15 1/2 weeks and counting…I have a WHAT?
Yesterday, I had a dr. appt to “get a good look at the anatomy (organs and such). Great appointment! Baby has a liver, 2 kidneys, all the heart chambers and arteries etc are present. Everything looked good! Measuring 4 days ahead at 16 weeks 0 days (I was really 15 weeks and 3 days).
I did leave with one concern. Apparently I have a bicornuate uterus. Basically my uterus is shaped like a heart with a septum that comes down at the top and divides the uterus in two partially. My Dr said this can mean a much higher risk of the baby being breech and unable to turn. I’ve done some research and apparently it also can cause cervical incompetence and / or preterm labor. He did NOT mention this. So of course ….did I sleep last night? No! I was worried! I plan to ask him more about this at our next appointment in 2 weeks. I really need to know how much of a risk there is for that!
For now, I will just be so very happy and feel so blessed that all looks 100% “peachy” with the baby as per my Dr. Yea!!! Such wonderful news! 
I'm 15 weeks, 3 days!
And the journey continues…..
And so the journey continues…..
It’s been quite some time hasn’t it? I guess you may be wondering what we/I have been up to as it relates to my journey to motherhood. Sit down, stay a while and I’ll fill you in….I warn you ….this will be a LONG post. I have a LOT to catch you up on!
We officially decided to start trying again in January. We celebrated our first wedding anniversary, it had been almost a year since our last loss and we had finally reached a point where we felt emotionally ready to take this on.
January 25th, 2012
I dropped my hubby at the airport to fly out to Canada on business. At this point I am getting antsy. Did our first try work? I stopped at the drug store on the way home and purchased pregnancy tests. Really just to get that “urge” out of my system, more than anything. Typically nothing would show up positive as it’s extremely early. So, I take my test, walk off….come back and are my eyes playing TRICKS ON ME? Is that really a faint line? I do another…same thing. At this point I am all of 3 weeks, 2 days pregnant….surely this cannot be right!? I wait, rather impatiently for 8 am to roll around. I call Dr. K’s office and tell them that I think I may be pregnant. I’m asked to come in that day for a beta test (test to measure pregnancy hormone HCG level). I’m completely freaking out as you can imagine!
Tick tock, tick tock. I have the blood work drawn and wait…and wait….for what seems like days versus hours. They finally call and it’s all of 15! What does this mean? That’s like…BARELY PREGNANT. Is this bad? Good? I am a mess. The WORST part is ….I haven’t told Karridy yet. So I sit for two days and wait until my next beta test on Friday. It comes back at 70! It has more than doubled, in fact it has quadrupled. This is a good sign! Thank God! I can now tell my hubby when he gets home!
In the interim, I have begun my Lovenox injections (40mg once per day), started my 200mg of progesterone once pers day, have increased my Folgard Rx 2.2. mg dosage to two tablets/once per day, continuing my baby aspirin and prenatal vitamin. Please Lord, let this be the answer!
Late that night, I go to the airport to pick up my sweetie, wearing a t-shirt I made…that says “Karridy’s Baby Mama” on it. I knew he would totally appreciate the humor in this. I get out of the car, he doesn’t notice. I finally say….Babe, LOOK at me. He looks at me, as if trying to figure out what I’ve done with my hair. I finally have to say LOOK DOWN! The look on his face was PRICELESS! He almost cried. It was such a special moment!
He is on cloud nine and I am cautiously optimistic…..this lasts only briefly.
February 11, 2012
Here we go again. I am spotting/bleeding. Spotting means miscarriage. I am hysterical….put myself in bed for the week and pray. Our first early sonogram is scheduled for Monday. Miserable weekend. At this point I am sure that we are losing this baby. I am only 5 1/2 weeks along at this point. Seems right in line with when things start to go bad….
February 13th, 2012
It’s the day of our first sonogram and I am a nervous wreck. Hubby goes with me, thank God! At first we see nothing but an empty sac. For a moment, my worst fears are confirmed. Then Dr. K sees something….a tiny little blob “hiding” in the “corner” of the sac. Both my husband and I notice a flicker, yet neither says a word. The doctor then says it, we have a heart beat! Thank you Lord! All hope is not lost!
February 15th, 2012
I have my first appoint with a Perinatologist/Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist. In other words, a “High Risk” Obstetrician. He is the specialist that Dr. K’s wife went to, apparently he is the “best”. Fingers crossed that he will be what we need. We have a sonogram. I am a little over 6 weeks now and we have growth! 4mm crown to rump. Heart rate is 118 bpm! I am still bleeding, he thinks it may just be my cervix. I am still worried.
I continue bleeding for another week or so, have a few more sonograms, all is progressing.
February 21st, 2012
Still spotting and bleeding. Driving me bonkers. Hard not to worry. Then it happens. I pass a blood clot. About a cm long. Blood clots are NOT good. I call Dr. K and rush in for a sonogram. Hubby rushes from work and meets me there, both of us are sure we’ve lost the baby….again. Sonogram reveals a baby, 1.2 cm in length with a heart rate of 146 bpm. Dr. K says it appears that I have a subchorionic hematoma. This is what is causing the bleeding. It will eventually stop…or it should. There have been cases where a large clot releases and takes the baby with it. Scary, but relieved to know WHY I am bleeding!
All bleeding stops after that day! YEA!
I continue to have 2 sonograms per week and all is progressing!
March 5th, 2012
I am 9 weeks and 1 day! I’ve never made it past 6 1/2 weeks! This is crazy! My sonogram reveals a 2.43 cm baby and a heart rate of 170! AND…the best part is, our little baby was dancing like a rock star in there! Arms and legs waving, body wiggling! Amazing! First sign of movement and I could stare at it forever. I’m in love! I cried, it was wonderful!
March 11th, 2012
It’s my birthday! We have Abby and Keegan for spring break this week. It is their only chance to see a sonogram before July. We decide to tell them! My birthday cake reads “Happy Birthday, Baby 10-7-12″ It takes them a few minutes to realize what is happening and both kids are so excited! I will never forget the expression on either of their faces! I love them! They are going to be wonderful siblings to this child!
March 12th, 2012
Sonogram day! The kids and hubby are with me. For hubby, this is is first time to see movement. For Abby and Keegan, their first time to see the baby! At first, little baby was resting, not moving and my poor hubby was looking at me as if he was terrified. We had a heart rate of 176 so for once, it was not me who was worried. Fortunately our sonogram technician was patient enough to keep looking around until baby decided it was time put on a show. Moving, waving, kicking, turning, wiggling. Magical! We got it all on video too!
March 20th 2012
11 weeks, 2 days! Went in for an appointment and surprise, NT scan today. That is the nuchal translucency scan where they measure the fluid in the baby’s neck to screen for chromosomal abnormalities such as Downs Syndrome, Trisomy 18, etc. Things looked perfectly normal. Doctor said we have two legs, 2 arms, intestines etc are all contained within the body, we have a nasal bone which is often not present with Downs Syndrome, and all looked great! We have some blood work to screen for these things as well in the works, but I suspect all will come back negative. The Dr. wanted to see me in a month, but I am just not “there” yet, so I’ll be going back in 2 weeks.
Easter Weekend 2012 – ANNOUNCEMENT TO FAMILY AND THE WORLD!
We are now 14 weeks along!
Posted in Journey to Motherhood, Loss, MTHFR, Pregnancy, The Journey
Tagged Bleeding, Early Pregnancy, Hematoma, Lovenox, Miscarriage, MTHFR, pregnancy, Sonogram, Spotting, Subchorionic
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Cat in the Hat Strikes Again….
So I needed a quick, easy costume for a Halloween Bunco party, so I took the idea I had for Abby’s costume and made one for myself!
T-shirt
Hot Glue Gun
1 Yard Red Ribbon
1/3 Yard furry fabric
Store bought hat, black pants, shoes and white gloves!
Basically, I measured the length of my shirt (front side) from collar to bottom. Then folded my fur in half and free hand cut it to the shape I wanted. Hot glued it VERY well to the shirt, tied a bow, hot glued that and done!
Cat in the Hat
Posted in Crafts, Halloween, Holidays
Tagged Adult Cat in the Hat Costume, cat in the hat, Cat in the Hat Costume, Halloween Costume
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Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Spider
This weekend, I had a Halloween Bunco party to attend. I needed to bring a “Halloween Food” of some sort. What to bring…what to bring….I finally decided on a sweet version of a “cheese ball” and to make it “Halloween-ish”….it became a SPIDER! Super cute, super easy!
Recipe:
8 oz bar of cream cheese, softened at room temperature (do not use reduced fat)
1/2 c (1 stick) salted butter, softened at room temperature
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 – 1 tsp (to taste) vanilla extract
1 package mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divide 1 cup out
Pretzel sticks
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp shortening
Chocolate and/or Honey Graham Crackers
Spider Body:
In medium size mixing bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese. Add brown sugar, powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until thoroughly mixed. Fold in 1 cup miniature chocolate chips.This will not be a very “solid” mixture. I used prep bowls to form the body, but you can just wrap in saran wrap and form balls after refrigeration should you wish.
I lined my largest prep bowl and a medium size prep bowl with saran wrap. I filled each one with the mixture, smoothing the top flat and then covering with saran wrap. Refrigerated overnight. The next morning, I removed the saran wrap covered mixture from the bowls and covered them in the remaining miniature chocolate chips. Return to fridge until assembly.
Spider Legs:
Place 6 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 2 tbsp shortening in microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute. Remove and stir until chips melt completely. Working with 2 pretzel sticks at a time, dip each, then lay together in the bent leg formation on the wax paper. If needed add a little extra chocolate at the leg joint to ensure coverage. Continue, and refrigerate overnight also.
Assembly: Place on serving dish/platter. Insert 4 legs into each side of the “body”.
Serve with chocolate and honey graham crackers.
SPIDER!
Halloween Headband
My obsession with Halloween crafts continues….
After making the Halloween Rag Wreath , I had lots of Halloween fabric remaining. Truth be told, I had an airhead moment when I bought my fabric. For some reason I was thinking I needed 2 yards of EACH versus TOTAL. Yes, I bough 8 yards of fabric for one wreath! The good news is, I needed more than 2 yards total after all, I had fabric left over for Abby to make her own wreath for her room, AND some left for a super cute Halloween Headband for Abby as well. (There is STILL some left over after all of this).
For the headband you will need:
Headband (I bought this one at Hobby Lobby)
Halloween Fabric
Tulle
Plastic Spider
Felt
Hot Glue Gun (I used high heat)
Needle/Thread
Iron
To make the rosettes:
Cut a strip of fabric approximately 1″ wide by 24″ long. Fold in half and iron until it stays in place as a folded strip. You can do one of two things here. You can wrap the fabric around a pencil or itself. I use a pencil. I wrap the end of the fabric around tightly, and then as I began wrapping the remaining fabric I turn/twist the fabric over, constantly as I wrap it. When you have finished wrapping it, pull it off the pencil and gently loosen the middle of the flower until the rosette is roughly the size you want. Using your fingers gently loosen and arrange the outer bands of fabric until the rosette appears the way you want it to. Pin the end of the fabric. Cut a circular piece of felt that is the same size as your flower. Apply hot glue to the felt and place flower on felt. Next select a coordinating thread and sew the flower to the felt. Be sure to make your stitches in the crevices of the flower so that they do not show. Just do enough to secure the flower and ensure it does not unravel or come off your felt should the glue release in the future.
To make smaller rosettes, just use short strips of fabric! Easy peasy!
To gather your tulle:
Cut to the size you want and then thread a piec of thread through the center and pull to gather the center. Sew back and forth a few times so that it holds and secure with a knot.
Assemble the headband:
-Attach tulle to headband with thread
-Hot glue rosettes to headband/tulle where desired
-Hot glue plastic spider or other embellishments where desired.
Voila! (the tulle was a little bunched in her hair on the backside…oops! Oh well, you get the idea)
Posted in Cooking, Crafts, Halloween, Holidays
Tagged fabric flower, fabric rosette, hair, hair accessories, hair accessory, Halloween, halloween fabric, headband, rosette, spider, tulle
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Halloween “Rag” Wreath
I am completely obsessed with decorating for Halloween at the moment….What can I say? Fall makes me want to make things, bake things, and get all …FESTIVE!
I made this super easy and cute wreath to hang in our living room this week.
Happy Halloween!
How did I do it you ask? Easy!
Supplies:
12 inch or 18 inch (I used 18 “) wire wreath frame
2 to 2 1/2 yards TOTAL of fabric (Use 3-4 different patterns)
Scissors
Feather embellishment if you wish
Spray paint in desired color
Clear Elmer’s Glue
Glitter
Wooden Initial
Narrow ribbon for hanging initial
Wide wired ribbon should you wish to make a bow to top the wreath with
Instructions:
Cut your fabric into strips measuring 1″ by 6 or 7″ (I did 6″ here and honestly, next time I’ll probably do 7″)
Tie the fabric strips in random pattern (knot each one) on the frame until every space is filled. I added some feather embellishment that I had left over from the Witch Candy Jar at every place there was a “section marker” on the wreath.
For the initial you can do one of two things. You can spray paint it with desired color and then spray again with a glittered spray paint OR you can do as I did. I spray painted the letter purple, then once dry I brushed clear Elmer’s glue on it and then covered in glitter. I opted for this as I wanted a super glittery letter. Hang the letter once dry by looping ribbon through it and tying to the frame.
You can also buy smaller letters and spell out EEK or BOO or any word of your choice and wire/hot glue to the wreath on the side or wherever you wish.
And there you have it….an easy, super cute Halloween Wreath!
Posted in Cooking
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DIY Witch Candy Jar
It’s HALLOWEEN time!
I have become a bit obsessed with Pinterest lately and I found a picture of the cutest DIY candy jar recently. I decided to make my own take on the jar, but mine is a WITCH! And….I made it in a way that will allow me to turn it into a PILGRIM for Thanksgiving!!!
Supplies needed:
Pot
Pot Saucer
Smaller Pot
Spray Paint (I used flat black)
Adhesive (I bought some super duper strength stuff at Home Depot)
Small Glass bowl (Michael’s or Hobby Lobby)
Felt
Self adhering velcro strips (found at Target, Home Depot, Walmart)
Ribbon
Embellishments (feathers, fabric, ribbons, felt, glitter, anything you wish)
To make this cute little bugger….
Spray paint your pots and the saucer and allow to dry completely. Flip the larger one upside down and apply adhesive to the top. Apply adhesive to the bottom of your glass dish and press together. Allow to dry overnight. If you can, place something heavy on top to apply pressure, just be sure it’s not TOO heavy as you do not want to break anything.
Cut a round circle of felt to fit inside the saucer (both on bottom and sides of it) and glue to inside of saucer. This will cushion your “lid”, so that the saucer does not chip or break the glass bowl should children open and close the jar.
Next, flip the small pot and sauce upside down. Glue the small pot on top of the saucer to make a “lid”. Allow to dry over night.
Once everything is dry, fill your candy dish with candy of choice. I used some tulle trim I found at Hobby Lobby to create a removable skirt for my witch. I wrapped it around the larger pot, cut to fit and then applied self adhering velcro to the skirt. Voila…you have a skirt, that you can remove. For the hat, I cut my feather trim (also found at Hobby Lobby) and used the same velcro, however you could just glue it together in a ring. Slip it over the top of the hat. Again, removeable! I also tied a ribbon around her “neck”. I used wired ribbon as it allows for shaping of the bow, etc.
For Thanksgiving, remove the the WITCH clothes and replace with a white ribbon on the neck, a felt buckle hat band on the hat and voila….PILGRIM!
WITCH CANDY JAR
Posted in Crafts, Halloween, Holidays, Thanksgiving
Tagged Autumn Crafts, Candy, Candy Corn, Candy Jar, DIY, Fall Crafts, Halloween, Halloween Craft, Jar, Kids Craft, Pilgrim, Pots, Thanksgiving, WITCH, Witch Hat
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Today was the day….
Today was the day that OUR second little angel (my third) was due to be born and become a part of our little family.
For a moment this morning, I woke up and did not even realize what the date was today…that was, until I looked at my Outlook calendar to see if I had any work related calls scheduled this morning. I honestly wished I had not looked, but then I would not be able to celebrate our angel’s short yet beautiful life today.
I watched the video of our little one’s heart beat, the one and only time we saw and heard it. This was at 6 weeks 1 day, things looked “perfect”. According to our Dr., the baby passed away 3-4 days later. While it does make it a bit hard to have seen/heard the heart beat…I am glad that I did. That little life, although short was the most beautiful sight and sound.
I take comfort in knowing our little angel is in heaven, looking down upon us, knowing that it was loved. I envision that our angel is surrounded by our loved ones….their sibling angels and our grandfathers are looking after them all. That’s my vision of what it’s like for them anyway…all happiness and joy, surrounded by love.
You are loved sweet little angel. We will meet you one day in heaven, until then we will always love you and hold you near and dear to our hearts.
Posted in Journey to Motherhood, Loss, MTHFR, The Journey
Tagged angel, baby, due date, Loss, Miscarriage, MTHFR, pregnancy loss
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Broiled Parmesan Tilapia
Eating healthy does not have to be boring. I’ve decided. This is one of my favorite tilapia recipes and for some odd reason, I thought…no way can I have this…it’s made with cheese and mayonnaise, etc. WRONG! It’s so delicious, easy and quick! Here’s the recipe…. Continue reading
Crock-Pot Herbed Potatoes
Ok, I’ll admit it…on occasion my brain takes a vacation and forgets to tell me. I needed Yukon gold potatoes for a recipe recently that required mashed potatoes. I went to the store bought a small bag of little baby gold potatoes….not for a second thinking about the fact that these mashed potatoes could NOT have peel in them. Not my brightest moment….thank goodness I had some instant ones on hand for such an emergency! So last night in preparation for dinner, I decided I have got to use these potatoes. Here’s how I used them. Let me tell you, this was as easy as easy gets too. Continue reading
Chocolate Muffins
So…I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted any new recipes! I apologize…for any of you who are familiar with Texas summer heat….you know WHY my oven has been out of commission for the past few months. This summer has been unbearable…over 100 degrees every day for months, many days reaching 110+…and NO rain.
In addition, this girl needs to get into better shape so I’ve been eating healthy. I am in the process of trying new recipes and I came across this one this morning and just had to share it.
This is probably the most SIMPLE muffin you will ever make. It is also Weight Watchers friendly at a whopping 5 points plus per muffin. You can eat these and remain GUILT FREE! What? Chocolate? Muffin/Cake? Guilt Free? You got it, that’s right…no guilt!
Courtesy of a recipe I found on Hungry Girl …
Yum Yum Brownie Muffins
1 Box Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake Mix
1 can plain pumpkin
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tin with 12 paper liners. Mix 2 ingredients well. Batter will be very thick, RESIST the urge to add anything to it. Divide evenly among muffin cups.
Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
Enjoy
Yum Yum Brownie Muffin by Hungry Girl
5 Points Plus on Weight Watchers.
(P.S. I know that picture sucks, but my camera is having issues and so I used a different one…and did it in a HURRY so I could eat this delicious muffin! lol)
Posted in Breads, Breads, Breakfast, Cakes, Cooking, Desserts, Easy Week Day Meals, Entire Recipe Collection, Weight Watchers Friendly
Tagged breakfast, cake, Chocolate, devil's food, diet, healthy, muffin, muffins, pumpkin, snack, Weight Watchers
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Quick Update! Hematologist results.
My apologies for not sharing the results of all my bloodwork with you all sooner! The vials and vials of blood showed nothing…other than I am apparently anemic!Oh and of course it reconfirmed that I have Compound Heterzygous MTHFR….duh…knew that already!
The Hematologist has cleared me to become pregnant again in the future and agrees 100% with my Reproductive Endocrinologist in the protocol that he has decided upon. She also said to ensure I keep a close eye on my iron levels during pregnancy. The prenatal vitamin I take now has kept me from being anemic as of recently, but my levels are low even with that supplementation. More than likely I will need to take additional iron during pregnancy, but that’s cool! I can handle that!
The journey….to be continued!
Posted in Journey to Motherhood, Loss, MTHFR, The Journey
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The road goes on forever and the party never ends….
The journey continues! Met with a Hematologist today. I felt it was important to further understand MTHFR and the issues it could cause me as an individual as well as in pregnancy. I also wanted to ensure that our plan for the next time was the right plan!
Unfortunately my reproductive endocrinologist’s office did not send the complete record of my labwork, but we were able to meet anyway.
Basically she said that MTHFR for me puts me at higher risk for heart attack and blood clots. I must take baby aspirin daily for the rest of my life. She fully approved of the protocol for my next pregnancy as well as the current protocol when not pregnant. So for now I will continue baby aspirin, Folgard 2.2 mg (once a day) and prenatal vitamin. When pregnant, I will switch to Lovenox (blood thinner), Folgard 2.2.mg twice a day. She also suggested switching to Heparin during the last month of the pregnancy as this enables me to be able to have surgery safely should a c-section become necessary.
They drew 10-12 vials of blood from me today. Given the incomplete records she was not 100% sure what I’d been tested for and frankly…I’ve been tested so much I could not even begin to recite all the different tests.
So much fun giving up so much blood….again. At least it was not 19 vials this time! AND….I got complimented on my flip flops twice and my wedding ring twice today….SCORE! I have to find the good in all of this!
So today she tested me for:
- LDH
- Lupus Anticoagulant
- Protein Elec + Interp serum
- Reticulocyte Count
- Sedimentation Rate
- Protein C
- Protein S
- Antithrombin III
- Factor 8
- d-dimer
- Homocysteine levels (this is important for MTHFR)
- Ferritin Serum
- Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
What are all these things? I have NO clue. I will ask of course if any of them come back with not so great results…..otherwise I am not going to drive myself bonkers researching them all and stressing over it.
I know a few of these I have been tested for, but some of them are completely new to me. No fun duplicating effort, but with incomplete records it was easier to just do them again.
Oh what fun!
We meet again in 2 weeks to discuss the results. Like I said…The road goes on forever, and the party never ends…
(I have NO idea why a Robert Earl Keen song came to mind as I wrote this lol)
Posted in Cooking
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Light Cilantro-Lime Dressing / Dip
Here is an excellent dip for your Chipotle-Lime Shrimp Taquitos
Light Cilantro-Lime Dressing by TrialAndErin
1 cup Light Mayonnaise
½ cups 2% Milk
1 package (1 Oz. Packet) Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk Dressing Mix
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice, Approx 1 Lime
¼ cups Salsa Verde (green) Medium
½ cups Coarsely Chopped Cilantro
10 dashes Tabasco Sauce
Throw all the ingredients with the exception of Tabasco Sauce into your food processor or blender. Mix well, and then add dashes of Tabasco Sauce until desired spice level is achieved. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Chill until ready to serve.
Posted in Cooking
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Chipotle-Lime Shrimp Taquitos
Weeks and weeks ago, I tried an amazing recipe for Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos. Amazing. They were absolutely delicious and did I mention…amazing? Hubby loved them and we both ate them again for lunch the next day…like I said…amazing.
Anyone who knows Hubby, knows that he loves shrimp or lobster anything. So I thought, ok… let’s see if I can come up with a shrimp taquito. Here’s what I came up with…. Continue reading
Posted in Cooking
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I threw pottery!
Valentine’s Day this year was amazing. It was our first as husband and wife. Hubby did all sorts of sweet things for me! He totally thought outside of the box and I was quite impressed. One of the things he did was purchase a private couples pottery class for the two of us! Random? Yes. Different? Yes. Creative? Yes! Perfect? Yes! It was the best gift ever! I was so excited to do this as I have never tried it and to be able to experience something for the first time with my Hubby…wonderful! So here’s how it went…. Continue reading
Posted in Miscellaneous
Tagged Art, Clay, Molding, Potter, Pottery, Pottery Wheel, Throwing Pottery
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Chicken Pot Pie
I know it’s Spring. I know that hearty, meaty, comfort food is meant for Fall/Winter. The day I made this… it was chilly. Gloomy. So, I decided to make a Chicken Pot Pie, anyway! It’s one of Hubby’s favorite meals, I love it, it was “icky” outside, so why not? Who cares if it’s almost April? Continue reading
Posted in Casseroles, Cooking, Entire Recipe Collection, Main Courses, Pies, Poultry Dishes, Veggies
Tagged Chicken, Chicken Pot Pie, Comfort Food, Pot Pie
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Abby and how the “Cat in the Hat” saved the day.
Abby… She’s a month away from turning 10 years old and she’s going on 25. She is an amazing big sister. She’s the smartest, most observant/perceptive kid that I know. She’s beautiful, creative and artistic. She loves to cook and bake. She’s sassy, a great singer, and she and I are on the same page in SO many ways. She is also insanely passionate about things that are important to her…just like me. This can be an awesome thing…but it can mean complete tragedy if something is forgotten…like a costume for school…needed…TOMORROW. “The Cat in the Hat” will save the day…. Continue reading
BBQ Chicken Pizza
Ok, I’ll admit it. I used to be the girl that thought BBQ Chicken did not belong… on a pizza. Yes, I thought pizza was supposed to taste like what I’d grown up eating…pepperoni, cheese, ground beef, veggies, whatever. I think for me it was an issue with SAUCE and CHICKEN. BBQ sauce on pizza? No way! Pizza is supposed to have tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, etc, not chicken! Well, a few months ago I decided to make it. Not sure why, other than Hubby loves it. So I did…and it was so good that I then made it several more times. We make homemade pizza often…but this has become the new fave in our house… Continue reading
Posted in Cooking, Entire Recipe Collection, Main Courses, Pizza, Poultry Dishes
Tagged BBQ Chicken, BBQ Sauce, Chicken, Pizza
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Chicken Tortilla Soup
Yesterday, and well…all week it’s been gloomy. Dark, grey and humid, not to mention chilly. Yes, its Spring, but clearly our temperatures have not yet figured that out. Last week they thought it was summer! So with this gloomy weather and a brand spankin’ new 5 QT Staub Pesto Cocotte in my kitchen, I decided I wanted a slow cooked soup. Hubby loves Chicken Tortilla Soup so that’s what I made…check it out. Continue reading
Posted in Cooking, Easy Week Day Meals, Entire Recipe Collection, Main Courses, Poultry Dishes, Soups & Stews
Tagged Slow Cooker, Soup, Tortilla, Tortilla Soup
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Chocolate Brownie Cookies stuffed with Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
I love brownies. I love cookies. I love cookie dough. Did I mention I love chocolate? I also love easy sometimes! Especially when whipping up some cookies for kiddos, or when a certain ambitious 9 year old named Abby wants to make cookies….by herself! Yes, by herself…that’s how easy these are! And, they combine the flavors of all those things along with being simple and easy! So you are probably already chomping at the bit to see the recipe huh…..?
Continue reading
Posted in Cookies, Cooking, Desserts, Entire Recipe Collection
Tagged Brownies, Cake Mix, Cookie Dough, Cookies
5 Comments
Peanut Butter Cupcakes with PB&J Frosting
Love peanut butter? Love cupcakes? Love a good PB&J sandwich? If so you are in luck, my friends! I made peanut butter cupcakes this weekend and wanted to break away from the norm of peanut butter frosting, chocolate frosting and the peanut butter frosting with jelly on top combo. I created PB&J flavored frosting! Continue reading
Posted in Cakes, Cooking, Desserts, Entire Recipe Collection, Frostings & Icings
Tagged buttercream, Cupcakes, pb&J, Peanut Butter, peanut butter and jelly
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Bacon and Cheese Quiche
Love quiche? Wish it was easy to make one? It is! Here’s my fast and easy quiche recipe! Great for the weekend or making ahead to reheat on weekday mornings! Reheats wonderfully!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3 oz bacon pieces, prepared in bag or freshly cooked bacon is fine.
1/2 cup chopped onion or small handful of dried minced onion.
5 oz cheddar or cheddar jack blend, shredded
3 oz grated Parmesan cheese (not powdered in can)
1 (9 inch) deep dish frozen pie crust
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup half-and-half cream
If you are feeling adventurous, add some spinach or mushrooms to the mix. Switch things up and use ham and swiss or anything you wish!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, mix the bacon, onions, and both cheeses. Place this mixture in the unthawed pie crust.
Mix the eggs and half and half in a bowl. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese mixture.
Cover edges of crust with foil or a pie crust ring to prevent burning or over-browning. (Only cover edges)
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake for an additional 35 to 45 minutes until top of quiche begins to turn brown and quiche is set (check this visually by inserting knife into center, if it comes out relatively clean you are done)
Bacon & Cheese Quiche
Posted in Breakfast, Cooking, Egg Dishes, Entire Recipe Collection
Tagged Bacon, Cheese, Eggs, Quiche
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Mini Pizzas
As you may or may not know…I work from home. Which means that I sit in my office, wearing pajamas all day. Yes… all day! So as you can imagine there comes a time here and there where there is not a whole lot to choose from in the fridge…for lunch. Go get something, you say? Remember, I am in my pajamas…come on…that would require getting dressed! This happened recently…so what did I do? I made mini pizzas! Continue reading
Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten Free)
Who doesn’t love a good peanut butter cookie? Anyone? Anyone? That’s what I thought. Just about everyone! I have an increasing number of friends and contacts, that are living a Gluten-free lifestyle for various reasons. It recently reminded me of an easy and quick recipe for peanut butter cookies that I made for the first time years ago when I ran out of flour etc and was dying for a cookie. I can’t recall where I found the recipe as this was before the gluten-free craze, but they are so good! I don’t miss the flour at all. Continue reading
Posted in Cookies, Cooking, Desserts, Entire Recipe Collection, Gluten Free
Tagged Chocolate, Cookies, Gluten Free, Peanut Butter
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“Crack” Dip a.k.a. Buffalo Chicken Dip
As you know, yesterday was National Chip & Dip Day. It was also, Hubby’s birthday and so I ended up making TWO dips for the occasions. I made the Spinach Artichoke Dip with the red bell pepper and bacon…yum! I also made Hubby’s favorite dip, and quite frankly, my favorite as well…”Crack” Dip, also known as Buffalo Chicken Dip. Why is it called “Crack” Dip….it’s highly addictive and when you try it, you will know why… So you want to know how to make it……? Continue reading
Quick update on The Journey to Motherhood
So, my body is FINALLY starting to regulate itself. Had a blood test last week and the pregnancy hormone level is down to 220, 6 weeks post D&C. It needs to be a 5 or less to be considered negative.
So lovely, I get the call from the doctor’s office with these results and the nurse, says “Was this your first one” I told her “Yes, the first since my D&C”, and she says “oh ok…” then pauses and says, “Well…congratulations, you are pregnant”. Clearly she was not listening to me. For a moment I started wracking my brain thinking “WHAT? How is that possible…” then I realize ok…clearly this gal is confused. So she apologized profusely, and asked me to come back again next week for another test to make sure it has gone down completely. This is taking forever! 7 weeks post D&C now…and my body is slowly but surely figuring out that it is NOT pregnant. Come on Erin’s body…GET WITH THE PROGRAM already!
So that’s where we stand. Until then I will continue my MTHFR pre-pregnancy protocol of Folgard 2.2, baby aspirin and prenatal vitamins. Stay tuned!
Posted in Journey to Motherhood, Loss, MTHFR, The Journey
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Spinach & Artichoke Dip (National Chip & Dip Day!)
Today is National Chip and Dip Day! It also happens to be Hubby’s birthday! Happy Birthday to the love of my life!
Given that he shares his birthday with National Chip and Dip Day, I figured I should make one of the dips he really enjoys! Spinach Artichoke Dip! I have my own take on it, and I hope you will enjoy it…
Continue reading
Posted in Appetizers and Snacks, Cooking, Dressings/Spreads/Dips
Tagged Artichoke, Cheese, Dip, Spinach, Spinach-Artichoke
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Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
As you saw, I posted Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream today, and normally I make them with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting. So I thought I’d post that recipe for those of you, like me…that prefer a good cream cheese frosting!
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
by TrialAndErin
1 cup Salted Butter, Softened
2 packages (8 Ounce Bars) Cream Cheese
2 Tablespoons Real Vanilla
4 cups Sifted Powdered Sugar
1 pound Fresh Strawberries, Sliced, Then Pureed
Cream softened butter and cream cheese together. Add vanilla and mix well. Slowly add sifted powdered sugar to mixture. Whip until a nice smooth frosting texture is achieved.
Remove stems from the fresh strawberries and place in a blender or food processer. I save a few whole ones to garnish cake with (leave those with stems). Puree until a smooth puree is achieved. Add small amounts of the puree to frosting mixture, blending well in mixer until desired flavor is achieved, without compromising the thickness of the frosting.
Posted in Cakes, Cooking, Desserts, Entire Recipe Collection, Frostings & Icings
Tagged Cream Cheese, frosting, Icing, Strawberry
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Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
It’s that time of year again…It’s “Birthday Month” in our household. My birthday is on the 11th, Keegan’s on the 12th and then my Hubby’s is on the 23rd. Every year I make the same cake for him. Strawberry. It’s the same recipe his grandmother always made for him, so I of course must continue the tradition! It’s not from scratch, yet it has become my favorite strawberry cake as well!
Why do I like it so much? 1. It’s pink as could be, duh! 2. It has a more intense strawberry flavor and, 3. It’s always moist and just darn right good! And of course, it’s Hubby’s favorite!
Have I grabbed your attention yet…..?
Posted in Cakes, Cooking, Desserts, Entire Recipe Collection, Frostings & Icings
Tagged Cupcakes, frosting, Icing, Strawberry
7 Comments
“Lasagna” Bowls
I was out and about running a few errands today and well….as usual the urge to just take a quick peek at the kitchen section in TJ Maxx/Home Goods, took over…again. Sometimes you find great little kitchen gadgets etc and other times you find…NOTHING. So, today I was in luck…tumbled across these cute little glazed terracotta crocks, for just about nothing at all so, of course I bought them. And then you can guess what happened…I wanted to make something to bake/serve in them, of course! So after much deliberation I decided to make a “Lasagna” bowl. It has all the goodness of lasagna… but NO lasagna noodles!
How do you make “Lasagna” bowls without a lasagna noodle?
Read below to find out…. Continue reading
Posted in Beef Dishes, Casseroles, Cooking, Entire Recipe Collection, Main Courses, Pasta Dishes
Tagged Campanelle, Italian dishes, Italian Food, Lasagna
8 Comments
I may be the only wife who doesn’t get angry when her husband….
I may just be the only wife who does not get angry when her husband gives her….cookware for her birthday! Yes, I may be labeled as clinically insane for this one, but I actually LOVE it! I celebrated a birthday last week…much to my dismay…the years just keep coming. I have decided that this was my 5th, 29th birthday this year. I mean, you did know that I created a recipe for eternal youth, right? If only…..
So back to what I was trying to tell you about…my hubby….
Posted in Cooking, Miscellaneous
Tagged Cast Iron, Cast Iron Enamel, Ceramic Bowls, Cooware, Dutch Oven, French Oven, Le Creuset, Staub, Waechtersbach
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Chicken Piccata
I am a big fan of Italian food…really big fan. The tomato sauces, the cream sauces, 
the vodka sauce, the pesto, the carbs…you know, all that good stuff. One dish gets overlooked by many….a flavorful and lighter dish….Chicken Piccata…
It’s wonderful served up with my Lemon Linguine with Spinach and Sun-dried Tomatoes as a side.
Here’s my version… Continue reading
Linguine with Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Lemon Sauce
When cooking up some delicious and lemony, Chicken Piccata the other night, I needed 
something great to go along side it. I was in the mood for some carbs, something that would really go well with the lemon flavor of the chicken….Ah! Lemon Linguine with Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomatoes….
May sound a bit different, but I guarantee you that despite the use of it’s juice, this recipe is NOT A LEMON….. Continue reading
Posted in Cooking, Main Courses, Pasta, Rice and Potatoes, Side Items
Tagged Linguine, Pasta, Pine Nuts, Spinach, Sun-dried Tomatoes
4 Comments
St. Patrick’s Day “Green Drinks”
How many of you are bored with GREEN BEER? I mean, come on…really? Food coloring in beer is the best you bars and restaurants can come up with? And beer…well, not everyone likes it! I do, but sometimes I want something a little more tasty, with some sweet or sour flavor to it!
I’ve seen a few posts online from people wanting to know what “green drinks” they could make. So, I thought I’d post a few of my favorites and help bring a little St. Patty’s Day cheer to those in search of a “green drink”.
Enjoy your St. Patty’s Day with these yummy beverages….
Double Chocolate Stout Cupcakes with Irish Cream Buttercream Frosting
St. Patrick’s day is fast approaching and I am wondering….whoever 
said you had to
DRINK your alcohol? In my opinion…at least today, anyway….this is definitely the exception to the rule that alcohol is meant to be in beverage form! I always get a bit excited about St. Patrick’s Day….for one, my name is Erin. Guess how many times I’ll hear “Erin Go Bragh” on St. Patty’s….I also love green, four leaf clovers, and, well… Leprechauns are quite cute as well! Ok, well maybe just the Lucky Charms guy. This year, I am excited because I was able to celebrate by baking up something using a good stout beer and Irish Cream….and it involves chocolate….
Continue reading
Posted in Cakes, Cooking, Desserts, Frostings & Icings, Holidays, St. Patrick's Day
Tagged Cupcakes, Irish Cream, St. Patrick's Day, Stout Beer
13 Comments
Shrimp & Vegetable Noodle Bowl w/ Thai Peanut Sauce
So tonight I knew that my hubby and I had to “practice” for the new Kick Ball league we signed up for recently….yes, adults DO play Kick Ball. I use the term “practice” loosely as really, we just wanted to ensure that we both were capable of kicking the darn ball if pitched to us! The results were good, however my lower shin may beg to differ….it’s currently a lovely shade of blue. I am such a girl, I know!
So anyway, my point…oh yes….I need something easy and quick to make for dinner. Something that would be light enough that we would not feel weighed down by our meal when we went to practice. Ah ha! Shrimp and Veggie Bowls with Thai Peanut Sauce….. Continue reading
Posted in Cooking, Easy Week Day Meals, Entire Recipe Collection, Pasta, Rice and Potatoes, Seafood Dishes
Tagged Noodle Bowl, Peanut, Thai
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Cowtown Diner…My Birthday Dinner
As you may or may not know I celebrated a birthday on Friday! I had my pick of eating 
just about anywhere my little ‘ol heart desired. I mulled it over all day and ended up picking a “Diner”. One might think….really, Erin? A diner? Why not an amazing steak house or seafood restaurant? Why not some sort of fancy, upscale cuisine? Okay, well.. call me crazy but I desperately wanted to try a local spot…a restaurant featured on Man v. Food, a Travel Channel show. My hubby, the awesome man that he is, of course obliged….. Continue reading
Posted in Miscellaneous, Restaurant Reviews
Tagged chicken fried steak, cowtown diner, diner, fort worth, macaroni, mashed potato, sundance square
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Creme Brulee French Toast with Drunken Strawberries
It’s Saturday and its my birthday weekend, so I decided I was going tomake a special birthday breakfast for myself. Now, anyone who knows me…knows that I love Creme Brulee more than life…ok, well, maybe not THAT much, but it is by far… my favorite dessert of all time! Who could resist that rich, creamy vanilla custard with flecks of real vanilla bean and carmelized sugar? Not I! I also adore french toast and strawberries…so guess what I made for my birthday breakfast…..
Frosting for the Cause!
I am so very excited to announce that I will be participating in Frosting for the Cause! What is this? It’s an awesome collaboration of 365 baker/bloggers that are ♥ baking for a difference ♥, benefiting women affected by cancer in some way or another. Each day for 365 days….. Continue reading
Posted in Cooking, Miscellaneous
Tagged cancer, cancer awareness, cause, charity, frosting
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Cheese Stuffed Bacon Turkey Burger Sliders
Why is it that we seem to think just about anything “miniature” is cute? Those tiny ketchup bottles room service brings, mini-coopers, miniature dog breeds, mini candy bars…the list goes on and on, right? Well, the same goes for those mini-burgers we like to refer to as sliders. After trying another slider recipe recently, I decided to come up with my own based on what I thought would be a good combination of flavors, yet still simple. Success! I made…. Continue reading
Avocado Dressing and Spread
I don’t know about you, but I get tired of the same ol’ same ol when it comes to condiments. Mayo, mustard, ketchup, ranch. Blah. When I made dinner the other night, I needed something different, something to jazz it up a bit. So I came up with this…. Continue reading
Follow me to the land of Twitter and Facebook!
Good afternoon everyone! So as many of you know I already “co-host” a page on Facebook called Face Foodies. For those of you who don’t, I’d greatly appreciate it you went on over to the site, checked it out and “Liked” us! For those of you who just know you are going to like it, you can also “like” it on the side bar of my blog.
Also, I decided today that “Tweeting” is a must! So follow Trial and Erin’s Tweets today! I’ll be tweeting about new posts, recipes and upcoming posts! In all honesty, it may be a little slow going at first as well…I may be a Facebook, LinkedIn guru but tweeting..well…let’s just say I am looking around for that Mom in the commercial who says, “I can help you compose a tweet, if you want”. You know the one…with the awkward moment at the dinner table? Love that commercial. But anway, follow me! I’d appreciate the company!
Thank you!!!
Posted in Cooking
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Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Who doesn’t love a good sweet potato dish? After all we are in the South, and as Alabama once sang, “Song… Song of the South… Sweet potato pie, it’ll shut my mouth!” Well, sweet potato fries will shut mine any time! Shhhhh…don’t tell my hubby that!
There are many ways to prepare sweet potatoes….Sweet potato pie, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, sweet potato casseroles, baked sweet potato and of course the sweet potato fry! Such sweet and yummy goodness don’t ya think?
So as you may have guessed, our household is making a huge effort to eat semi-healthy for more meals than not…I guess you might have also guessed by now, that this is entirely my fault…after all, I fed them a ton of rich, fattening food! Ooops! So, what do you do when you want Sweet Potato Fries, and you are trying to eat a bit healthier? Bake ‘em! Here’s my recipe…. Continue reading
Fat Tuesday…that won’t make you fat! Time for some Jambalaya!
IT’S FAT TUESDAY! Get your Mardi Gras on everyone!!! Why do they call it Fat Tuesday…..there are a few reasons. One is that “Mardi Gras” means “Tuesday Fat” in French, hence the name Fat Tuesday. Another theory is that Fat Tuesday is the last night to partake in richer, fattier foods before the ritual fasting for Lent.
I decided to celebrate my Fat Tuesday with a good ‘ol cajun classic Jambalaya! Guess what? You won’t feel the “Fat” in Fat Tuesday…it’s on the healthier/lighter side…but still has all the “heat” and flavor! This is a really awesome thing for all you crazy Mardi Gras parade goers…you know…in case you decide to get crazy in pursuit of those Mardi Gras beads…you get my drift
Is this really possible? Lighter, yet tasty Jambalaya? YES…keep reading to see the recipe and step by step photos… Continue reading
Happy National White Chocolate Cheesecake Day!!!
In honor of National White Chocolate Cheesecake Day and my bonus son, Keegan’s birthday I made a delicious White Chocolate Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake with
an Oreo cookie crumb crust!
Let me start by saying…I don’t even like cream cheese, much less cheesecake. I’ve tried regular, chocolate, strawberry swirl…even rich decadent cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory made with Godiva chocolate and yet….have not truly enjoyed it. I’m not sure what it is about this one, but oh my heavens…it is delicious!
Most people make White Chocolate Raspberry cheesecakes, but just about everyone in our family does not like raspberry, so I decided to try a new take on the old favorite….
Here’s my take…. Continue reading
Posted in Cakes, Cooking, Desserts, Entire Recipe Collection
Tagged Cheesecake, Strawberry, White Chocolate
3 Comments
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
It’s Saturday! Yippee! It’s also the day/weekend we are celebrating my bonus son, Keegan’s 7th birthday! Technically his birthday is March 12th, but he is with his mom that day so it’s our turn to celebrate…and lucky for him…it’s an entire week early!
So recently I was perusing the website/blog of Recipe Girl, and came across the perfect pancake for our family…the Cinnamon Roll Pancake. 
As you might know, we adore cinnamon anything. Cinnamon rolls, french breakfast puffs (covered in butter and cinnamon/sugar), Cinnamon Toast Crunch, churros…you name it…if it’s got cinnamon, chances are…we love it. I immediately thought this would be perfect for Keegan’s birthday breakfast!
So without further ado… Continue reading
Posted in Breads, Breads, Breakfast, Cooking, Entire Recipe Collection
Tagged Cinnamon, Cinnamon Roll, Pancakes
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And the results are in…
Well, the doctor’s office FINALLY got the results of the chromosomal analysis done on our little baby angel. It’s been 4 weeks and 2 days since the D&C and it’s been a long wait! For those of you who know me…you know that patience is NOT one of my virtues.
Continue reading
Posted in Journey to Motherhood, Loss, MTHFR, The Journey
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Healthy “Cheese Stuffed” Breakfast Sandwich
Has a diet or new healthy eating regimen got you completel
y perplexed as to what to eat for breakfast? Accustomed to eating fast food breakfast sandwiches, such as the infamous “McMuffin” or a breakfast burrito? Here is my healthy and delicious take on the breakfast sandwich! The best part is…you can personalize it and make it your own! Veggies or no veggies…Meat or no meat…Salsa or Tobasco…and so on…
So here’s my take….. Continue reading
Posted in Breakfast, Cooking, Egg Dishes, Weight Watchers Friendly
Tagged Breakfast Sandwich, Egg Beaters, Weight Watchers
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Join me in the March for Babies!
Happy Hump Day everyone! I just signed up for the March for Babies, benefiting the March of Dimes. The March for Babies is April 16th, with registration at 8:30 and the walk beginning at 9:00 am in Fort Worth.
As you can imagine this cause is near and dear to my heart. I was a premature baby, born 6 weeks early. Fortunately, I was fairly healthy, had a bit of jaundice, but could not eat properly. I had not yet developed the ability to bottle or breast feed and had to be tube fed until I was able to nurse. A little on the small side at 5 lbs 2 oz birth weight, but not too bad…right? Well, many babies are not so fortunate. Many are born extremely early, some very sick and some…lose the fight. I’ve never given birth to a premature baby; however after experiencing 3 miscarriages…it’s impossible not to find this cause to be so very important.
Perhaps research done might find a way to reduce the risk of premature birth and infant mortality with MTHFR. The research or care provided with funds raised might help prevent premature birth for my neighbor, my friend, or my a relatives. It may even help a total stranger. If I can help fund research to find answers to the problems that threaten babies and their lives, proper care and testing for mothers and babies that might prevent a premature birth, life long impairments and infant mortality…I am all for it. Prevention is key and with the money raised during the March for Babies…prevention becomes even more possible.
So, with that said…join me and help give all moms and babies a real chance at good health and life.
To donate, or join me in the walk to raise funds that will help moms in our community have healthy and full term pregnancies, please visit my personal page. The link is Erin’s March for Babies. I hope you will join me in the fight against premature birth.
Posted in Journey to Motherhood, Miscellaneous, MTHFR, The Journey
Tagged Babies, Birth Defects, Infertility, March for Babies, March of Dimes, Miscarriage, still birth
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National Peanut Butter Lovers’ Day!
It’s March and that means it is….(drum roll, please….) National Peanut Month! And today, March 1st is NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER LOVERS’ DAY! What better way to celebrate than to talk about Peanut Butter? We all grew up eating it, most of us find it to be rather indulgent, and well…it is just so darn good! I don’t know about you but I could eat peanut butter right out of the jar, particularly chunky peanut butter! And peanut butter and chocolate candy….oh boy! Delicious! Whether you like creamy, chunky, super chunky, organic, with jelly or without…we can all agree on one thing. Peanut Butter Rocks! So, I thought today would be a perfect time to introduce you to a “find” of mine from a while back……(drum roll again….please)
Yes that's right, folks! Chocolate & PB in a jar...TOGETHER!
Posted in Cooking, Miscellaneous, Weight Watchers Friendly
Tagged Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Gluten Free, Peanut, Peanut Butter
2 Comments
Pizza Crust Dough
Posted in Breads, Cooking, Entire Recipe Collection, Main Courses, Pizza
Tagged Italian Food, Pizza, Pizza Crust
4 Comments
“Pandora”…for Food?
This morning, I logged into my Linked In account for work…it’s like a God given blessing to me…given that I am recruiter! So, once I am logged in, I see in the “updates” that someone has posted a link about “Pandora for food”. I think to myself, “Huh? Pandora is internet radio, I don’t get it”, yet I am instantly intrigued. I love music, so Pandora is most definitely an app I use on my iPhone, and I love food…so a combo of the two…hmmm, could be interesting or it could be a colossal…FAIL! Come to find out there are a few companies that fall into this category….according to this article at www.techcrunch.com. I’ve posted the article and a link to it here: Continue reading
Game plan…we’ve got one!
We had our follow up appointment with our reproductive endocrinologist today. It’s been 3 weeks and 2 days since my D&C, and the goal was to learn the results of our tissue analysis, both DNA karyotyping and pathological testing. Pathology results were all normal. The genetic testing…STILL not back yet so, doc will call me with those. I was looking forward to learning if we had a little girl or boy, more so for closure, than anything…but that will have to wait.
So…what do we do when I get pregnant again? Well… Continue reading
Posted in Journey to Motherhood, Loss, MTHFR, The Journey
Tagged Folgard, Infertility, Loss, Lovenox, Miscarriage, MTHFR
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Nothing Bundt Cakes is Nothing Bundt Delicious!
I met my dear friend for lunch today and we decided after our delicious greasy lunch that …we should…oh I don’t know…add some additional fat intake for the day. So we headed over to a fairly new bakery in town, Nothing Bundt Cakes. Cutest little shop and all they bake and sell is Bundt Cakes of various sizes and flavors! So of course, we are immediately greeted by a cheery sales person who offers us a sample. White White Chocolate bundt cake. Cream Cheese Frosting. Enough said….moist and creamy goodness. Delicious.
So we look at our options, there are multiple flavors such as carrot, lemon, lemon raspberry, chocolate chocolate chip, red velvet and so on. The sales person is telling us about the different sizes as we TRY to decide what flavor…and I do mean singular flavor to try. This is the part where the sales person says “These tiny ones are our Bundtinis and they come in a box of 12 with 4 flavors” It’s all a blur from this point forward. The next thing I know, both my friend and I are exiting the store…each with a box of 12 tiny bundt cakes in hand….What just happened? LOL.
Thus far, I have exercised complete self control and moderation. I have had exactly ONE Bundtini…lemon with cream cheese frosting. To die for. So delicious. Ridiculously cute too in these really cute little brown cupcake cups with scalloped edges. Love it!
This little guy escaped being devoured this afternoon...soon, sweet little cake, soon.
Posted in Cakes, Desserts, Miscellaneous
Tagged bundt cake, fort worth, nothing bundt cakes
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Infertility: Important to talk about it! TODAY SHOW health segment today…
Good morning everyone! This morning on the TODAY SHOW, News Anchor Alisyn Camerota shares her story of infertility. She discusses the importance of sharing your feelings, thoughts and experiences with others as well as her success. Miracles do happen! Watch below:
Alisyn Camerota Discusses Infertility
I know first hand just how important it is to talk to someone. When I first realized that this journey was going to be more complicated than I had thought, I immediately began looking for resources. Where can I find information? Where can I find others also trying to conceive? I went to places such as www.ivillage.com and www.fertilityfriend.com and little did I know…that I would make some of the closest friends through these sites. I have friends that I can talk about anything with. Friends that believe there is no such thing as TMI or talking about this journey too much. Friends that have been there, done that and understand what it is I am dealing with. Friends that to this day, years later….I have never met in person, yet feel as if I have known them for years. Initially they were my “trying to conceive buddies”. Now they are my “I’m pregnant, paranoid and freaking out buddies” and my “I’ve lost the baby and I’m going to fall apart buddies”. They are my support system as it relates to my quest for a baby. Without them, I would crumble under the stress each time I am pregnant.
More recently, after this last miscarriage I found a few groups through www.facebook.com that were extremely helpful during a time of such despair. I found groups that were focused solely upon my disorder, MTHFR. This time, it was such a comfort to talk with women that were suffering the same exact issue I was. Women who had suffered miscarriage due to MTHFR. I cannot begin to tell you how helpful it has been for me to know that not only am I not alone in my battle, but there are others who are dealing with the EXACT same issue. It’s amazing to connect with others in this way.So, wherever you are in your journey, whether you are just beginning, in the middle, dealing with infertility, pregnancy or loss….I urge you to talk to someone. It can be a friend, a family member, or a complete stranger you meet in an online fertility forum….but do not hold it all in. If you do, you will be a walking time bomb, just waiting to explode. I assure you, you will feel better getting it all out and talking with someone who has been there!
“Dad…will Cheerleaders like me?”
So this evening, my husband was out at dinner with Abby and Keegan…Wednesday night is their night to see Dad. They were talking over dinner and the subject of Flag Football came up, something Keegan will be playing soon. So Keegan says, “Dad? Do you think cheerleaders will like me?” This coming from the boy who acts as if girls are “ewwww gross”. My husband responded “Of course they will, buddy. That’s kind of how it works, and the better you play the more they will like you. So you better practice a whole lot.” Keegan chewed, deep in thought and smiled.
After dinner they went outside and decided to make wishes in the fountain. They tossed in their pennies and decided to do it differently this time. This time they would toss their pennies, share their wishes with one another and then toss another to ask for the first wish to still come true….after all everyone knows if you tell someone your wish it won’t come true. So Keegan’s wish was “To get a new girl friend”….
Hello Handsome...Why yes, I think the cheerleaders WILL like you!
What has happened to the 6 year old little boy who thought girls were yucky, and who cringed at the mention of girls? Well….he turns 7 in a few weeks, I suppose we are about to have a real ladies man on our hands. Yikes!
Posted in Keegan
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MTHFR
MTHFR- I don’t know about you but I immediately think…Mother F’er. Pardon my brutal honesty and my language, but that’s exactly what I consider it to be.
It’s the thing that keeps me from becoming a mother.
The thing that has kept me up at night, ruled my days, my thoughts, my emotions and often my body.
It’s the “scary monster” that has caused me to have not one, not two but THREE baby angels in heaven.
It sure is ironic how closely the acronym for this genetic disorder resembles the foul term that best describes it…in my mind at least.
MTHFR- What is it?
Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is the name of a gene that produces an enzyme, also called methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. If a person carries the genetic mutation that inhibits production of this enzyme, it can result in hyperhomocytenemia, which is an elevated level of an enzyme called homocysteine found in blood plasma.
When the body is deficient in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, its ability to absorb folate (also known as vitamin B9), such as folic acid, is inhibited. Folic acid and B9 are both essential to the development and health of the fetus.
Types of MTHFR
With MTHFR, there are two different genes identified for this mutation, and it’s possible to be “heterozygous,” “compound heterozygous,” or “homozygous.” The MTHFR gene mutation has varying degrees of possible implications. The order of potential severity from most to least is:
1. C677T & C677T (Two C Copies – C677T Homozygous)
2. C677T & A1298C (One Copy of Each The C & A – Compound Heterozygous)
3. C677T (One C Copy – C677T Heterozygous)
4. A1298C & A1298C (Two A Copies – A1298C Homozygous)
5. A1298C (One A Copy – A1298C Heterozygous)
I have been diagnosed as having the second most serious type, Compound Heterozygous, which means I have one copy of each type. C677T and A1298C. This means that each of my parents possess one copy of one type.
So that all sounds pretty awful right? And sure it has been at times, but we have a great doctor, Dr. Robert Kaufman working with us to conquer MTHFR and the havoc it has been wreaking!
Stay tuned! Should have a game plan for beating this on Friday!
Posted in Journey to Motherhood, MTHFR
Tagged Folgard, Infertility, Lovenox, Miscarriage, MTHFR, still birth
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My Journey to Motherhood…so far.
If you are reading this portion of my blog, I’ll assume one of two things. Either you are on the same journey that I am, perhaps with some difficulty in conceiving, or have experienced loss. Or…You are just curious and reading because you are bored at work and have already read through all of my cooking posts. Either way…welcome to my JOURNEY….Ready? Here we go… Continue reading
Posted in Journey to Motherhood, Loss, MTHFR, The Journey
Tagged Fertility, Infertility, Miscarriage, MTHFR, pregnancy, pregnancy loss
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America Loves Food
Do you love food? Love to eat? Love to celebrate? You are in luck my friends!
There is literally a National Food Holiday…..EVERY day of the year! That’s 365 days of food celebrating every year! Today is National Banana Bread Day. Tomorrow…National Tortilla Chip Day….now couldn’t we have celebrated that yesterday while partaking in some margaritas for National Margarita Day? Anyway, you get my drift….
There are also National Food Months as well! For instance February is…National Cherry Month, National Snack Food Month and so on.
I think it is clear…..America LOVES Food
Now I won’t bore you with a post about every single food holiday, but I may ask you to join me in celebrating a few! For instance yesterday…National Margarita Day. Now THAT is one worth celebrating! So keep a look out for reasons to celebrate your favorite foods!
Happy National Margarita Day!
Happy National Margarita Day!
I can see why we need a special day to celebrate these wonderful frozen concoctions, can't you?
I’m so excited to observe this “holiday” that I do believe the hubby and I will be meeting this evening at a local restaurant to enjoy a few of these sweet, tangy, salty and cold beverages ourselves! Sorry I can’t write more….I’ll be…Wastin’ away in Margaritaville…..this evening!
Mmmmm, I do foresee a post about margarita cupcakes in my future…