Recipes by Request

Every week, I try to make at least one new recipe. I stumble upon recipes constantly in magazines, online, and in grocery store ads (namely Publix). For Christmas, I received a cookbook I had been eyeballing for a while called "Deceptively Delicious", which happens to be written by Jerry Seinfeld's wife, Jessica. The book has dozens of kid-friendly (and overall family-friendly) recipes that incorporate vegetables and fruits into common recipes without the kids knowing it. In other words, you are hiding the veggies. I have done this for quite some time now, but this book has given me tons more recipes to try using this method. I do jumping jacks inside when I see my kids eat the meals I have made that have veggies and/or fruits hidden in them (because they, like many kids, are quite picky). I make a lot of these recipes for dinner; it's an easy way to make a delicious, nutritious meal for my entire family.

Now that I am trying to lose weight, and because dinner is our family's "biggest" meal of the day, I try to make all my dinners as healthy as possible. I am going to share a few in this blog, all of which have been requested for me to share by at least one person. Enjoy, and be sure to let me know what you think if you try one of these recipes!


Easy Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas (requested by my friend Becca):

Ingredients:

• 1-10.75 oz. can cream of chicken soup (I use Campbell's Healthy Request)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (I use fat free)
• 1 cup Pace Picante sauce
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I use boneless skinless chicken breast)
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 6 flour tortillas (6"), warmed (I use whole wheat tortillas)
• 1 small tomato, chopped (optional)
• 1 green onion, sliced (optional)

Directions:

1. Stir the soup, sour cream, picante sauce, and chili powder in a medium bowl.

2. Stir 1 cup picante sauce mixture, chicken, and cheese in a large bowl.

3. Divide the chicken mixure among tortillas. Roll up the tortillas and place them seam-side down in a shallow baking dish. Pour remaining picante sauce mixture over the filled tortillas. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Top with tomato and onion (if preferred).

*These were pretty filling. I ate one and was done! I made a couple extra so Matt could have leftovers for lunch the next day.

Party Chicken (requested by my friend Laura): *very delicious but not one of the "healthier" meals I cook*

Ingredients:

• cooking spray (I use canola or olive oil)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• large plastic zip-top bag
• 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1-10.75 oz. can cream of chicken soup (I use healthy request)
• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise (I used Hellman's Light)
• 1 1/2 cup Panka break flakes (Japanase bread crumbs) (these are in the baking aisle next to the regular bread crumbs; at Walmart, they are about $1.50 a box)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Cut butter into small pieces and place in a medium bowl to soften.

2. Place flour in a large zip-top bag. Season chicken with flour; add to bag. Seal bag tightly; shake to coat. Remove chicken from bag and shake off excess flour. Arrange chicken in baking dish.

3. Combine soup and mayo in a second bowl; spread mixture evenly over chicken. Stir panko and cheese into softened butter, mixing until crumbly. Top chicken with cheese mixture; cover dish with foil. Bake 10 minutes.

4. Remove foil. Bake 10-15 more minutes or until top is golden and internal temp. of chicken reaches 165 degrees.

*This is another very filling dish. A couple of pieces of chicken plus a side of cooked veggies will fill you up easily!*

Healthy Homemade Mac 'n' Cheese #1 (requested by my mom and my sister Shauna)

*For this recipe, you have to steam and puree the cauliflower and/or butternut squash ahead of time. I puree a big batch at one time and freeze it in 1/2 cup portions so that I can easily use a puree when I need one. If you need help making the purees, let me know!*

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni (I use whole-grain or whole-wheat)
• nonstick cooking spray
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup skim milk (or low-fat)
• 1/2 cup butternut squash or cauliflower puree
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 oz. reduced-fat or nonfat cream cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp paprika
• 1/8 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the macaroni, and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander.

2. While the macaroni is cooking, coat a large saucepan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture resembles a thick paste but has not browned, 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Add the milk and cook, stirring every now and then, until the mixture begins to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vegetable puree, cheddar, cream cheese, and seasonings, and stir until the cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Stir in the macaroni and serve warm.

A Less Chubby Mommy, Part 1

I have been heavy most of my life. I was allowed to eat whatever pretty much whenever, and a part of me wishes someone had stepped in when I was a child and didn't know any better so I would not have ended up heavy as an adult.

When I finally got old enough to realize that so many of the things I had grown up eating were so unhealthy, I knew had to do something about it, but knowing is one thing. Doing is something entirely different.

When I was eighteen, I moved out on my own (I had a roommate) and therefore had to buy my own groceries. I ended up almost completely giving up sodas and not eating dessert at night, two things I had always had when I lived at home and contributed to my eight-plus years of unhealthy weight gain. I had previously started drinking water (something I had never done growing up, except for the occasional sips from the water fountain at school, which were probably more for the benefit of getting out of the classroom for two minutes rather than its healthful advantages). I dropped over twenty-five pounds with virtually no effort, merely because I didn't have the access to those things anymore.

Nowadays, the only excuse I have is my lack of motivation. Of course, I want to lose weight. I don't know any heavy person who loves being heavy, and if they tell you they do, they are only lying to you and to themselves. Not only are we heavy, we are unhealthy. We have a higher risk of many diseases, including but certainly not limited to, diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension.

My biggest challenges are sweets and lack of exercise. I love chocolate. I'm not one of those people who will down an entire bag of Hershey Kisses or anything, but passing through the kitchen several times and day and popping a piece of chocolate here and there will really add up at the end of the day. As for exercise, I feel like I'm getting a workout keeping up with my two kids all day, and the last thing I want to do is exercise in the evenings after they get to bed, and I definitely don't have the motivation to get up before my kids in the morning to squeeze in a workout. A tired mommy=a cranky mommy and a cranky mommy=cranky children (if a=b and b=c, a will always equal c, right?).

But don't get me wrong. I am definitely not as unhealthy as I used to be. When I was younger, here's what my daily food intake might look like:

Breakfast: 2 pop tarts or an oversized portion of some high-sugar cereal with milk
Lunch: pizza and fries from the school cafeteria, or if I was at home, Ramen noodles, Totino's frozen pizza, or other processed foods
Afternoon snack: chips, cookies, or snack cakes
Dinner: whatever my mom made and usually seconds and maybe thirds (She wasn't the unhealthiest cook, but she also wasn't the healthiest)
Dessert: ice cream or some other crapola

Wow, that totally makes me sick just thinking about all that. No wonder I put on so much weight through my pre-teen and teen years. I don't even buy pop tarts, chips, snack cakes, or ice cream now, unless it's for my kids (because they have CF and are on a high-calorie diet; you can read more about that in my CF blogs). Don't worry, my diet has gotten much better since then. Here is what my food intake is like today:

Breakfast: 1 serving whole grain cereal with 1/2 cup 1% milk
A.M. Snack (if any): fruit or high-fiber, low-cal granola bar
Lunch: Lean cuisine or 1 serving of previous night's dinner leftovers, raw carrots and/or fresh fruit
P.M. Snack (if any): fruit or high-fiber, low-cal granola bar
Dinner: 1 serving lean meat, veggies, and side item; sometimes salad, etc.
Dessert: rare

I can tell you I do a lot of things right. I drink a lot of water; I eat vegetables and fruits; I eat lean meats and don't eat much red meat (and when I do, it's lean); I rarely drink soda; and the list goes on. So, why, do you ask, can I not lose weight? Let's factor in my sweet tooth and lack of exercise. I constantly crave chocolate, and I can always find some, even if it's just mixing up a glass of chocolate milk. Then you add my sweet tea addiction; even though the antioxidants in the tea is good for you, the sugar in it is not. Finally, factor in the fact that I don't exercise like I am supposed to, and you end up getting the final product: a chubby mommy.

I still weigh less than I did in high school, but not by much. I eat way better than I did, which is why I haven't gotten bigger (I'd hate to think what I'd look like if I never got rid of all those bad habits). Looking back, I see that I really have made a "lifestyle change" instead of doing this diet and that diet and rebounding in the end. But I do realize I still have some changing to do if I'm ever going to lose all the extra weight.

It's the beginning of a new year, but this is not a "New Year's resolution." It's time I finally change my life. I'm going to do it for me: to be healthier, to feel better on the inside and out, and to finally be able to look in the mirror and like what I see in front of me. I'm going to do it for my children so that I can worry only about them and their health rather than taking a chance on my own and worrying if I'm going to be around long enough to take care of them.

I know I can do this. I also know I'm going to feel discouraged at times (probably a lot of the time), but I am going to set short-term weekly weight-loss goals and achieve them little by little until I finally reach my 75-pound weight loss goal. Although I am comfortable enough to talk about being heavy, I am not comfortable with sharing my weight at this point, but when I reach my 50-pound goal in June (I want to lose 75 by the end of the year), I will gladly share my starting weight.

Last week was the first week of this new weight-loss journey. My goal was to lose 2 pounds. I concentrated on drinking plenty of water, portioning my food, exercising, and limiting sweets. I reached my goal plus one pound: I am now 3 pounds lighter. I like saying it that way. I'm lighter. Not heavier. Not bigger. I feel awesome.

The weight watchers commercials always say that people lose more weight when they do it with others than when they do it alone. This is why I am blogging about it. I want to share it so I don't feel like I'm in this alone. I need the support and encouragement to keep this up.

And if you want to join me on this journey, I say, "The more, the merrier!" We can do this together! I have tons of ideas, tips, and healthy recipes to share, and I'm sure I could learn some new things myself.

3 pounds gone....take that, fat!

Mommy's Little Man

I know it's an old cliche that "it seems like just yesterday" my child was born. But it really does seem like only yesterday I was bringing my son into the world. I never knew I could love a little boy so much!

Cohen turned 2 a couple of weeks ago, and although this blog is a bit late, I'm sure anybody who has a 2-year-old will forgive me. He sure does keep me busy, as does my preschool-age daughter, who will be 4 on Valentine's Day. This blog is for him, but it's also for me because I get to relive the day he came into my life.

Christmas 2007 was approaching, and Cohen was due on New Year's Day. I was worried he'd end up being born on Christmas day and would be one of those kids who would grow up hating having a Christmas birthday. (Perhaps this was poor planning on Mommy and Daddy's part as far as conception.) At my 37-week check-up, I was 4 cm dilated but was not contracting, and my doctor told me that if I dilated any more at the next week's check-up but was not in labor she would induce me.

On Friday, December 21st, I brought my hospital bag to the doctor with me in hopes that I would have progressed enough to be induced. Sure enough, I was at about 4.5 cm and was told I was in "early latent labor" and could be induced. My doctor's words were, "Do you want to have a baby today?" to which I replied, "Oh, yes, please!" I loved being pregnant, but the past few months had been particularly uncomfortable for me, especially when it came to trying to sleep at night. I was ready to meet my son.

My doctor broke my water at about 1 pm, and I was given Pitocin soon after. Because I had gone into labor naturally with my daughter (my water broke on it's own and I contracted normally without any help from Pitocin), I had never had the Pitocin before. I was determined to have a natural labor with my son just as I had with Emberlynn (meaning: no epidural). My labor with my daughter was incredibly painful, but my labor with Cohen was beyond unbearable because of the Pitocin; however, I made it through without the epidural, and Cohen Micah Anderson was born at 8:12 pm weighing 7 pounds, 13 ounces and measuring 19.5 inches long.

We brought Cohen home just two days before Christmas. It definitely took some adjusting to go from having one child to two, but soon it just became second nature and felt like it had always been that way.

And what a busy and adventurous two years it has been! Cohen is a happy, fun-loving, friendly, and overall amazing little boy, and he is definitely a Mommy's boy (although he loves hanging out and having fun with Daddy, too). He loves reading, coloring, Elmo, guitars, and playing with his big sister.

Happy 2nd Birthday to my little man!

Emberlynn-isms

My daughter, who is fast approaching four years old (wow, how time flies) never ceases to amaze, surprise, and entertain me. She has always brought a smile to my face, but there are more and more moments where she just plain makes me laugh with her silliness. I think the greatest thing about it is that most of the time, she has no idea she has said or done anything humorous until everyone around her is laughing. I, of course, had to blog about these little moments not only to share them with others (who care to know, anyway) but also to document them for myself. So here are some "Emberlynn-isms":

• Emberlynn has been a Christmas fanatic since she was a toddler. She loves the lights, the decorations, the candy, and Christmas trees, so it's no suprise she has found a love for Christmas music. Thanks to my keeping our radio tuned to a station that plays nothing but Christmas music from Thanksgiving through Christmas (for which my husband lacks both enthusiasm and appreciation: "What do you mean, you don't want to hear 'Jingle Bell Rock' for the 879th time?") and also to Emberlynn's preschool music teacher for singing holiday songs with the children, Emberlynn has been quite the performer. Her favorite seems to be "Jingle Bells," and apparently, the lyrics have changed, since this is how Emberlynn sings it: "Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way/Oh, what fun it is to ride in a stop in stop in say."
• Speaking of songs, a couple of months ago, Emberlynn started singing a song she had learned from school that went along to the tune of "Father Abraham." She would sing, "Father Gummy Bird had seven chicks, and seven chicks had Father Gummy Bird." Gummy Bird? I wondered. I finally asked her teacher. The song is called "Father Goony Bird." I decided Gummy Bird is much more fun.
• Emberlynn accompanied me to get my hair cut several months ago, and I was getting quite a bit cut off during this particular visit. As Emberlynn watched the beautician cut my hair, she cried, "Where'd Mommy's hair go?! Put it back on!"
• Because Emberlynn has Cystic Fibrosis, she is on a high-calorie diet. She is an incredibly persnickety child when it comes to food and eating, so we don't get as much in her as we'd like. We recently tried giving her a can of Carnation Instant Breakfast Plus, which has about 375 calories per 8-oz. can. The flavor was vanilla. We told her it was vanilla milk. She tried it and liked it. Later, she asked, "Can I have my gamilla milk, please?" Similarly, she has a friend named Camilla whom she calls "Gamilla." And while we're on the subject of cute mispronunciations, she calls her pajamas "gajamas."
• Although she is usually very cooperative when it comes to laying down for naps, Emberlynn, like any child her age, sometimes whines that she doesn't want to take a nap. One afternoon recently, I told Emberlynn she had fifteen minutes until nap time. She replied, "I don't need to take a nap." I told her she did need to take a nap or she'd be tired all day and that taking naps also keeps her healthy and helps her grow. A few minutes later, she came up to me and said, "Mommy, I don't need to be healthy."
• Emberlynn and Cohen play together constantly (not always well, but sibling rivalry is only to be expected), and sometimes I hear Emberlynn say thing to Cohen that we have said to him. For example, if he is having trouble with something, she will say, "Do you need help, son?"
• Tonight at bedtime, I noticed the left side of Em's face had a bit of a rash covering her cheek. I said to my husband, "Oh, her face is broken out." She looked at me with a bit of worry and said, "Oh, no. My face is broken!"

It Pays to be Frugal...Literally

As a stay-at-home mom, we have a smaller budget on which to live than many families who have more than one income. This means we have to budget a smaller amount on groceries than others might. I have always been a bargain shopper, but I have been much more conscious of our grocery bill this year more than ever (among other things) because of the economic crisis.



Thanks to my ever-present love of bargain-hunting and coupon clipping plus a TON of help from several websites, I save at least 50% per week on our grocery bill. I have read articles suggesting that you spend no more than $25 per week per family member, which for us means no more than $100 per week. However, I can not recall the last time I ever spent that much in a week. On average, I spend about $50 each week, which is half the "suggested" amount. Sometimes I might spend more one week stocking up on necessities such as chicken, ground beef, and other nonperishables and items that can be frozen to maintain freshness, but then the following week (and sometimes even the week after that), I will spend less than $50 because I am not having to buy those items.



I wanted to share my tips and tactics for saving money on groceries in hopes that it will help others to do the same. It takes some extra time and preparation on your part, but the benefits are well worth it!



First, I want to illustrate to you just how much I'm saving and basically how much I'm getting for my money. Take a look at the following picture:







Notice the amount of items and that most of them are name-brand. I bought all this at Publix. If I had paid retail, all this would have cost me $76.12. What did I pay? $26.72 plus tax. That's a savings of $49.40, or 65%. The following is a list of what I bought and how much I paid for each item, excluding tax:



2 Bags Fast Fixin Chicken Nuggets- $1.99 each (retail: $5.99 each)

Contessa Green Cuisine frozen meal (family size)-$2.99 (retail: $6.99)

Publix Premium Ice Cream (a rare treat for our family!)-$2.00 (retail: $3.99)

Betty Crocker cake frosting-$ .25 (retail: 1.85)

Betty Crocker yellow cake mix- $ .88 (retail: 1.75)

2 Boxes Domino Light Brown Sugar- $ .50 each (retail: $1.29 each)

New England Ground Coffee- $1.90 (retail: $5.79)

Campbell's Select Chicken Noodle Soup- $ .20 (retail: $2.39)

Purina One Special Care Cat Food- $2.50 (retail: $6.99)

Marie Callendar's Croutons-$ .70 (retail: $1.39)

Big Bag Hershey Kisses and Big Bag Mini Reese's Cups- $2.25 each (retail: $5.49 each)

2 Boxes Cocoa Puffs- $ .99 each (retail: $3.49 each)

100-ct. Lipton Tea Bags- $1.66 (retail: $3.31)

Nivea Body Wash- $1.00 (retail: $3.89)

Covergirl Foundation-$1.19 (retail: $5.29)





These are all items we use or will use. Even though we don't necessarily need the items at the moment, I know we will eventually use them, which makes stocking up a smart idea when you can get things this cheap. For example, I don't normally purchase cake mix or frosting, but with Cohen's birthday coming up, we will need it, and it cost me just over a dollar for both items!



I saved so much money simply by combining coupons with sale items, most of which were priced as "buy one, get one free" (you can buy one for half price instead of buying 2). The main site I utilize to help me with savings is southernsavers.com. The lady who does the blog lists store ads along with the accompanying coupons, many of which are available online.

To break it down for you, here are some tips and tricks you might find helpful for a VERY productive grocery shopping trip:

• Many grocery stores, including Publix and Kroger (where I shop at least once a week), will double manufacturer coupons up to and including $ .50. So if you have a coupon for, say, $ .35 and use it at either of these stores, it will be worth $ .70 off instead. (My local Publix and Kroger stores double coupons, but this varies by area, so check to make sure.)
• Many grocery stores also offer store coupons (it will specify at the top of the coupon; if it says "manufacturer coupon," you should be allowed to use it anywhere, although I have run into some issues at Walmart not taking some). Store coupons can be used in combination with manufacturer coupons. Last week at Publix, I bought flushable wipes for my daughter. I had a manufacturer coupon for $3 off and a Publix coupon for $ .50 off, and the wipes ended up costing me less than a dollar.
• Some grocery stores accept competitor's coupons for an identical items. For instance, Publix will accept Kroger's and Food Lion's store coupons. This is particularly helpful if there is an item on sale at Publix that you have a coupon for from a different store.
• Publix has "buy one, get one free" items every week; Kroger and Food Lion have BOGO items as well, though not as often as Publix. At each of these stores (in my area, at least; again, check your local stores), you do not have to buy 2 items to get the sale price; you can buy 1 item, and it will ring up as half price. I take advantage of the BOGO deals by combining them with coupons. Today at Publix, for instance, the Fast Fixin' frozen chicken nuggets were BOGO (making them $2.99 each, and I had 2 dollar-off coupons, making them $1.99 each).
• At this point, I'm sure you are wondering this: "Where on earth are you getting all these coupons??!!" Thanks to a wonderful technology we call the internet, you can find TONS of coupons online. The best online coupon sources are coupons.com, smartsource.com, and redplum.com. The author of the Southern Savers blog posts links to printable online coupons that accompany what's on sale, so the work is pretty much done for you! (Note: most sites only allow you to print so many of the same coupon to avoid fraud.)
• There are also sites where you can download coupons to your shopper's card, and when you buy an item for which you have an online coupon, it will automatically come off when you check out (as long as you scan your shopper's card). The best websites for these are shortcuts.com, cellfire.com, and pgesaver.com. I save coupons to my Kroger card. In addition, you can use paper coupons for the same product. The biggest savings for me when it comes to combining online coupons and paper coupons are on name-brand diapers. I can always find coupons on Huggies and Pampers to add to my shopper's card; then, when they go on sale at Kroger, I use a paper coupon in addition to the shopper's card coupon. Recently, I purchased Pampers at Kroger, which were on sale for $8.99; I had a coupon on my shopper's card for $1 off and a paper coupon for $3 off, so my diapers ended up being $4.99. Not even store-brand diapers are that cheap!
• You can also receive coupons from manufacturer's websites when you sign up. I have signed up with sites such as pampers.com and huggies.com, and I receive coupons in the mail for diapers, wipes, and other products.
• Of course, you can also clip coupons from the Sunday paper. I wait until the Monday after so I can get the paper at a cheaper rate (I pay $ .99 instead of $1.75). However, because I find and print so many coupons online, I generally do not have a need to buy the paper.

I could go on an on about bargain shopping and ways to save money, but I would like to keep this post strictly about saving on groceries. I will later post about saving money on clothing, baby and kids' items, and online shopping.

I hope many of you will find this helpful and be able to use some or all of these tips to help you save OODLES of your hard-earned money.

Something Silly This Way Comes

We all know kids are silly and "say the darndest things," so I thought I'd share some of the silly stuff overheard from these Anderson kids. Sharing this not only gives others a bit of a laugh but is also a great way for me to document all these little moments and sayings that I might otherwise forget.

• Pretty much every time Cohen eats, he has to announce what kinds of food he's eating. So the other night at dinner, I think we heard "Chicken! And corn! And fif fries!" about 400 times.
• We've all had the sniffles and coughies lately, so every time Cohen hears someone cough, you hear him say, "Oh, goodness!" from wherever he happens to be, even if it's across the house.
• My son has recently become obsessed with wisks. If he is within view of a wire wisk, he will yell, "Wisk!" repeatedly until someone gives it to him.
• Emberlynn is in that stage where she likes to make up words or say words she thinks sound funny. She takes it a step further by telling Cohen to say them. Prime example: In the car the other day, here is the conversation:

Emberlynn: "Cohen, say 'chewy'."

Cohen: "Chewy."

Emberlynn: "Say 'choppy'."

Cohen: "Choppy."

Emberlynn: "Say 'stinky'."

Cohen: "Stinky."

(Both laugh hysterically.)

• One of Emberlynn's favorite things to do is to ride her bike. Today, she came inside from riding it and said matter-of-factly, "I love my bike. I need to give it a hug."

• The kids have been watching the movie Cars a lot lately (they get to watch a DVD during their daily morning and evening treatments). It happened to come on TV today, so I put it on for Emberlynn, and when the commercials came on, she freaked out and said, "Uh-oh, Mommy! Cars is messed!" She then proceeded to bring me the remote and told me to fix it and got very upset when I told her I couldn't.

Our First Real Halloween

I was particularly excited about Halloween this year because it would be the first time we would take the kids out trick-or-treating. Emberlynn was 8 months old her first Halloween, and while Matt was at work, she and I stayed home and handed out candy to the trick-or-treaters (okay, I handed it out. And ate some.)

She was 20 months for her second Halloween and spent that week hospitalized at Vanderbilt, which was upsetting for obvious reasons and disappointing because I had made her costume that year. (She was a fairy, and I made her a skirt from tulle.)

Last year, I took the kids to a Trunk-or-Treat in Westmoreland (again, Matt was working), but both Emberlynn and Cohen were quite grouchy, which did not make for a memorable Halloween.

This year, however, Emberlynn got very into Halloween. She didn't mind being dressed up in her costume (which I did early on to get Halloween pics of the kids for photo cards). We explained to her what trick-or-treating was, and she seemed so amazed; I'm sure she was thinking, "Wait, you mean, people just give you candy? No way!" We explained that we would knock on a door and someone would open it, and she would have to say, "Trick-or-Treat!" and then they would give her candy. She would recite this to us, so when the big day finally came, she was very eager.

After meeting some friends, their kids, and my sister-in-law for pizza, it was trick-or-treat time. At the first house, the lady handed each of the kids a fun size package of M&M's, which are Emberlynn's favorite candy. Instead of holding out her bucket, Emberlynn wanted the lady to put it in her hand. You could see her excitement when she saw what kind of candy it was, and she exclaimed, "I got M&M's!" and requested that she eat them right away. I think she would have been happy with just the M&M's, but we told her we had more houses to visit and that she could eat them later. We visited several houses throughout the neighborhood, and the kids received all sorts of goodies (some of which they can not or will not eat that will be thoroughly enjoyed by Mommy and Daddy). Emberlynn thanked everyone we visited for the candy and wished each person a happy Halloween.

Since Cohen is not quite two, he was unable to fully comprehend the experience, but he was very good the entire night and loved being outside. He held onto his own bag of M&M's almost the entire time we were out (apparently, M&M's are the holy grail of trick-or-treating, at least for my kids).

After trick-or-treating for about an hour, we called it a night and allowed Emberlynn to pick one thing from her bucket to eat. I don't have to tell you what she picked.

Vandyland-October 2009

We are fortunate to live close by Vanderbilt Children's Hospital where, among so many things, they specialize in care for kids with Cystic Fibrosis. VCH has become somewhat of a second home to us ever since Emberlynn was diagnosed with CF in July of 2006 at the age of five months. We were all too familiar with the routine of it all when Cohen was also diagnosed in February 2008 at the age of six weeks.

The kids go to what is called CF clinic every 3 months (less if they need to be seen sooner because of concerns with their weight, etc.). People we know like to be informed about how they are doing, so I guess blogging is a good way to keep a lot of our friends and family up to date on their condition.

Last week, the kids had their 3-month appointment. First, they are weighed and measured, their temp is taken, their oxygen level is measured, and their throats are swabbed (to be cultured for any bacteria). They are very laid back about all of it, but they do not enjoy having their throats swabbed (and for that matter, neither do most people I know), but it has to be done. Weight gain is a big deal when you have CF (because weight gain is related to good lung function, which is very important), so we are always hopeful that the kids have gained weight since their last visit. Cohen was 25 pounds, 11 ounces, a 2.5 pound gain from July (which is VERY GOOD), but Emberlynn had gained only a few ounces, which is not good but not horrible, either. Cohen is the better eater, so he tends to gain more weight than Emberlynn, who has a g-tube and receives overnight tube feedings to help add calories to her diet. (Both kids are on a high-calorie diet.)

After all this, we move to the actual exam room and wait on the doctor to come in to talk about how the kids are doing. The doctor was pleased with the kids' progress but was slightly concerned about Emberlynn not gaining as much weight. She decided Em needed to be switched from her Zantac (an acid reducer) to an acid blocker (that I can't remember the name of at this point) to help her absorb her enzymes better. (The kids take enzymes every time they eat to help them absorb the fats and nutrients from the food.) When she examined Cohen, who has been fighting some cough and congestion, she discovered both ears were infected (mind you, he had just gotten over a double ear infection maybe 2 weeks prior to this visit), and she gave him a prescription for Augmentin.

When the doctor leaves, the dietitian the kids see, Kim, comes in and discusses their diets and advises me on any changes that might need to be made (increases in enzyme dosages, tips on increasing calories for each meal, etc.). She did not make any changes to either of the kids' current enzyme dosages, but she did suggest switching Emberlynn from her current feeding tube formula to a different kind that has more calories per ounce but would not add to the amount of formula she would get overnight.

Normally after all this we would be done and would schedule our next appointment at the front desk before leaving, but this day Emberlynn needed her annual labs done (Cohen had his done in April). Fortunately, the nurses had put EMLA cream on both of Emberlynn's arms (shown in the top pic where her arms are red) that numbed the areas so that she wouldn't feel the needle going in when they took blood (they take about 8 vials). So to the next floor up we went, where they called us back fairly quickly. Emberlynn didn't even flinch when they put the needle in her arm, so I highly recommend EMLA cream for anyone with small children who will be getting shots or having blood drawn (it takes about 30 minutes for the area to become numb, so it does need to be done in advance).

Because of Emberlynn's insignificant weight gain, the doctor wanted to see her again in 6 weeks as opposed to 3 months, so we will be returning in December to see if things have improved for her. Cohen will also be seen then for the purpose of keeping them both on the same appointment schedule.

Our Fun Fall Memories

I love Fall for many reasons. I love how the weather cools down after the inevitable humid Tennessee Summer. I love how all the green turns to hues of yellows, oranges, reds, and browns. I love digging out the clothing saved for cooler weather.

Since I have had my kids, I now look forward to kid-friendly activities, including visiting the pumpkin patch. We went to Bottom View Farm one October weekend last year, but this year, Cohen and I went with Emberlynn and other kids, parents, and teachers from her preschool to the farm. Emberlynn was very much looking forward to going to the pumpkin patch. On the morning of the field trip, I went into her room and asked her if she remembered where we were going, and she excitedly replied, "The pumpkin patch!"

Although Cohen was not in his best spirits during our time there, Emberlynn did not let that stop her from having a fantastic time. She loved riding on the tractor-pulled hay ride that took us to the pumpkin patch. She browsed the patch and picked a pumpkin and also helped her brother find one for himself. After the hay ride, we went on the train ride the farm provides. Emberlynn wanted to ride in the green box car because green has apparently become her favorite color. Both kids really enjoyed this part; the train goes around the farm, and we got to see the various fields of different fruits and vegetables. The farm also has a corn maze, a tricycle track, animals, a "corn crib" (which is like a ball pit but with corn kernels!), and a giant slide. I was sure Emberlynn wouldn't want to go down the slide by herself, if at all, but she climbed the steps up and went down alone! I was so amazed! She went down 2 more times after that, and then we had to go because her brother was being quite uncooperative (to put it nicely).

We put our 3 little pumpkins on our front porch, and every time the kids have seen them, Cohen yells, "Punkins!" with great enthusiasm, and Emberlynn will start talking about when we went to the pumpkin patch. I hope this is something they will look forward to and enjoy for years to come; I know I'll never grow tired of it.

The New Birthday Cake

I realized earlier my birthday is a week from today. I will be 25, but oh my, that is another blog entirely. Birthdays are days to celebrate, and we usually do that with food. I'm sure I won't have to worry about anyone making me a birthday cake, but we are supposed to go out to dinner. The thought that keeps popping into my mind is, "Where is somewhere we can go where I can eat something I enjoy but still eat healthy?" I know I can just eat a good salad pretty much anywhere we go, but let's face it, I am kind of cheating myself on my birthday by not having whatever I want and not caring. On the other hand, though, maybe it is my gift to myself to eat well and feel good knowing I made a good choice and not a bad one to make me feel guilty later.

So I guess this year, salad will be the new birthday dinner, and something good like a fruit salad (bring on those strawberries!) will be the new birthday cake. It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to...or in this case, I'll crave if I want to.