema

2008-10-30T09:19:00.004-05:00

So, remember this post about getting Addyson a new car seat? Well, we did get that car seat and tried to install it as a rear facing, but for some reason, the latch system didn't work well with that seat. Since safety is more important than a great deal, we took that car seat back to Kmart and are in search of another one. I'm thinking about getting the Evenflo Triumph Advance LX Convertible Car Seat but I wish it came in a more girly color. Does anyone have any reviews of this car seat that they'd like to share with me before we go looking this weekend? I'd be interested in looking at other carseats, so send me your recommendations. Addy only weighs about 18 lbs, is about 29 inches tall, and is 18 months old. I drive a small SUV, but Nick will sometimes need to put it into the bucket seat of his small S-10 pickup truck. We'd like to do rear-facing for as long as possible.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-10-27T09:16:00.000-05:00

This week is a little scattered with Halloween and Nick being out of town for a bit, but here is our Menu none the less.

Sunday - loaded baked potatoes (Nick brought potatoes home from work and we used things from the fridge to complete the meal)
Monday - leftovers of the Chicken Enchiladas from last week for Nick (they were WAY too spicy for me! and I made Tuna Casserole (from pantry stockpile) for myself
Tuesday - Nick's out of town, so I'll eat leftover Tuna Casserole
Wednesday - Eggs & Toast (late night for Nick at work)
Thursday - Pork Chops (on sale), Scalloped Potatoes (from my pantry stockpile)
Friday - (quick because of Halloween!) Sloppy Joes (on sale $0.99/can @ Meijer + buy 3 get buns FREE!, need to buy ground beef & chips for "side dish")
Saturday - Chili in crockpot (I've been stocking up on supplies for this, so all I need to buy is ground beef!)

I've been overspending quite a bit at the grocery store because I've been stocking up on great prices. Nick bought me a tall storage cabinet to put in the garage (since my car is too big to park in the garage, I thought it only fair that I could use a little of the space for food storage!). I'll store canned goods and cleaning supplies out there, as I worry about critters if I store boxed goods like cereal and pasta. This week, I decided to use my stockpile and only buy a few things we need to complete the menu. Remember, however, this is a great time of year to stock up on baking goods (flour, sugar, etc.) so I did need to get a few things I was almost out of.

What's everyone else dishing up this week? Head over to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie to find out!

Thirsty Thursday

2008-10-23T07:02:00.000-05:00

Ok, this one contains alcohol too, like last week. Sorry for those of you looking for family friendly or healthy drinks! I mentioned last week that I'd post about an interactive drink that we like to have with our friends at parties, such as the Halloween Party coming up. I think I learned this drink from a bunch of guys in college, who I'm sure were up to no good teaching this to me. It's called Peppermint Pattie. The "drinker" sits in a chair and tilts head back and opens mouth wide. The "bartender" squeezes Hershey's syrup into the "drinker's" mouth. Without swallowing the chocolate syrup, "drinker" then takes a shot of peppermint schnapps, and mixes the two in their mouth before swallowing. I guess it doesn't really take two people to do this drink, but it makes it more fun and messy. Plus, it tastes like a York Peppermint Pattie.

Leave a link to share your drink. Don't have a blog? - leave your drink in the comments section!

CVS Steal (oops, I mean DEAL!)

2008-10-22T12:18:00.004-05:00

Sometimes I wonder how I ever lived without all these great blogs that taught me how to CVS. Yes, I'm using CVS as a verb. Don't laugh. Here was my most recent senario... done today on my lunch hour.

2.00 Reese Nutrageous Fun Size Candy Bars
2.00 Reese Peanut Butter Fun Size Cups
2.00 Kit Kat Fun Size Bars
2.49 Q-tips (375ct)
2.99 Desitin Ointment
2.99 Johnsons Baby Wash
2.99 Johnsons Baby Wash
2.99 Johnsons Baby Wash
2.99 Johnsons Baby Wash
2.99 Johnsons Baby Wash
2.99 Johnsons Baby Wash
2.79 Huggies Wipes (64 ct)
2.79 Colgate Total Whitening Toothpaste
0.00 Colgate Total Whitening Toothpaste (Buy one, get one free!)
0.99 Gold Emblem Candy (Dum-Dum Suckers) - we can get Addy "eat" these!
0.99 Gold Emblem Candy (Dum-Dum Suckers)
---------
$36.98 Subtotal (before taxes)
-$5.00 off of a $30.00 purchase (got from the price check kiosk when I scanned my CVS card)
-$1.98 off of two Gold Emblem Candy ($2.00 but adjusted down to actual price)
-$3.00 off wyb 3 Johnson's products (from recent coupon insert)
-$3.00 off wyb 3 Johnson's products (from recent coupon insert)
-$1.00 off Desitin coupon (probably from some baby mailing?)
-$0.30 off Q-tips (from recent coupon insert)
-$1.00 off wyb 3 Reese's fun size candy bags (from recent coupon insert)
-$1.00 off Colgate Total (from recent coupon insert)
-$1.00 off Colgate Total (from recent coupon insert)
----------
$19.70 Subtotal (before taxes)
-$10.00 ECB (earned from completing a CVS online survey)
-$2.58 ECB (earned from hubby purchasing 2 bags of Brach's candy corn on Monday)
-$2.00 ECB (can't remember what this one is from... maybe toothpaste?)
-$4.50 ECB (earned from quarterly spending)
----------
$0.62 Subtotal (before taxes)
$0.62 Sales Tax
-----------
$1.24 TOTAL OOP

EARNED $10.00 ECB for the Q-tips, Huggies, Desitin, Johnson's, Similac, or Gerber Deal (needed to spend $25 to earn $10).

Although I spent $19.08 in ECB, I was ok becuase these were items we needed anyways, and now I still have $10 to spend next time.

I had planned on getting 4 boxes of kleenex for $0.89 each - (4) $0.40 coupons, but they were all out. I also wanted to pick up the Excedrin that was on sale for $1.99 and use the $2.00 off coupon I have, but they were out. I'll stop by the CVS near my house and if they don't have it, I'll ask for a rain check so I can get them next week for the sale price and still use my coupons.
Luckily my new work cell phone has a calculator on it, so I was able to rework the deals in the store after they were missing items from my original plan.

Omaha Steak Burgers

2008-10-22T12:06:00.003-05:00

For other frugal bloggers, you may already know about the craziness over at the Catherine Wheels blog about the $25 gift card to Omaha Steaks from GEICO. Well, I got my gift card code from GEICO and went through her steps, only to find a minimum purchase restriction of $100. I contacted customer service and they said they would honor the originial gift card without the restriction, I just needed to place the order by phone. I was able to order 12 - 4oz Omaha Steak Burgers (originally $32.99) for $3.xx. They were on sale for $14.99 + $13.xx shipping. Subtract the $25 gift card leaving the total OOP at $3.xx. That's just over a dollar/lb, delivered right to my door. Not bad!

Since I recieved the gift card code this morning, they have placed the restriction on the gift card email, so if you don't yet have your code, you won't be able to get this great deal, but for those of you who may still be attempting to get to the bottom of the process, just give them a call and ask customer service about it.

works-for-me wednesday: Halloween Costumes

2008-10-22T09:06:00.002-05:00

Two things about this upcoming Halloween...

I bought a giraffe costume at the second hand store a month or two ago for Addy. It is a 24 month size, but it was only $12 and REALLY cute! I figured she could wear it this year and next year. Then we went to a huge garage sale at my mother in law's church this past Saturday. All clothes were 25 cents each. I found two costumes. One is a lion and one is a spider. The lion will probably only fit her for this year, we'll save the giraffe for next year, and then the spider can be for the year after that... So, $12.50 divided by 3 years equals 4.17 per year/costume. Not bad. Let's just hope she wants to be a giraffe next year and a spider after that. If not, I guess they are fun for dress up. Inexpensive costumes work for Addyson!

Every year, we attend a Halloween party hosted by our friends, Phillip & Kathy! It's a costume party, so I always struggle with what to wear. This year, I've decided to dress as Kat Von D. For those of you who don't know who she is, check out this webpage. She's a rockin' tattoo artist with her own shop in LA. She has a new makeup line at Sephora also. For those of you who know me, you'll understand my hesitation with this. I am NOT a makeup girl - I do wear it, but it's BASIC, a little mascara & lipgloss. So, I'm glad my friend gave me a gift certificate to the salon/spa this past summer. The salon does makeup, so I've scheduled an appointment to have them make me look like this. I'm excited and have almost all the other details planned. I have the wig and it needs a little work... anyone know how to get those folds out of a wig (from being in a package so long)? The tattoo sleeves I purchased are too small, so I may end up trying to draw the tattoos on with a marker (anyone have any other suggestions besides SHARPIE?). I have found the perfect Tshirt at Walmart that I am going to alter too. I'll see what I can do about getting some good after photos done to post.

So, I guess what I'm saying is Halloween costumes work for me... I get excited about planning them and being someone else for a night. It's harmless and fun.

Stop over to works-for-me wednesday over at RocksInMyDryer and see her exciting new blog design!

Update on Addyson

2008-10-21T09:06:00.003-05:00

Well, my little pumpkin had a long day yesterday. She was scheduled for an Upper GI at Riley Children's Hospital. If you'll remember our original issue with this procedure, you'll know they wouldn't do the procedure the first time we went to have it done, but they did the other half of the tests. Of course, when I scheduled it this time, I made sure to ask a few questions. 1. Are you sure she needs to have this done or did you get the results you needed from the tests that have already been done? 2. Are you going to actually be able to do the test this time?

Well, of course, Nick took a half day off work to go with us, we had to skip a feeding for her because they wanted an empty stomach, and we had to head down there for the afternoon. We sat in the GERM filled waiting room for about an hour. They called her name and we went back with the nurse and explained the situation. She wanted to do some checking to see what actually needed to be done and how to do it. Wouldn't you know it? They had the results they needed from the previous test and we didn't need to be there! Oh, I was furious (still am!).

It is rediculous... the follow up care that we have received at that hospital has been nothing short of a jumbled mess. One doctor doesn't know what the other is doing, yet she has to be followed by her regular pediatrician, the devleopmental pediatrician & her dietitian, and now the GI specialist. On top of these, we used to have pulmonology too. Indiana's Early Intervention program, First Steps, also follows her for Physical Therapy (2x/month), Occupational Therapy (1x/week), and we are now being evaluated for Nutritional Therapy (2x/month) and a Child Psychologist is going to come next week for her first evaluation.

Under the direction of the Nutritional Therapy and the Developmental Pediatrician's dietitian, we started a new formula last night. Addy vomited this morning, but not more than she did yesterday morning on her old formula. The new formula is a richer calorie formula, but we watered it down slightly for the first few feedings in hopes to make the transition easier. Addyson has been on Neosure (a special preemie formula) for her entire life. Once she reached 12 months old, we thought she would be switched, but she hadn't reached the weight requirements for the new formula, so we didn't need to switch. Technically we still don't need to, but we are hoping to find a formula that her body doesn't hate. Then again, since we don't know what is causing her to vomit, it may be the formula or it may be her body... we don't have any results back, so we don't have any answers yet. It's so frustrating!

Menu Plan Monday

2008-10-20T18:27:00.002-05:00

Sunday - Baked Ziti Pasta, Green Beans, Garlic Bread... Brownies for dessert (we had company!)

Monday - Betty Crocker Slow Cooker Cowboy Stew and Crescent Rolls (Yes, we finally had this after having on the menu for weeks! It was pretty good, but the beans made it sweet... interesting, but not bad. I think it could have used some carrots too!)

Tuesday - Easy Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas (recipe found in a recent coupon insert... I'll share if it ends up being a good recipe.)

Wednesday - Amish Breakfast Casserole

Thursday - Grilled Chicken & Veggies

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Halloween Party (I'll need to have something for my parents who will be babysitting for Addyson and staying the night!)

What's on your family's table this week. Share over at Menu Plan Monday by I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Thirsty Thursday

2008-10-16T07:05:00.001-05:00

CAUTION!!! THIS ONE CONTAINS ALCOHOL!!!

This year, Nick and I will be attending our friends' annual Halloween Party. In the past, these parties have been known to get crazy and VERY entertaining! Everyone shows up in costume... and it's all couples - married couples at that, but we still party like we're in college! Last year we were unable to attend due to Addyson's health. This year, we are not missing it. I'm planning my costume and hubby is still thinking of his. Everyone always brings some type of dish to share and drinks too. These aren't your typical beer guzzlers... we have a more interesting palette. I thought I'd bring the makings for these Carmel Apple Martini's. Here is the recipe.(photo above courtesy of mbm951)

CARMEL APPLE MARTINI

2 fluid ounces best-quality vodka
1 fluid ounce sour apple schnapps
1/2 fluid ounce butterscotch schnapps
1 cup crushed ice

Combine vodka, schnapps, and crushed ice in a shaker. Shake vigorously to chill. Pour into martini glass, garnish with dried apple, and serve. Makes 1 serving.

Next week I'll be posting an "interactive" drink that we've had at previous Halloween parties.

Want to share a favorite drink recipe... don't be shy. Maybe it's a milkshake or a punch recipe. Or maybe your favorite hot cocoa drink. Write a post on your blog and link it here. I can't wait to see what you are all drinking!

Mama Koala Tagged Me!

2008-10-15T10:17:00.004-05:00

So, I just realized that last week I was tagged by Mama Koala. She's a regular comment-leaver and participant of Thirsty Thursday, so I apologize for not playing along sooner!

1. I love being barefoot, except walking on concrete... the texture drives me crazy - like nails on a chalkboard!
2. I've recently become interested in aprons. I'm going to try a small smock type apron for Addyson as my first sewing project. My mom is letting me borrow her sewing machine.
3. I'm having lunch today with my friend Wendy. We are meeting at El Rodeo, a mexican restaurant here in town... it's our usual.
4. We honeymooned in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, stayed at The Tern Inn's Honeymoon Cottage. It's cold there in October!
5. I like to dip my Doritos in Cottage Cheese.
6. Along with the Candy Apple Martini drinks, I'll be making cupcakes for the Halloween Party this year!
7. I drive a purple Pontiac Torrent and I named her Hendrix. She has a sun roof and a CD player. I don't love her leather seats - too hot or too cold!

I am breaking the cycle by NOT calling anyone out in particular. However, if you'd like to play along, please feel free to jump in and play. I love reading random bits about other people and look forward to reading about you. Please post a link to your post in the comments section so I know you are playing along!

Thanks Mama Koala! This was FUN!

works for me wednesday = give a way contest

2008-10-15T07:53:00.002-05:00

There are many reasons would enter a give away, but I don't do it very often. I usually only enter a give away if I could really use the product. Today I read about Irwin Toys: Baby So Real Review and Give-Away over at The Centsible Sawyer. This Baby So Real looks like the perfect Christmas gift for my daughter, Addyson. As many of you readers know, Addyson was born 15 weeks early causing her to have slight developmental delays and she doesn't take food by mouth, but instead has a g-tube. Her many doctors and therapists have suggested that we use dolls to mimick real life mommy-baby interaction. Addyson does have a small doll that she has recently learned to put a bottle to her mouth, but the doll is far from real looking. I'd love to win the Baby So Real Doll to help her learn feeding and other fine motor skills. So, not only does Baby So Real work for me, but The Centsible Sawyer's Review and Give-Away works for me too!

Want to see what works for other bloggers this week? Head on over to works-for-me wednesday at RocksInMyDryer.

Toolin' Up Tuesday

2008-10-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

Seems that recently, my Toolin' Up Tuesday posts have been online tools. This one is no different. Remember that TV show, PeeWee's playhouse? Remember the "picturephone"? If not, see a video clip here, don't worry, it's clean! Well, check this service out... it's just like the picturephone (except without the tin can!) Last winter, we were introduced to Skype. It is a FREE online phone service with web cam abilities. My sister in law gave us a web cam and told us about Skype. Because she travels the world and is only visiting a few times a year, she wanted us to be able to share Addyson with her where ever she found herself living at the time. It has been a great way for us to keep in touch, although we don't do it as often now as she is currently living halfway across the globe and the time difference is tricky. Many computers now come with a web cam, either as a seperate piece or built in. You can sign up for a Skype account and reconnect with friends and family. Perfect for those with little ones or for those who prefer face to face conversations. Try it, you'll be hooked!

Read about the tools other bloggers are talking about at Toolin' Up Tuesday over at LifeAsMOM.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-10-13T08:26:00.000-05:00

Sunday - Leftovers of French Bread Pizzas
Monday - Baked Pork Chops, Corn Casserole, Fried Apples
Tuesday - Taco Cups (Crescent Rolls in Muffin Cups filled with Taco Meat & Cheese, after baking, add typical taco toppings)
Wednesday - Pancakes & Bacon
Thursday - Grilled Chicken & Veggies
Friday - Ravioli & Garlic Bread & Green Beans
Saturday - Betty Crocker Slow Cooker Cowboy Stew (I keep thinking we are going to have this, then something comes up, so we'll try again this week!)

You'll probably notice we eat Breakfast a lot for dinner on Wednesdays. Sundays we usually have something quick. Nick works late those nights and is usually not ready for dinner until 8 or so. Breakfasts are usually a quick dinner so they fit in our plan. Besides, who doesn't like breakfast for dinner?

You want to know more about menu planning and see other's menu plans? Visit Menu Plan Monday over at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Update on Addyson's Surgery

2008-10-10T14:28:00.000-05:00

Addy did well, although it was a very LONG night here at home with those wires down her nose and attached to her stomach on the outside too. Those wires were connected to a monitor. Each time Addy woke up, fell asleep, was eating, stopped eating, coughed, gagged, or vomited we had to push a button and make a notation in a journal. The wires were not very long, so we couldn't let her walk around and play without being right by her side moving that monitor. Her arms were in braces to keep her from bending her elbows so she couldn't pull the tube out. It was stressful for her and she hated all that tape stuck to her face. We went back today and had the wires taken out. We will have results in 3 weeks.

Remember when she went in for the Upper GI and the Small Bowel Follow Through? It was near the end of September. They refused to do the Upper GI since she doesn't take liquid by mouth. I requested that they call the GI specialist that wrote the orders for the test to be done, as I was sure he wouldn't have written for it if it couldn't be done. I had read about other G-tube kids having the test done, but the doctor conducting the test assured me that there was nothing they could do and they wouldn't do the test. I spoke with her GI doctor yesterday (as he was the one conducting the Endoscopy and such) and informed him of the issue with the Upper GI. He was very upset and said that it should have been done. He said they could do it with an NG tube (feeding tube through her nose, just as we used to feed her). Of course, we now have to go back and have that test done. It is infuriating because it means another trip to the hospital... especially now that cold/flu/RSV season is upon us. It means another day off of work. It means more copays. It means more parking fees.... the list goes on and on. I'm very upset that Addy has to go through all that again. Anyone know of a way for me to "nicely" get that taken care of? I want them to know we aren't happy, I just don't know the right person to go to.

Thirsty Thursday

2008-10-08T20:30:00.003-05:00

This week's version of Thirsty Thursday is going to be short and sweet. I'm trying to get my family prepared for Addy's surgical procedure that is happening at 8am Thursday, so I'm writing this on Wednesday evening. I won't have much internet access for a day or so, but please participate. It will give me something to look forward to after taking care of Addy.

This recipe came with the Pampered Chef Family-Size Quick-Stir Pitcher.

Orange Plunge-sicle

6 cups milk
2 cans (12 oz each) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 pint softened vanilla ice cream
1 can (15 oz) mandarin orange segments in light syrup, undrained, mashed

Place all ingredients in pitcher. Plunge until frothy (this pitcher has a built in stirring plunger - you could use a whisk or you could make this in the blender). Serve immediately.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Want to participate? Write a post on your blog (you can even use the image I created above) and link back to this post. Insert the link to your post in the Mr. Linky below so others can read your submissions.

Wordless Wednesday, Sleeping Angel Contest, works-for-me wednesday, and Special Exposure Wednesday!

2008-10-08T10:11:00.005-05:00

I usually only participate in works-for-me wednesdays over at Rocks In My Dryer, however, I found Wordless Wednesday over at 5 Minutes for Mom, and Special Exposure Wednesday over at 5 Minutes for Special Needs.

I'm combining this post with my contest entry post. You see, 5 Minutes for Mom has posted about a contest they are calling Sleeping Angel Contest where contestants can win either the Lily Rose Bedroom Set or the Summer Breeze Bedroom Set for your child from Home & Bedroom Furniture. Click on the Sleeping Angel Contest to find out how to participate!

This photo of Addy was taken by her Granddaddy while she was sleeping on her Grin's lap this past July. Although Addy still sleeps in a crib, we'd love to win the Summer Breeze Bedroom Set in Vanilla Cream to create a beautiful little girl bedroom for her.

This post is also being used for my participation in Special Exposure Wednesday over at 5 Minutes for Special Needs. I have a link to their website on the left column of this blog. Check them out too!

As always, I am participating in works-for-me wednesdays over at Rocks In My Dryer. I don't know a mom of a child under 12 that this contest doesn't work for!

Addy's Surgery

2008-10-08T08:28:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is Addy's second round of GI tests. She is having an Endoscopy, pH Probe, and Impedence Study. These are tests that require her to be sedated. We will report to surgery at Riley at 8:00AM, the procedure is scheduled to begin at 9:30 and is reported to last about an hour. She is expected to be in recovery for about an hour and a half. They suggested that we plan on being at the hospital for 5-6 hours. It is also my understanding that we will need to return on Friday to have the probes removed (they will leave the probes in place, we will return home and she will continue her normal activity while the monitors are recording her GI functions for 24 hours).

Please keep Addy in your thoughts over the next few days as we know this will be unpleasant for her. It's never easy to hand your child over to be sedated and poked at, but we hope this will bring us the answers we need to make her feel better in the long run. We will report back as soon as we can with outcomes, results, or updates.

Tomorrow is also our 4th wedding anniversary!

Toolin' Up Tuesday

2008-10-07T09:02:00.000-05:00

Last week was fun - guest hosting for fishmama over at Life as MOM.

This week, I'm posting a day late because I was unable to use the internet yesterday - I had a field trip for work to Arthur, IL. It was a long day, but I got to visit Carstin Brands factory where they make cultured marble, solid surface, quartz, and granite counter-tops.

I'm back now and hoping that it's ok that I'm posting late.

The tool that I find very useful for sharing photos is Walgreens Photo. I can upload digital images from my computer/camera to the photo storage on the Walgreen's site. From this site, I can place an order to be printed and mailed to me or I can pick up from a local Walgreens in as little as 1 hour. The best part about this site is I can select prints and have them printed at the local Walgreen's near my parent's house. Mom can pick up photos on her way home from work. I can pay online or she can pay when she picks them up. You can also create a group so others can view your photos, add photos of their own, and order the ones they want. They offer many other photo gifts as well. We used their calendar product last year to create a custom calendar with photos of Addyson and her cousin Grace. We gave these as Christmas gifts to grandparents and great grandparents. We plan to do it again this year. I will be waiting for a Walgreen's coupon to come along, as this is the best way to make a customized, inexpensive, and well received Christmas gift.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-10-06T08:59:00.004-05:00

Well, this isn't a very healthy menu plan this week, but it's getting that time of year when we are craving comfort foods. We need a quick fix, so this week will be very filling. We'll try to get back to a healthier menu next week.

Sunday - Meatball Subs & Chips (frozen meatballs in crockpot with jarred pasta sauce over top. Cook till heated through. Serve on hoagie roll with mozzerella cheese)

Monday - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Meatloaf

2 eggs
3/4 c milk
1/2 c dry bread crumbs
1/4 c chopped onion
2 T parsley
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/2 t ground sage
1 1/2 lbs ground meat (I use a mix of beef, pork, and veal - $2.99/lb @ Meijer)

Combine all ingredients, pat into loaf pan & bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

Topping:

1/4 c ketchup
2 T brown sugar
1 t dry mustard.

Mix and spread over meat loaf, return to oven for 10 minutes. I make a second batch of this topping to dip the meatloaf into when eating it!

Tuesday - Pork Chops, Baked Apples & Corn Bake

Corn Bake

1 can creamed corn
1 can whole corn (drained)
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix (dry)
8 oz sour cream
1 stick butter (melted)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients and pour into greased 9 x 9 pan. Bake for 45 minutes.

Wednesday - Eggs, Bacon, Hashbrowns

Thursday - Grilled Chicken and Veggie Foil Packets (This is Nick's favorite right now so we have it about every week!)

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Betty Crocker Slow Cooker Cowboy Stew

I was able to return to my weekly budget of $40. After last weeks budget buster, I was happy to see I could stick to the budget even though prices are certainly rising around here! I didn't use many coupons, but with the stock piling that I've been doing, sticking to the budget wasn't too hard, I even had to buy all the meat for this week - our freezer is looking bare!

For more great meal plans, check out Menu Plan Monday over at Organizing Junkie, where her topic this week is Thanksgiving (remember the Canadian Thanksgiving is much earlier than the US Thanksgiving!).

Thirsty Thursday

2008-10-02T06:00:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite recipe books in my collection has to be the Hershey's 1934 Cookbook which has been "Revised and expanded with chocolate recipes brought up to date for use in today's kitchen." On page 120, I found the most delicious milkshake recipe named FROSTED CHOCOLATE SHAKE. It is not a thick shake by any stretch, but more like really cold and thick chocolate milk. Here's the recipe:

FROSTED CHOCOLATE SHAKE

3/4 c milk

2-3 Tablespoons HERSHEY'S Syrup

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 c vanilla ice cream

Maraschino cherry (optional - I leave this out!)

In blender container, combine milk, syrup, sugar and vanilla; cover and blend. Add ice cream; cover and blend until smooth. Garnish with cherry, if desired. Serve immediately.

Yield: One 10-ounce serving.

Try it next time you are in the mood for something chocolate-y! It really satisfies my sweet tooth.

Ready to participate? Leave the link to your Thirsty Thursday post below and link back to this post so others can join in the fun.

works-for-me wednesday

2008-10-01T09:13:00.004-05:00

So, being a kitchen & bath designer should make posting about this week's Kitchen Organization theme an easy task, right? But you know that old proverb... "The cobbler's children go barefoot". That's the case at my house. The kitchen in my home is a mess... no organization, no order, no labels. Wish I could say differently, but my cabinets aren't even all from the same cabinet company... nope, you'll find 3 different oak cabinets and three different counter-tops in my kitchen. NOT BY CHOICE, but because we just don't have the money to do cosmetic updates to the house of that magnitude. I design beautiful and functional kitchens all day long at work though, if I do say so myself. I long for the day I can have the budgets that my clients have. Many people don't have the resources to remodel their entire kitchen, but retro-fitted cabinetry accessories are much more affordable and can transform the way you use your kitchen. My favorite website for these items is Rev-A-Shelf. Their tag line says it all "Changing the way you think about Cabinetry Organization!". Not only do they carry kitchen cabinetry products, but also products for your vanity cabinets and your closets. You can't just order from their website though, so if you can't find a local dealer in your area, email me at ryann@yourcabinetry.com and I'd be happy to help you get some pricing and place an order. Haven't you always wanted an ironing board that pops up out of a drawer or a trash can that pulls out of a cabinet door? Perhaps a lazy suzan for your corner wall cabinet so you can reach the things in the back. What about a shelf that holds your large kitchen mixer that you can't lift... they have a shelf that lifts up out of a cabinet and brings your mixer to counter height. I also have used their products in craft rooms. Imagine your scrapbooking space or your sewing room that's so unorganized you don't know where your latest project is. You imagine a product, they probably make it. I encourage you to check out their website if you are wanting to make your home more functional.

These products work for me and for my clients, I hope they work for you too! Don't forget to join me tomorrow for Thirsty Thursday! I've got a really good beverage recipe to share!

Visit works-for-me-wednesday over at RocksInMyDryer to pick up kitchen organizational tips from other bloggers.

Toolin' Up Tuesday

2008-09-30T04:00:00.001-05:00

I was honored that Jessica over at Life as Mom asked me to host this week's version of Toolin' Up Tuesday. Stop on over to Life as Mom to see what I'm "baking" today and join in the fun. The Mr. Linky is not working over at Life As Mom, so leave a comment there with your post link.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-09-29T11:37:00.006-05:00

I spent way more than my $40 budget at the store this week, $30 over to be exact, but I was able to stock up on things like pasta sauce, mac n cheese, "cream of" soups, and canned veggies. I think I'll have enough to last two-three months or more, which is great. That also included two boxes of trash bags and toilet paper, which I don't typically include in the budget. I also bought Addyson friendly foods this week, which is new for our family. She is starting to be more comfortable with foods, so I bought things that would be great for her to try. These things will last us a month or so.

Sunday: Grilled Italian Chicken & Veggie Foil Packets

Monday: Chicken Club Ring (pampered chef recipe)

Tuesday: Pork Loin With Apples (crock pot) carried over from last weeks menu
Wednesday: Lasangna

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Chicken & Noodle Casserole

Saturday: probably picking up something on the way home from JessieLeigh's house! We are going to be visiting her family's farm for the day.

Check out what's being served up by other bloggers at Menu Plan Monday over at I'm an Organizing Junkie. She's doing a great giveaway this week, so join in the fun!

Frugal Fridays

2008-09-26T13:25:00.004-05:00

I've been shopping around for a good convertible car seat to transition Addyson into. At 17 months, she is still in her infant carrier. Since she's only 18 lbs, she has 4 more pounds to go before outgrowing the infant carrier, but she's getting too heavy to carry around like that and the top harness straps are getting too low for her.

I wanted something that was inexpensive, as money is really tight now for us. Of course, that wasn't my first concern... her safety is, but it's something to think about. I was looking at seats that ranged from $150-$300, which I thought was high, especially since they were rated up to 40lbs only. She'll probably be 13 before she weighs that much (just joking, you know that right?) but I thought it was too much to spend.

How excited was I to find this post on Baby Cheapskate about Best Convertible Seat Under $100. After some additional research, we chose the Safety 1st Avenue in the Abbey print, which can be found at Kmart, originally priced at $79.99, but currently on sale for $71,99, saving us $8.00. The best part? It can be used rear facing up to 35 lbs. And of course, it's cute & pink, um... I mean SAFE!

Can't wait to install this one into Hendrix (my car) and try it out.

Want to see what frugal things others are reporting? Visit Frugal Fridays over at Biblical Womanhood.

Thirsty Thursday

2008-09-25T07:55:00.006-05:00

With fall now settling in, I love the crisp cool air in the mornings and the warm sunny afternoons. Fall is my favorite season, the one I met my husband in, the one we married in, the one I look forward to for the rest of the year. I long for the day I can put on a sweater and boots. I crave all things apple and pumpkin. Since I shared the Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe with you all last week, I thought I'd share an apple drink recipe with you this week. It's not your typical hot cider... nope, it's an Apple Cider Float, yep, FLOAT! It's still not quite chilly enough here in Indiana for hot cider, so I thought this was the perfect way to use all that fresh apple cider from the orchard and the farm market. I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com and I think it's top notch. No prep work or waiting, just a simple recipe that your entire family can enjoy. The link to the recipe for those of you who want more details is here. Otherwise, feel free just to follow these simple directions:

Apple Cider Floats

Serves 2

Ingredients

4 (1/4 cup) scoops ice cream
2 cups fresh apple cider
sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions

Place two scoops of ice cream into each glass. Pour 1 cup of apple cider into each glass, sprinkle with cinnamon, and serve.

Try using various types of ice cream - vanilla, cake-batter, apple pie, caramel swirl, cinnamon, or even pumpkin ice cream.

Share your favorite drink recipe. Maybe it’s your favorite coffee concoction, a rich & thick milkshake, the perfect party punch, or a crazy cosmopolitan. Write a post on your blog and link to it below in Mr. Linky. Be sure to link back to this post in your blog so other readers can join in the fun.

works-for-me wednesday

2008-09-24T08:00:00.004-05:00

I know I'm fairly new to this blogging world, but I also maintain my daughter's Caringbridge page, so you'd think I'd know about all these great tricks. Yesterday, while using twitter to share my newest blog post, a friend of mine, JessieLeigh, introduced me to my new favorite online tool. It's called TinyURL. Sometimes when you are posting a comment or writing online, you don't have the option to do a hyperlink. In this case, you would post the URL like this: http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/photoViewLarge.do?imageID=1218117. With TinyURL, you would simply paste that long URL into the website, hit the "Tiny It" button, and it automatically creates a smaller, more manageable URL for you. You can even customize it like so http://tiny.cc/cute_addy. So, I encourage you to check out the TinyURL website and try it for yourself. Of course with all of you experienced bloggers out there, I'm probably telling you something you already know, but this really works-for-me.

Want to read what works for other bloggers? Check out works-for-me wednesday over at RocksInMyDryer.

Apple Pie

2008-09-23T09:13:00.003-05:00

LifeAsMom is hosting a recipe swap about pies. Thought I'd play along since I don't think she's going to be doing her Toolin' Up Tuesday that I posted earlier today. We visited the apple orchard this weekend and I plan on making an apple pie for Saturday. My family will be in town for a fundraiser walk. Thought this recipe (the one my hubby says is the best apple pie he's ever had!) would be a good one to share with you all.

Longaberger's Grandma Bonnie's Homemade Pie Crust and Apple Pie

Pie Crust:
4 cups flour
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 cups lard
1 egg (beaten)
1 T. vinegar
1/2 cup water
In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar and salt. With a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the lard until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix together egg, vinegar and water. Add to flour mixture. Mix until dough is moistened enough so it holds together when it is formed into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until well chilled. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12" circle. Fit the dough into Grandma Bonnie's Apple Pie Plate. Crimp the dough to form a decorative border. Pierce the pastry with a fork. Place the crust in the freezer while preparing the filling.
Makes 2 double crust pies.

Apple Pie Filling:
3 cups pared, cored and sliced apples (I leave the skins on, core, cut in half and I use my Pampered Chef Ultimate Mandoline to slice very thin)
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 cup sugar
2 T. butter or margarine
3 T. flour
3 T. Milk

Preheat oven to 375f. Mix apples, flour, sugar and cinnamon together and gently stir. Place mixture in unbaked pie shell. Dab with butter and pour the milk over the apple mixture. Place lattice or crust top on pie. Bake 40-45 minutes. Filling for 1 pie.

TRUTH:
I use pre-made pie crusts from Pillsbury or store brand (Meijer's is good!).

Join in the pie-making over at LifeAsMom.

Toolin' Up Tuesday

2008-09-23T08:28:00.003-05:00

The tool I'd like to share today is an online tool. When my daughter was born 15 weeks premature in April 2007, we found ourselves in a very emotional and chaotic situation. Her life was very unstable and we were concerned with each minute to minute. Much of our family lives out of town but wanted to keep informed of her progress. The hospital, luckily, was only 15 minutes from our home. After a long day at the hospital, trying to digest each piece of information from the doctors and nurses, the last thing we wanted to do was call each person on our list and review all the details. We needed to eat, sleep, and get back to the hospital.

Our welcome packet at the hospital contained a brochure on a webpage called CaringBridge. It is a free service you can use online to set up a webpage for your child, yourself, or any loved one. We were able to set up a webpage for her, share the link with family and friends, and, in turn, keep each person updated without the hassle. The website allows you to share up to 12 photos, links to other sites of importance (we linked to medical sites that explained each issue Addyson was confronted with so others could read up and get more info), a welcome page with background info, a journal page to write updates as often as you wanted, and a guestbook page for each person visiting to write some encouraging words or to ask questions that they had.

Although Addyson is doing fairly well now, we continue to use her webpage to keep family involved in her life as she grows and learns new things. We still update with her medical issues, but for the most part, we love to share her accomplishments now. The nurses from the hospital still visit Addy's page and stay informed of her progress.

A few exceptional features I noted: Each visitor has the option of receiving an email when a new journal entry is posted so they can more easily remember to check back in. As a new mom who wasn't quite ready to share her 1 lb, 7.9 oz bundle of joy with the entire world, I had the option of setting a password to the webpage and monitoring who was privey to that password. Once the doctors said that we were hour to hour or day to day instead of minute to minute, I took the password off and shared her with whomever would listen.

Now we can look back at the journal entries to see what we were experiencing at each step of the journey. We can also look back at the guestbook entries to see who was checking in on Addy and she'll be able to see how many people were pulling for her.

I invite you to visit our daughter's webpage to see what it's all about. It's very easy to use, so don't worry if you don't know how to write html or use any web design software. I promise anyone can do it! If you or someone you know could benefit from this service, don't be afraid to use it. I have noticed that adults going through medical issues have used it and also men and women in the military also use it to stay connected to friends and family back home. CaringBridge.org

To see what kinds of Tools others are using, visit Toolin' Up Tuesday hosted by LifeAsMom.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-09-21T21:40:00.004-05:00

Well, week 2 of my participation in MPM and I have to admit, I'm sort of embarrased to share. This upcoming week, Nick is going to be gone for two evenings, so I will probably enjoy not cooking and eat PB&J or cereal for dinner - gasp! I know, but who wants to cook for 1 while caring for a 17 month old alone? NOT ME!

Well, because of this and the fact that he probably won't be hungry when he arrives back into town from Baltimore on Thursday night, and the fact that we didn't end up eating our planned menu from last week, it makes for a short and uninteresting week to share, but nonetheless...

Sunday: Sausage & Rice Casserole, Green Beans, Rolls

Monday: Grilled Steak & Baked Potato (rolled over from last Thursday)

Tuesday: Cereal

Wednesday: PB&J

Thursday: Frozen Pizza (no laughing!)

Friday: Chicken Fajitas

Saturday: Boneless Pork Loin with Apples (crockpot) and Mashed Potatoes

Not too shabby, considering I only spent about $30 on groceries this week! I'm going to be doing some apple recipes because we took Addyson to the apple orchard on Saturday. It was her first time there and we had fun. It was so cool out that morning, so we dressed warm, but it ended up in the 80s, so we were uncomfortably HOT!

Take a peek into the lives of others by seeing what they're serving up this week over at Menu Plan Monday hosted by I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Frugal Fridays

2008-09-19T04:00:00.001-05:00

Run, don't walk to your nearest CVS.

Purex laundry detergent is on sale (orig price $5.99) for $2.99 and earns $1 ECB.

There was a coupon in Smart Source from Sunday 9/14 for Purex. It was $1 off when you buy two ANY Purex. I had two of these coupons. One from my paper and one from Nick's grandma's paper (she saves these for me each week!).

You'll need to print out a coupon from here at iheartcvs.com. Download the second one on the page (it's a pdf) and print it out (you can print black and white).

Go to CVS and buy 4 bottles of Purex (look for the ones that have 20% more in the bottle for an even sweeter deal). Make sure to hand over your CVS extra care card. Hand them the $2/$10 coupon first then the two coupons from Smart Source.

My total was less than the ECB I had to spend, so I threw in two candy bars that were 2/0.99.

I paid with a $5 ECB and a $4 ECB and $0.14 OOP. I earned $4ECB to spend on my next transaction.

So, I look at it this way, since I spent $9 ECB but earned $4 ECB, I'm out $5 ECB plus 14cents for 4 bottles of Purex and two candy bars. Not a bad deal at all.

Now if I could just get CVS to come put my clean laundry away for me...

Join in the frugalness over at Biblical Womanhood. Well, it looks like Crystal isn't hosting a Frugal Friday since they are working on the website, but feel free to click on the word "frugalness" above and see her past Frugal Friday posts.

Thirsty Thursday

2008-09-18T07:37:00.007-05:00

Here is my second Thirsty Thursday post... hoping someone else will join in the fun. I finally found a wonderful helper to assist in setting up Mr. Linky (thanks NICOLE!). So this Thursday I have excellent news drumroll please...
Starbucks has their pumpkin spice latte and frappacino back for the fall season. This is wonderful because I love it so much, but it's terrible because I love it so much! We all know Starbucks is expensive and it doesn't help control my "girlish figure" (I use the term loosely as we all know I have more of a "plump figure"). Since Nick and I are desperate to save some money, I went searching for a copy cat recipe. I just found this yesterday, so I have not had the chance to try it out, but seems legit and YUMMY!

As much as I hate to just copy and paste someone elses blog posts, I feel there is no other way to share this with you, so a big huge THANK YOU to Ariela over at Baking and Books for her post about Pumpkin Spice Latte II. Here is her recipe:

Pumpkin Spice Latte II (Ariela's Recipe)

1 level tablespoon pumpkin puree
1 cup milk (whole if you dare!)
1/2 tablespoon light brown sugar (packed and leveled)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg (+ a pinch for dusting later)
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups strong coffee (brewed using 2 tbs per 1 cup of water)
You can also use a shot or two of espresso instead of coffee.
4 tablespoons Coffeemate creamer
4 to 8 teaspoons of granulated sugar
Whipped cream

Begin brewing coffee.

In a blender puree the milk, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, brown sugar and vanilla. Pour into a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the milk is warm and begins to froth slightly. (About 4-5 minutes.) Remove from heat.

For each serving: Pour 1/2 cup of the pumpkin mixture into your coffee mug. Add 2 generous tablespoons of Coffeemate creamer. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, then add 1 cup of brewed coffee. Add 2 to 4 teaspoons of sugar (depending on how sweet you like your drink, I added 3 tsps.) Top off with a touch more ‘pumpkin milk’ then cover with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve immediately.

I CAN'T WAIT TO TRY IT! THANKS ARIELA!

Now I'm off to search for a copy cat of the Pumpkin Spice Frappacino (both coffee based and creme based). Let me know if you find it first!

Please share your favorite drink recipe in the comments section below, either straight out or with a link back to your Thirsty Thursday post. If you do post a Thirsty Thursday on your blog, please link back to this post so others can join in the YUM!

You may also want to find other yummy comfort foods for fall over at Life As a Mom.

works-for-me wednesday

2008-09-17T09:42:00.004-05:00

I used to go to McDonalds and order a Bacon Egg and Cheese McMuffin with a Sweet Tea or Burger King and order a Bacon Egg and Cheese Croissan'wich with a Mocha Joe for breakfast. Now that Nick and I are facing an increase in our property taxes (built in to our monthly mortgage payment) and a huge increase in our health insurance (that's a whole other topic for a post), we have made some changes to our daily spending habits. Because of this, we are trying to stick to a $40 a week grocery budget which includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We've been taking our leftovers to work for lunch and I've been making muffins for breakfast. It's easy to pop one in a container and take it to work. Blueberries are readily available now (remind me to get a bunch and freeze them before the season is over!) so we have been loving blueberry muffins. Bananas are really cheap when you buy them when they are so over ripe that no one else wants them. Here are two recipes that I've found on Allrecipes and adapted to our liking. I'll include the original links but post the recipes that we follow. I hope you enjoy them!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Banana Crumb Muffins (original link)
Makes about 12 muffins.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 medium bananas, mashed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup applesauce
TOPPING...
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder salt, cinnamon,and nutmeg. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, brown sugar, egg and applesauce. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To Die For Blueberry Muffins (original link)
Makes about 9 muffins.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup applesauce
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
TOPPING...
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In both recipes, we replaced the butter or oil with applesauce to keep it healthier and with more fiber. It also adds some more fruit to our diet, which doesn't hurt. The original recipe to the blueberry muffins has a different topping, but we liked the one from the banana muffins better, so we use that one as noted above.

These recipes work for me because they are yummy and more affordable than fast food breakfasts. To see what works for other bloggers, Check out works-for-me wednesday hosted by RocksInMyDryer.net.

Toolin' Up Tuesday

2008-09-16T09:43:00.006-05:00

The tool we couldn't live without around here is the Zevex EnteraLite Infinity Enteral Feeding Pump. Since our daughter, Addyson takes no food by mouth, she recieves her nutrition through a g-tube. This tube was surgically placed in her stomach last November 2007. For a while, we tried bolus feedings, where you connect a syringe to the tube and let gravity do its thing. Addyson's stomach is very sensitive and couldn't handle the bolus feeds. We finally got the feeding pump. It allows us to change the settings and control the feedings more accurately. She receives about 5 ounces over the course of an hour, three times a day. She also receives about 19 ounces over the course of nine hours overnight. This allows her body to better tolerate the feedings so she can get the nutrients and calories that her body needs. One great accessory that we love is the Infinity Mini Backpack that came with the pump. It allows us to mix an entire 24 hours worth of formula at a time and stores it in this pack with ice packs to keep the formula fresh. It also holds the pump and tubing. This makes it much easier to travel out and about without worry. It also is much more discreet than pulling an IV pole around!

Learn what tools others use to get through the day at Toolin' Up Tuesday hosted by Life as a Mom.

Menu Plan Monday

2008-09-15T21:44:00.005-05:00

Sunday: Eggs, Bacon, Toast
Monday: Chicken & Biscuits
Tuesday: Hamburgers & French Fries
Wednesday: Polska Kielbasa & Mac N Cheese
Thursday: Steak & Baked Potato
Friday: Mini Meatloafs & Scalloped Potato
Saturday: Grilled Chicken & Veggie Foil Packets

It's a busy week, so I've chosen easy recipes. Also note that our family grocery budget is around $40 per week, so you'll note our meals are simplistic. Since it's just my hubby and I who eat the meals, we don't go overboard with sides and whatnot.

One note to make, since we had the Chicken & Buscuits tonight... we decided we really dislike frozen veggies and will make this again, but using canned mixed veggies. We've done the same with chicken pot pie and other similar things that call for frozen... I think they just end up chewy and gross.

See what everyone is cooking up this week at Menu Plan Monday hosted by I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Frugal Fridays

2008-09-12T15:00:00.001-05:00

With all the great Walgreens deals going on, they added fuel to the fire with this COUPON for $10 off of a $40 purchase. I don't have a ton of time to put together senarios today since I'm home with Addyson alone today and we have a doctor's appointment to get to, but you can find plenty of great deals on recent posts by Money Saving Mom.

For more great Frugal tips, visit Frugal Fridays over at Biblical Womanhood.

Thirsty Thursday

2008-09-11T11:50:00.019-05:00

I thought I'd start my own carnival or meme... whatever bloggers are calling it these days. I didn't find one that I loved for Thursday, so I'm making up my own. Until I figure out a Mr. Linky, please leave your responses in the comments.

So, what is Thirsty Thursday all about? It's a way to share and showcase your favorite drink recipes. Could be an alcoholic type drink, a coffee drink, a smoothie, a punch, or a milkshake... if you drink it, you can post it. Could be as simple as koolaid mixed with sprite or it could be your most decadent hot cocoa recipe. If you do post, please link back to this post so others can share in the fun!

Without further ado... here's my first contribution. It's great for girl's night in or dinner with a loved one.

Olive Garden Sangria

Ingredients:
1 1/2 liters Red Table Wine
10 ounces or 1 cup Grenadine
16 ounces or 2 cups Cranberry Juice Cocktail
12 ounces or 1 1/4 cups Sweet Vermouth
10 ounces or 1/2 cup Sugar Water (half water, half sugar)
Strawberries cut into thirds
Oranges, sliced and quartered
Crushed ice

Directions:
This makes one gallon. Mix all ingredients except for ice.
Refridgerate for 4 to 5 hours.
Pour wine in glass and then add ice.
Make sure there is fruit in every glass.

ENJOY!

works-for-me wednesday

2008-09-10T15:26:00.006-05:00

Although "T" did a great job adjusting some of the settings on my blog template, I decided to find a blog template that was easier to adjust myself. I am happy to report that I found a link through MoneySavingMom that led me to BlogCoach where I found Simply Fabulous Blogger Templates. She has lots of beautiful templates that are free! I found this bird one and couldn't be happier. This template is very easy to make color and position adjustments to. If you are looking to start a blog or update your current blog, Simply Fabulous Blogger Templates works for me!

Don't forget to see what works for everyone else at works-for-me wednesday hosted by RocksInMyDryer.

Thank you!

2008-09-08T08:24:00.003-05:00

A huge thank you to "T", husband of "J" - author of www.parentingthetiniestofmiracles.blogspot.com for helping me with my blog settings. Now you can actually see the blog post titles. He wasn't able to get rid of the huge date stamp at the top of each post, but it is so much better than it was before. THANK YOU "T"!

This past weekend was productive. Nick and I had date night on Friday... went to Hirosaki's (a Japaneese Hibachi Restraunt). It was fun and yummy. Afterwards we did our weekly grocery shopping at Meijer. Spent about $35, so that is great. The menu for this week looks good too!
Saturday: Fiesta Lime Chicken and Mashed Potatoes
Sunday: Meatball Subs (crockpot) and Macaroni Salad (it's a late working night for Nick)
Monday: Stuffed Green Peppers
Tuesday: Homemade Shake n Bake Chicken and Sweet Potato Suprise
Wednesday: Eggs, Bacon, Toast (it's a late working night for Nick)
Thursday: Grilled Steaks, Potatoes, and Onions
Friday: Nick won't be home for dinner... he'll be out with the guys, so I'll just have cereal or a sandwich or something.

Lunches consist of leftovers and yogurt.
Breakfasts consist of homemade muffins (we make a couple batches a week) and fruit.

Saturday we got up around 9 (yeah for Grin & Granddaddy keeping Addy overnight!). We worked out in the yard. Nick mowed and weed whacked. I cleaned out flower beds and cut back all the dead stuff on the plants. We've been very neglectful of our yard since Addy came along, so it was nice to get it taken care of. We also removed a VERY LARGE evergreen type tree that was too close to the house and overgrown. We removed 2 VERY LARGE bushes and 2 overgrown plants. The front of the house looks empty now, but Nick plans on moving a bunch of Hostas into the empty space. Since our neighbor trimmed out her front tree, the shade we used to have the Hostas planted in has disappeared. We need to get another Japaneese Maple to balance out the front and then we'll be all set for fall.

We are looking forward to the NICU reunion coming up this weekend. Can't wait to see old friends and finally meet those new online friends.

Thanks again "T" for your excellent blog services!

TWITTER

2008-09-04T22:10:00.001-05:00

Thought I'd jump on the band wagon and do the twitter thing that everyone seems to be doing these days. Now I need to figure out how to add it to my blog. Wish me luck with that.

birdie says tweet...

March of Dimes

time for a little Addy update...

Savory Crescent Chicken Squares

Easy Enchiladas

Beef and Vegetable Soup

Sweet Brown Bread

Southern Oven "Fried" Chicken

Sweet Potato Suprise

Chicken & Corn Bread Stuffing

Stuffed French Toast

Easy Ziti

Unstuffed Pepper Soup

Eggs, Bacon, Hashbrowns

Easy Pot Roast & Veggies

Easy Tuna Casserole

Italian Chicken, Grilled Potato, Corn

Steak, Baked Potato, Corn

Blackened Chicken & Beans

Creamy Cooker Chicken in CROCKPOT

Potato Soup in CROCKPOT

French Toast & Bacon

Chicken Teriyaki & Potato

Grilled Salmon, Rice, Peas

Chicken Fettucini Alfredo

Chicken Pot Pie & Mashed Potatoes

Breakfast Casserole

Sausage, Mac N Cheese, Peas

Sausage & Rice Casserole

Addy's Health Update

Help with Addy's Medical Issues

Please help us CELEBRATE!

Update on Addyson and March for Babies

Help me reach my goal!Sponsor Me at March for Babies!

Apparently not...

Can we make it work?

Winning with SwagBucks!

What's a toddler eat?

New Year's Resolution

CVS & Walgreens 12/17/08

works-for-me wednesday *Casual Christmas Dinner*

Frugal Friday

80's TV Trivia

works-for-me wednesday

Finished Product: Family Photos

Photo Shoot Accessories

Family Photo Time

Laundry Room Round-Up!

Apron Giveaway

Giveaway you won't want to miss!

Guest Posting - Pre-eclampsia

works-for-me wednesday

Prematurity Awareness Day

Addy Update

Huggies Coupon Winner

Random Integer Generator

Giveaway of my own.

Back to our Regularly Scheduled Programming

Org Junkie's Monthly Organizing Round-Up

Want to win something great?

Smile

Trick or Treating with a GIRAFFE

Happy Halloween! (Addy update!)

Car Seat Dillema

Menu Plan Monday

Thirsty Thursday

CVS Steal (oops, I mean DEAL!)

Omaha Steak Burgers

works-for-me wednesday: Halloween Costumes

Update on Addyson

Menu Plan Monday

Thirsty Thursday

Mama Koala Tagged Me!

works for me wednesday = give a way contest

Toolin' Up Tuesday

Menu Plan Monday

Update on Addyson's Surgery

Thirsty Thursday

Wordless Wednesday, Sleeping Angel Contest, works-for-me wednesday, and Special Exposure Wednesday!

Addy's Surgery

works-for-me wednesday Casual Christmas Dinner