Unexpected Doctor Visit

The last few days have been rough on me physically - to name a few of the symptoms I've been experiencing:

 

* Swelling (I know... it's part of pregnancy)

* Nausea with a vengence

* Headaches

* Ringing/Buzzing in my ears

* Drowsiness (this one is interesting - I'll be sitting here fine one minute and the next I'm fighting literally to keep my eyes open)

* Sudden Blurry vision

 

All of these are signs of preeclampsia or pregnancy induced hypertension - except I'm missing the key symptom in the whole deal... my blood pressure is like a dream right now. It's bizarre!

 

So anyway - I called on Tuesday to get a refill on my Zofran prescription - to at least combat the nausea... but they wouldn't give it to me. Instead they wanted to see me immediately. So that freaked me out a little and I retreated - I asked them to let me wait it out one more day and see if the issues were just a fluke or something. All day Wednesday though was much of the same... so they made me an appointment for 8 yesterday morning.

 

Of course, being that my OB is so super fabulous... she had zero idea of why she was seeing me when she walked into the room yesterday morning. Almost an hour late - because she was delivering a baby. (No worries on being late - but it would have been nice for her staff to let me know that little fact)

 

So I went through my symptoms - only I didn't know to mention the ringing of the ears or the drowsiness to her... because I hadn't read the website I linked to until I got back to the office. I sort of feel like it's her job to ask those questions though if there is a battery of symptoms - you might just ask if your patients are experiencing any of them... since most of us don't know the signs as readily as the doctor should!

 

Once again - I left the office with no information or really anything to help deal with these issues. They took blood work - and are having me do another 24 hour urine collection... joy! So I guess we'll see if they call me before I go back on the 10th.

 

I did tell her while I was there that under NO circumstances will we be tying my tubes during the delivery - to which she started telling me that I'm a bad candidate for birth control pills because of my health issues. I almost find this funny - because I was on the pill for the better part of 10 years or more... partially under HER care... and no one said a word to me. Not to mention that I had weight loss surgery in 2007 - and haven't had blood pressure problems since then... catch up with the train lady! Geez!

 

I can just about guarantee that once Tyler comes and we get through my recovery - I'll be looking for a new OB/GYN before we try this again. I'll likely ask my PCP for a recommendation - because so far he has only recommended one doctor that I haven't loved.

 

The other day - I was googling to find her number... because I was too lazy to reach down and find my cell phone... and happened across a website where you could write reviews of doctors. She had like 17 reviews written about her... and I find them mostly to be accurate with my experience... some folks were outraged by her... others loved her... but overall, people said that during the delivery she was wonderful... but that the exams and visits leading up to that - they felt like she wasn't listening to them/hearing them and that she was too rough when examining people. I'm a little freaked by that part - because we haven't gotten to anything in terms of physical exams really since the first visit during this rollercoaster - and I'm sensitive as it is... so the pain factor will suck. I guess I'll forgive her though when I get the good drugs during delivery.

 

Speaking of which - I pre-registered with the hospital last night for Tyler's delivery... and I'm just wondering if we can go ahead and get that epidural flowing now so that we can ensure our ZERO pain birth plan. :-) HAHAHAHA!

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Outraged

Have any of you read in the news in the last day or two about the thousands of military documents leaked out to the public?

 

I'm sorry - I try to keep my political views and things like that off of this here 'lil blog... but on this one - I've just GOT to say something. I mean honestly! I think in recent years we've taken the whole "freedom of speech" and "freedom of the press" thing a bit too far... and when innocent lives are at stake in the process - these people should be ashamed of themselves.

 

If you haven't heard - a website called WikiLeaks.org has now published several thousand documents from the current war - outlining everything from military strategy to naming actual individuals over in Pakistan and Afghanistan that have helped the US in the war effort. Do these people not think for a second that they've put those individuals in harm's way by publishing their name for the entire world to see?! I mean the radicals that can get a hold of these documents will surely torture these people for helping the US.

 

I might be wrong in this - but I just don't think that every Tom, Dick, or Harry needs to read this level of detail... and ESPECIALLY not our enemies... I mean what do you think the North Koreans are doing with this information?! If you answered, probably mounting a good counter strategy against us should anything escalate into a confrontation - you'd probably be right!

 

Sometimes - things are just better left unknown. I mean it's not like even within your own jobs... that you know EVERYTHING about every decision... that is why there are people promoted to positions to make choices. I don't need to know all the ins and outs of why each decision is made - just tell me the relevant facts that I need to keep doing my part.

 

Isn't that why we elect people in the first place? So that they can govern on behalf of the people... that's what it's supposed to be about. Now, with that said - do I think everyone in Washington is doing a good job at that - absolutely not - BUT that is why it is so critically important that we hold them accountable with our votes. Should we read every document that they talk about in order to make those decisions - every email they send... of course not! If we did... we might as well be governing ourselves... by committee.

 

Have any of you worked on a committee lately? Pretty ineffective if you ask me... even more ineffective than our current government.

 

The whole thing just blows my mind, and the irresponsibility of it all is even worse. These folks did a horrible thing in my opinion, and hiding behind a loophole in a law is just not right. I say - you apologize and take the information down... even though at this point - anyone that has a slight beef with the US has been empowered beyond anything we could ever imagine.

 

It's called being a good citizen - and putting the lives of our fellow Americans, military employees, and even citizens of other nations in danger - is just deplorable!

 

Alright - end rant.

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Catching Up

I swear that some days - I blink and they are gone... which means that I've made zero attempt to write a post for this little corner of the interwebs... I promise that I do intend on getting around here everyday - because I dearly love writing and hope that occasionally someone will read what I have to write and be inspired/tickled/or anything else by my words.

 

Before I get too far into a post - it's a very exciting day for a lovely blog lady, Kristen of KLaw:Inspired and K's Little Law... she is meeting her first son this morning! It's been a long journey for her - and I couldn't be more thrilled for her... I know she will be a wonderful mother, and that the stories to come will be incredibly entertaining! Drop on by and give her some love today... as this is the biggest day of her life.

 

Things for us are just going along steady right now - James is growing like crazy... Tyler is growing like crazy... Mommy is growing like crazy... HA!

 

Can I just say that I never realized before James came along - just how many people out there are walking around like zombies getting through the day... I know that I am... I've never been so sleep deprived in my life - and can't see a light at the end of that tunnel yet. I think just about the time we start seeing some light - it'll be time to start all over again with Tyler.

 

Last week - I think I mentioned that John took James to the doctor - and that little stinker is almost double his birth weight now! They didn't get an accurate measurement of his length because the lady didn't stretch him... but we KNOW that he's getting taller... his legs are so long - and I can just tell because he kicks Tyler whenever he tries to fight off going to sleep.

 

He'll go back on the 13th of August - ironically just a short couple of hours after Mommy & Daddy see Tyler again for his 29 week growth scan. At James' appointment that day we'll be getting instructions on starting him on rice cereal... which is just incredible! From that day - things will start moving faster - I think... because we'll be seeing the OB every two weeks from there until she kicks me into going every week.

 

It's amazing to think that we're already at the point of going every two weeks! I was just telling John the other day how amazed I am these days that the old saying "the days are long...but the weeks/months/years are short" - I have never felt that more true than I do right now!

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Reading Machine

I'm trying to write at least one post a week (and yes, I'm a tad behind this week because of having a crazy week) that is not about babies or pregnancy. There is more going on in my life than that - so I'm trying to reflect that. Of course there is more going on - I work... but how exciting is talking about work?
Anyway, I noticed recently that I've read a TON (relatively speaking for me) of books since I got my Barnes & Noble nook for Christmas... so I thought I'd share with you some of those books and let you in on these little gems that help me have an hour of down-time during the work day.

Here they are in order that I've read them... and maybe at the end - I'll tell you some that are in the cue for the future.

Finished:

1)  Knit Two (Friday Night Knitting Club, No 2) - by Kate Jacobs... if you haven't read Friday Night Knitting Club, start there... these books are WONDERFUL! It's sort of like a modern version of Steel Magnolias set within New York City... and teh second one has all of the characters traveling to Italy. It's a great story about friendship and love amoungst some unlikely characters.

2)  Comfort Food - by Kate Jacobs... this is another really great book that I enjoyed reading. It's about a woman that has her own television program on a cable network similar to Food Network, and the story of her reinventing herself to stay fresh for the viewers. Of course there is a lot more to the story than that, but is is very entertaining.  

3)  Something Borrowed - by Emily Giffin... I've wanted to read her books for a while now - I kept seeing them in the store with the pretty and very simply elegant covers... but never had gotten around to actually buying one. WOW, I missed out... but in the end - I got to read them one right after the other... so that's cool. This book is her first, and it's being made into a movie right now with Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin staring as the main two characters... I can't wait to see the movie. Anyway, it's a good story about best friends that are truly opposites - and how their lives get muddled into doing things that they'd never thought were possible. I highly recommend you pick up this one and read it - and I promise you'll fall in love with Emily Giffin and want to read her other books. A summary from a review by Publishers Weekly: Since elementary school, Rachel and Darcy have been best friends, with Darcy always outshining Rachel. While single Rachel is the self-confessed good girl, an attorney trapped at a suffocating New York law firm, Darcy is the complete opposite, a stereotypical outgoing publicist, planning a wedding with the handsome Dex. After Rachel's 30th birthday party, she knocks back one drink too many and winds up in bed with Dex. Instead of feeling guilty about sleeping with her best friend's fiancé, Rachel realizes that Dex is the only man she's really loved, and that she's always resented manipulative Darcy. Rachel and Dex spend a few weekends in the city together "working" while Darcy's off with friends at a Hamptons beach share, but finally Rachel realizes she'll have to give Dex an ultimatum.

4)  Something Blue - by Emily Giffin... This one follows the character Darcy from Something Borrowed through the next phase of her life. The amazing thing about this book was that in Something Borrowed, I didn't really like Darcy's character... but as this book progressed and you got to see the character on a deeper level - and ultimately her transformation into a completely different person... you fall in love with her too. A summary from a review by Publishers Weekly: Perhaps beautiful Darcy Rhone isn't really wicked, but she is one of the most shallow, materialistic, self-centered and naïve 29-year-olds around. Ostensibly a high-powered PR person in Manhattan (though she never seems to work), Darcy spends most of her time shopping, partying and getting ready for her wedding to perfect guy Dex. But an alcohol-fueled Hamptons fling with one of Dex's pals, Marcus, starts to break Darcy's perfect life down; and discovering Dex hiding in her best friend Rachel's closet really shatters it. Pregnant with Marcus's baby, Darcy decamps for London, where she crashes in high school pal Ethan's flat and annoys the heck out of him with her endless shopping and complete disregard for her impending motherhood. But after a good lecture from Ethan, whom Darcy has started to fall for a little, Darcy embarks on a self-improvement plan, thereby demonstrating she can think about someone besides herself.

5)  The 9th Judgment - by James Patterson... it's no secret that I love the Women's Murder Club series... I've done a post about the books before. I really enjoy them for the way James Patterson writes in short chapters - I love that when I want to read "just one more chapter" that only means a couple more pages! Of course 9 books into the series - I'm vested in the characters and the stories, and since I'm one of those people that can read or watch a cop related book/program/movie and never make any predictions on who did it or why... I'm the perfect reader for him. The stories are great, and I enjoy watching them unfold as I read. Am I the only one that does that? I just want to watch/read and let the author take me on the journey they want me to go on without jumping ahead to figure out "who done it"...

Taken from a review of the book: A young mother and her infant child are ruthlessly gunned down while returning to their car in the garage of a shopping mall. There are no witnesses, and Detective Lindsay Boxer is left with only one shred of evidence: a cryptic message scrawled across the windshield in bloodred lipstick. The same night, the wife of A-list actor Marcus Dowling is woken by a cat burglar who is about to steal millions of dollars' worth of precious jewels. In just seconds there is a nearly empty safe, a lifeless body, and another mystery that throws San Francisco into hysteria.
Lindsay spends every waking hour working with her partner, Rich--and her desire for him threatens to tear apart both her engagement and the Women's Murder Club. Before Lindsay and her friends can piece together either case, one of the killers forces Lindsay to put her own life on the line--but is it enough to save the city? With unparalleled danger and explosive action, The 9th Judgment is James Patterson at his compelling, unstoppable best!

6)  Baby Proof - by Emily Giffin... the author leaves the original characters of Something Borrowed and Something Blue behind in her third book (and the subsequent two since then as well) and writes about a new couple. This couple went into their relationship with the understanding that neither of them wanted children - but somewhere along the way one of them changes their mind on the subject... so this book takes you through their journey through that issue. A summary from a review by Publishers Weekly: As a successful editor at a Manhattan publishing house, Claudia Parr counts herself fortunate to meet and marry Ben, a man who claims to be a nonbreeding career-firster like she is. The couple's early married years go smoothly, but then Ben's biological clock starts to tick. A baby's a deal breaker for Claudia, so she moves out and bunks with her college roommate Jess (a 35-year-old blonde goddess stuck in a series of dead-end relationships) while the wheels of divorce crank into action. Even after the divorce is finalized and Claudia embarks on a steamy love affair with her colleague Richard, she begins to doubt her decision when she suspects Ben has found a smart, young and beautiful woman willing to bear his children.

7)  Love the One You're With - by Emily Giffin... this novel leaves the topic of babies behind and focuses on relationships. More specifically a marriage and within that marriage a spouse that has some unresolved issues concerning a former relationship. You will follow the journey as Ellen figures out if she can let go of the past, and forge ahead with a future that fulfills her. A summary from a review by Publishers Weekly: Shortly after marrying Andy, Ellen runs into Leo, her intense first love. Leo, a moody writer, has secretly preoccupied Ellen ever since he broke her heart, so after seeing him again, Ellen wonders if her perfect life is truly what she wants or simply what she was expected to want. This scenario is complicated by Ellen's past: the early death of her mother and subsequent disintegration of her family have left Ellen insecure and saddled with unresolved feelings of guilt. These feelings intensify when Andy's career takes the newlyweds from Ellen's beloved New York City to suburban Atlanta. As Ellen's feelings of inadequacy and resentment grow, her marriage begins to crumble.

Currently Reading:

1)  What to Expect When You're Expecting - well, I know what I said... that I wasn't going to talk about my pregnancy in this post... but I wouldn't be giving you a complete list of my current reading if I didn't give you this on the list too. I've been following along as my pregnancy progresses, and the book has been helpful on some topics so far...

2)  The Heart of the Matter - by Emily Giffin... I'm only a couple of chapters into this one, but I've loved her other books so much that I have no doubt of how much I'll love it when I finish it. Here is a summary taken from a review by Publishers Weekly written about the book: Nick Russo is a pediatric plastic surgeon; his wife, Tessa (sister of Dex, from Something Borrowed), is a professor turned stay-at-home mom living a cushy life in Boston. Nick is called in to care for a six-year-old burn victim, and Nick's devotion to his work is soon tangled up in his attraction to the boy's mother, Valerie, a single attorney. Narrated in turn by Tessa and Valerie, the action centers around—will they or won't they, and, if they do, will Tessa forgive him? While unclear what Nick finds so unsatisfying in his marriage, adultery is always tempting and Tessa and Valerie both have their charms.

To be Read:

1) The Recipe Club: A Tale of Food and Friendship - by Andrea Israel2) Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen - by Julie Powell
3) Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession - by Julie Powell
4) Not My Daughter - by Barbara Delinsky
5) The Surgeon - by Tess Gerritsen
6) The Apprentice - by Tess Gerritsen
7) The Sinner - by Tess Gerritsen
8) Body Double - by Tess Gerritsen
9) Vanish - by Tess Gerritsen
10) The Mephisto Club - by Tess Gerritsen
11) The Keepsake - by Tess Gerritsen
12) Ice Cold - by Tess Gerritsen

Hope that one or two of these might interest you... let me know if you choose to read any of them - I'd love to hear what you think about them too! Pin It Now!

What a Week

This was Mr. Chill on Monday while hanging out with his Daddy - he had a great day, rested and relaxed... and was 100% fine.

Then came Tuesday... and wow... he spent the majority of the day with the sitter crying and fussy - we determined that we're fairly sure that he's teething. He's got the symptoms - drooling, fussy, chewing on anything he can, and on Tuesday he wasn't eating very much at all.

Yesterday was better, but he got fussy toward the end of the day - and had a bit of a fever... so this morning Daddy is taking him to see the doctor. We're hoping that it's nothing, but Miss Amanda thought it might be his ears - so we're getting that checked out. It's also a good time to ask her about adding some prune juice to his bottles and how to help him with constipation as we get ready to add some cereal into his diet in the next few weeks.

He is absolutely in LOVE with Baby Einstein's - Baby Beethoven video... he will sit in his bouncy seat like he is in the photo and just talk to the screen... it's the cutest thing ever. It actually is one of the few ways we've been able to calm him down when he's gotten super fussy. We also have the Baby Mozart video as well, but he doesn't seem to like it quite as much...

Yesterday, we accidentally left his new teething tablets (we've yet to give him one) at Miss Amanda's house - and he was SUPER upset by the time we got home... crying hysterically and so I ran out to the drug store to pick up another bottle of them, and literally by the time I was paying for them... I got a text from John saying that he was in his bouncy seat watching his movie - happy as can be. Stinker!

It was funny because when I got home - John was telling him how he didn't expect that he'd take over our television quite so soon. HAHAHA! Whatever it takes to keep them happy, right?

Hopefully the doctor will have good news when they see her at 8:45, and from there he's spending the rest of the day with Aunt Susan... hopefully that'll go well for Susan - since he's been having a rough couple of days... if she'll keep him close to his bouncy seat and his swing - she should be fine. I'm hoping to be able to get out of work a tiny bit early to get home to my little guy and take care of him too. It's days like this (and really the last couple of them) that make it even harder to get up and go to work... because I want nothing more than to stay by his side and take extra care of him.Pin It Now!

Summer TV

I remember so vividly that as a kid (okay - maybe teenager/college student/adult) - the one thing missing in the summer was good television programing. The summer months tended to be full of reruns and watching Lifetime movies as much as possible... until you've seen them all 100 times.

I'm so grateful that now the cable networks are pumping out good programing for the summer months while the regular stations take a break from most things - all except the "reality" shows that I know a lot of you love... I'm not so much into them except for maybe The Next Food Network Star... or something like that.

My absolute favorite cable network is TNT... yes, part of that is because I'm a Law & Order addict with a slight side addiction of Bones... and they used to show reruns of ER everyday that we watched religiously until we'd seen every episode at least 4 times - they recently stopped showing it anymore - which was sad for us because it almost didn't seem like our day was complete without one episode of ER being run through our DVR.

Anyway - TNT has some new shows this season, and one of our all-time favorites... so I thought I'd share these gems with you because their seasons are just starting and there is plenty of time for you to get plugged in for some summer enjoyment - and of course you can always email me to talk about what you think of the shows too - just be sure to give me at least one extra day for viewing because we tend to have to watch via DVR right now. (You can email me immediately - just put the show name in the subject and I'll be sure not to read until I've seen the most recent episode)

The Closer - this one we've been watching since it started several years ago - and we just LOVE it. The characters are great, and the stories are even better... it's just a quality cop program with a lot of heart. It is on Monday nights...

TNT says this about the show: As the new season of THE CLOSER opens, the squad is moving into its new high-tech digs. But it’s not long before they’re wishing they could be back in their old space, where a plain white board nailed to the wall was more practical than the troublesome sliding screens in their new murder room. But true to form, Brenda is determined to bend the space to her style.

With the LAPD on the hunt for a new chief of police, Assistant Police Chief Will Pope (Simmons) is among those in the running. Should he get the job, it could mean a promotion for Brenda. The political juggling around the office soon leads Brenda to do some career-minded soul-searching. It also has her colleague, Robbery-Homicide Commander Taylor (Gossett), smelling a possible promotion for himself, even though he can’t even seem to wrangle an office of his own in the new facility.

On the home front, Brenda’s husband, FBI Agent Fritz Howard (Tenney), has some career changes of his own in store. After turning down a promotion that would have sent him to Washington, D.C., he’s now in line for a job that could not only keep him in LA, but give him and Brenda the chance to spend a lot more time together. 

This season, Brenda and her squad will tackle cases involving a sniper shooting in a posh neighborhood, a possible serial rapist who uses a stun gun to immobilize his victims and a drug-related custody battle that ends in two deaths. Meanwhile, Detective Sanchez (Cruz) will struggle to care for a young boy involved in a case the squad investigated last year. And Lt. Provenza (Bailey), Brenda’s second-in-command, will once again find himself in a professionally embarrassing situation when a one-night stand with a flight attendant leads to the discovery of a dead body in her bathtub.

Also this season, Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica) will reprise her role as Capt. Raydor, the by-the-book head of the Force Investigation Division, who has butted heads with Brenda on several occasions. This time, her presence could have major implications for Brenda’s future in the department. 

Rizzoli & Isles is the newest show on TNT - another cop show, but with a twist. It's got the underlying story of two unlikely friends... they've only shown the premier, and I loved it. It is shown right after The Closer on Monday nights... (this one for sure won't be seen until at least Tuesday in our house because Mama can't stay up that late)

TNT says this about the show: RIZZOLI & ISLES follows Boston detective Jane Rizzoli (Harmon) and medical examiner Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander), complete opposites and good friends who solve crimes and bust some of Boston’s most notorious criminals. Growing up at opposite ends of the economic spectrum, the two remain strikingly different from one another in many ways. Jane, the only female detective in Boston’s homicide division, is a tough and gutsy cop who doesn’t let her guard down (except with Maura), dodges her overprotective mother and is better at basketball than her brother. Maura, meanwhile, is usually more comfortable among the dead than the living. She is always impeccably dressed in designer duds with a steady, sometimes icy temperament. And she is working on curbing her tendency to diagnose the people she meets – including her first dates. Jane and Maura often find themselves working together as both use their brilliant minds and expertise to figure out the “who done it” as well as the “how done it” of Boston’s most complex cases.

Despite their many differences, Jane and Maura are best friends, with a quirky and supportive relationship. As Tamaro explains, “That Jane and Maura are so different and yet so effective as a team makes them unusual.… There’s something rare about their relationship that I see in the world but not enough on television: two smart, strong, competent women who instinctively drop the protective shield when they’re with each other.”

RIZZOLI & ISLES also stars Lorraine Bracco (The Sopranos) as Angela, Jane’s demanding and intrusive mother; Lee Thompson Young (FlashForward) as Det. Barry Frost, Jane’s somewhat green partner; Bruce McGill (Law Abiding Citizen) as Det. Vince Korsak, Jane’s seasoned former partner; and Jordan Bridges (Dawson’s Creek) as Jane’s brother, Frankie, a patrol cop who hopes one day to become a detective.

Our third favorite on the channel is HawthoRNe - staring Jada Pickett Smith... it is a fantastic story about a hospital - full of great characters with all their internal struggles... we really enjoy this one too. It's in it's second season and looks to be around for a long time... it comes on Tuesday nights. There is another police show set in Memphis (Memphis Beat) on after it that stars the guy from My Name is Earl too that looks pretty good, but I haven't paid much attention to it yet.

TNT says this about the show: The doors of Richmond Trinity have closed…permanently. That’s the dramatic reality that opens the second season of TNT’s powerful medical drama, HAWTHORNE. This June, the hit series returns with star and executive producer Jada Pinkett Smith (The Women, The Matrix trilogy) as Christina Hawthorne, a Chief Nursing Officer ready for battle on the front lines of a war against declining patient services and hospital budget cuts.

HAWTHORNE is told from the point of view of nurses as they struggle against the odds to deliver the best care possible. The series also stars Michael Vartan (Alias) as Dr. Tom Wakefield, Richmond Trinity’s Chief of Surgery who helped Christina’s husband during the last stages of his cancer; Suleka Mathew (Men in Trees) as Bobbie Jackson, a fellow nurse and one of Christina’s best friends; David Julian Hirsh (Lovebites) as Ray Stein, a nurse struggling with being accepted in a female-dominated profession; Christina Moore (90210) as Candy Sullivan, a nurse with a patriotic sense of duty; Vanessa Lengies (American Dreams) as Kelly Epson, who continues to find her footing as a nurse; and Hannah Hodson (TNT’s The Ron Clark Story) as Christina’s daughter Camille.

As the second season of HAWTHORNE opens, several Richmond Trinity doctors and nurses have been transferred to James River, a failing hospital in terrible shape. There, Christina butts heads with the ER’s head nurse, Gail Strummer (Vanessa Bell Calloway – The District), who is extremely set in her ways. Christina is impressed, however, by the charming Dr. Steve Shaw (Adam Rayner – Mistresses), who hails from England, and the hard-working ER clerk Marcus Leeds (Collins Curtis Pennie – Half Nelson), who has his eye on Camille.


This season, Christina and Tom will try to forge a romantic relationship, especially now that he is no longer serving as Chief of Surgery and can devote more time to patient care and a private life. Bobbie will once again find herself helping out homeless mother Isabelle. Ray’s lust-hate relationship with Dr. Marshall will hit some snags over Ray’s continued feelings toward Candy, who is serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Kelly’s confidence as a nurse will slowly build, thanks in part to her work with a nurse (guest star Sarah Gilbert – Roseanne) who’s even more insecure. And Camille takes a step toward adulthood that her mother isn’t sure she’s prepared to take.

Created by Emmy winner John Masius (St. Elsewhere, Providence, Dead Like Me), HAWTHORNE comes to TNT from Sony Pictures Television in association with Pinkett Smith’s 100% Womon Productions, John Masius Productions and Jamie Tarses’ FanFare Productions. HAWTHORNE is executive-produced by Pinkett Smith; Masius; Glen Mazzara (The Shield, Crash, Life); and Jamie Tarses (My Boys). 

I HIGHLY recommend that you check these shows out because if you're anything like me - and enjoy good characterization in your television viewing... I have to care about what happens to the characters or the show is dead for me... you won't be disappointed by the folks at TNT!Pin It Now!

Advice

Isn't it amazing the amount of advice that you get when you are pregnant or raising an infant? I am literally speechless sometimes over the volume of emails, phone calls, and verbal advice that I am given on on a weekly basis - ranging in topics from delivery to the right way to hold my son. Does this happen to everyone?

 

I wasn't exactly prepared for it - and often times, I don't agree with what is being said... but I try to gracefully just take it all in with a grain of salt. When I have a question - I certainly put it out there for any and everyone to give me feedback... but the thing that blows my mind is just the amount of random stuff being told to me all the time about topics that really don't even apply.

 

Please don't take this as me asking for you to not leave comments - because that is NOT the case... I love hearing from each and every one of you... I'm just wondering how this phenomina starts. I guess it's everyone wanting to share their experience to help new mothers out - and that's truly a beautiful thing... it's very sweet and kind.

 

I guess the thing that I wonder about is if folks realize that every mother and every child is different... because what works for one might not work for the other. What works for James may not necessarily work for Tyler when he comes along... and you just have to be flexible and learn what your baby wants and needs.

 

I certainly am new to this game of motherhood - but my son is happy, growing, healthy, and thriving... so I consider that we're doing a pretty good job of it even with the ups and downs as they come. So, I think that for now, at this stage of his development - we have a pretty good handle on what soothes him, when he's hungry and things like that - so it baffles me when people tell me I'm wrong. Or that I'm not doing something correctly. For sure there are things that come up that we haven't experienced before - as will happen for the next 25+ years... but you just have to figure it out as it comes.

 

In terms of birth and delivery - I think some of the things I've written about that have become misunderstood in terms of what I'm trying to say - because some of the emails I've gotten have been to a certain extent - outside of the point that I was making. Here's the thing... I know my body fairly well - I'm not as in tune with it as some... BUT I know for the most part what I need at various times.

 

I know that my blood pressure, blood sugar, and vitamin levels are of the utmost importance... and believe me they are being strictly monitored - I promise. My doctors are wonderful at that part of the process and there are two of them working as a team in this with me... and I feel pretty confident that with that we're doing alright. Surprisingly enough, my body seems to be doing fairly well inspite of the issues that it could be having - so we're thrilled that as of right now my blood pressure levels are completely normal... no one expected that blessing! Even in spite of my swelling - the levels are staying at normal levels or just below.

 

In terms of delivery - natural vs c-section... I know that this is a pretty controvercial topic for some... and I certainly think every woman is entitled to having the delivery that they want... but I just want to clear the air on how I feel about it - and my plans. For starters - I think that every woman's view on this is shaped by her medical history and experiences in life... so no one is wrong - we're all just different. For me personally - I am not afraid, upset or anything else about having a c-section. I feel like for me, that will likely be how Tyler comes to join the family.

 

My own birth story was one where my mother and I both almost died because they weren't quick enough to realize that I should have been born that way - and by the time they did realize I was stuck in the birth canal - it was too late to change the course of the delivery. I realize that was 1978 and things have changed since then, BUT again... I'm totally fine with having a c-section if that is what my doctor feels is best.

 

Given the potential size of Tyler - being that I'm diabetic... and the issues that can come up with preeclampsia due to my blood pressure - I feel pretty confident that we'd make a good choice there to go ahead with a c-section. Now, if something changes and it looks like a vaginal delivery would be perfectly fine for both of us - then that's okay too. I'm just not going to be one of those women that fights to the end to have the vaginal delivery... that isn't me, and I know that. If the doctor says "I think we should do the c-section, because..." my response would be "great, let's do it!"

 

I know my body - and I know that typically... when it comes to medical things... I fall into the worst case scenario end of the spectrum, and I'm okay with that - I've learned to live with it. All I ask is that my choices be given the same respect that I'd give you in yours. I think it's wonderful that some of you deliver your children without medication... at home or otherwise... I really do - I think it's great that you can make those decisions and have that freedom, and I hope that each experience has been fantastic. I am not that person... I'm as far from being what has been called "granola" as one can get... and I'm okay with that.

 

I don't really do nature - on most levels... I'm not a camper... I'd rather be in a hotel. I'm not an all-natural no drugs sort of girl... and I'm okay with that too. It takes all of us to make this world go around - and we have to love and respect each other for those differences.

 

I think the single best advice I've gotten from some dear friends has been "Find what works for you and your baby - and stick with it" - best words ever... because they are so TRUE!! Even still - sometimes all a new mom needs is a smile, a hug, and someone to just tell them that they understand and have been there.

 

I hope that I haven't run you guys off - because honestly - I love hearing from you, and have picked up parenting/pregnancy tricks from you that I didn't know existed... I just wondered if others out there experienced a crazy onslaught of advice during this period of their parenting journey... and does it continue as the kids get older, or is this just something that happens with the baby stage...

 

(Also realize that I'm insanely hormonal... so like I've done with some of the advice... take my words with a grain of salt... and if needed with a lime and a margarita!)

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Cankles & Considerations

I've gotten several requests lately both via the blog and Facebook to put out some belly pictures of how I look with Tyler blossoming and growing like MAD in my belleh... so I'm thinking about it. I don't know how I feel about it in terms of showing unflattering photos of my body in light of my past... with weight loss surgery - you tend to show photos of things shrinking... not expanding at alarming rates. HA!

Two things that are expanding like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon would be my feet... seriously ya'll it's bad. Want proof - okay here...

Aren't they ridiculous? I mean - I used to have definition between my calves and ankles... but not anymore... and there is a clear ridge of puff right at the base of my toes... this photo doesn't capture that - but it's like a pillow on top of my foot. You might be wondering about the line that appears at the base of my ankle area... well...

That's a permanent scar now - because I tend to wear the same shoes to work everyday... they slip of and on easily so that I can relax and put my feet up... but when they're swollen like this - they apparently have a ridge. I guess I'll be able to tell Tyler one day that he helped create those cute little lines on Mommy's feet.

I'll let ya'll know what I decide on the belly photos - or maybe one will just appear...

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Day in the Life

I had a post that I planned to write last night about something other than babies and my crazy life - but well... what can I say - life got crazy, and my predictable baby's bedtime routine didn't go as normal. So I opted to go to bed instead of writing the post. I'll try again tonight or maybe tomorrow... (more likely tomorrow)

 

In lieu of that post - I thought it might be interesting to some of you to know what a day in my life looks like right now... maybe later in the fall, I'll write another one and we can compare since it'll only get crazier - and I honestly can't even think about it or I'll fall over asleep in the fetal position right now.

 

So here goes... (starting from bedtime last night)

 

9:30 P - crawl into bed... or maybe I should say stumble?

 

11:30 P - wake up to potty and get a few kicks from Tyler

 

1:30 A - wake up to potty and get a few kicks from Tyler

 

3:45 A - James wakes up for a bottle... go prepare bottle so John can feed him... go potty and get a few kicks from Tyler

 

4:30 A - James and John are having a battle of wills... so I get up to see if I can help - from here the day starts, James hangs in his swing while John and I prepare for the day

 

4:50 A - Shower & get dressed

 

5:20 A - Prepare lunch and snacks to take to work, make sure that everything James needs it packed and ready to go for the day

 

5:40 A - Bandage the crazy dog's leg because for some reason it's decided that it needs to bleed

 

5:50 A - Unswaddle James and put him in his carseat

 

6:00 A - Leave for the sitter's house and work

 

7:00 A - Arrive at work - run around crazy for several hours

 

12:00 P - Lunch break... relax for a few minutes and read a little on my nook

 

4:00/4:30 P - John picks me up from work to head home to pick up James

 

5:00ish P - Arrive back at the sitter's to pick up James

 

6:00 P - Feed and play with James

 

6:30ish P - Figure out dinner for John and I

 

7:00 P - Eat

 

7:30 P - James' bath time, massage, and swaddle

 

8:00 P - James' last bottle of the night

 

8:30 P - James in bed

 

8:30-9:30 P - Clean up the kitchen, watch a little tv, catch up on Facebook, and try not to crash out on the couch

 

9:30 P - Stumble into bed...

 

Rinse, Lather, Repeat...

 

John is a HUGE help with all of this - so I don't discount that - there are some of those items that I am simply the assistant... but as you can see... it's a crazy life right now, so please forgive me if my blog reading has slipped... certainly the commenting has slipped... or if I forget to return an email or 15... I'm just trying to keep moving in the right direction right now... it's a wonderful blessing to be so busy and for the reason that I am. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world... one smile or coo from that little guy and it's a quick reminder of how great God is!

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Doctor with Issues

I took a little pole on Facebook last night - just to see if I was being hyper-sensitive about an issue that I've been having with my obstetrician. Don't get me wrong... I like her... and I think she's a great doctor. Certainly if someone was going to do surgery on me - she's one that I'd choose... and she has, so I'm pretty confident in that. I just wonder if she'd be someone that I could deal with "coaching me" through a vagnial delivery... Sometimes, her bedside manner leaves a little bit to be desired.

In all fairness - I have to say that my primary care doctor is the opposite extreme - he has the best bedside manner of any doctor I've ever known... so I might just be a little spoiled by the fact that he's the doctor I see 99% of the time.

Back to Dr. S... she's really nice, but I sometimes think that she's got ADD... or at the very least she's not listening to me. I know that some people - probably most - blow smoke when they talk to their doctor's about things going on with their bodies. Especially weight gain or things of a similar nature... sure it's easy to try to build yourself up and look for an easier solution to the problem than the hard work it takes to lose weight or whatever. I get it - I really do... TRUST me... as a weight loss surgery patient - I spent a LOT of years in that boat.
 

One thing I've learned over the last - almost 3 years - since my surgery... is that I'm not afraid of those conversations anymore - do I still hate them, absolutely! They just don't scare me anymore though - I don't dread going to the doctor (or I didn't before getting pregnant) and getting weighed. Probably because with Dr. W (my primary doc) I can talk with him on a real level about what's going on and he'll give valid suggestions - knowing that it's a very difficult struggle.

Dr. S on the other hand is not that way - I've tried to talk to her about how I am NOT eating with the mindset of "I'm eating for two" or an army... I'm not even really able to eat too terribly much at one time - I just eat about every 2-3 hours. Sometimes is it a cookie that is not necessary - sure... but that shouldn't account for the amount of weight gain I'm experiencing. Yesterday, John even tried to explain it to her - and she didn't harp on it quite as much... but she still mentioned it and told me to watch it.

Watch it do what? Continue on with whatever it's going to do?

Should I workout - probably, but ya'll I just can't. By the time I've worked a full day, gotten James home, spent a little time with my family, cooked/eaten dinner, gotten James ready for bed, worked in a little tiny bit of sleep for myself, gotten up for a night-time feeding with my growing boy... there's nothing left - in terms of time or energy. And when I say nothing... I mean you could sit me in a padded cell and watch me drool - because there is literally nothing left in my body that can even move.

So, anyway - I digressed a bit... because I was getting around to talking about another issue that keeps repeating itself with Dr. S.

Since my first appointment - she's been pretty set on the fact that I'm going to be a c-section delivery. Pretty much every conversation is centered around that, but oddly when you push her on it - in terms of asking what the point in taking a childbirth class would be if you're having a c-section... she will then backtrack and tell me not to give up on a vaginal delivery. UGH! Make up your mind - because if it's going to be a c-section... that's fine with me - I just don't want to waste any time away from James on an evening or weekend taking a class that won't matter to me in the end.

**Edited to add - I am an insulin dependent diabetic while pregnant - it's not technically called gestational diabetes since I had a history of it before my weight loss surgery... but that is a factor in the prediction that Tyler will be a big boy upon delivery time.

On top of that - every time we go in for our monthly visits... she asks me about tying my tubes. It's sort of subtle, because she'll frame it in terms of me letting her know if that's what I want... but every time it shocks me. I've tried to ask if it's medically necessary - and tried to figure out if she's recommending it... but I can't decide what the deal is. I mean there I am - pregnant for the first time and every single time I see the doctor - she brings this up. Sup with that?!

We'd like to have a third child someday - hopefully a girl... of course not anytime in the next year... (Geez, can you imagine?!) But, we don't consider ourselves done with James & Tyler... one more would make us happy. That being said - mean who is to say that I could be blessed with another miracle pregnancy? No one, only time will tell if that's in God's plan for us... so certainly we'd be open to adopting another child if that was the route that we felt we were being led... but am I of the mindset of cutting off the opportunity for God to do his magic again? Not on your life. The only reason that would be okay with me at this point in my life would be if it were a life and death situation.

I was glad to see that of my friends that responded last night - almost everyone thought it was odd. That makes me feel so much better about being sensitive when asked... and not understanding why it would even come up. I guess maybe in her own way - she's just trying to be efficient and means nothing by it, but she's dealing with pregnant women... and she KNOWS my history. She submitted my story to TLC to be on a television show for crying out loud...

What do you guys think? What would you say in my shoes?

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24 Weeks, 4 Days

Just got back from our OB appointment today, and everything is going well. I've gained another rediculous amount of weight - ya'll, I can't even figure out how or where it's coming from... it's not like I'm eating for an army. I eat just about normal portions - if not it's a little less than a normal portion for the most part... and yet - in the last 4 weeks, I've gained 8 pounds. Even more disheartening is that 3 of those pounds have been since I saw my regular doctor last week!

 

At this rate - I'll be in BIG trouble at delivery! I still swear that it has got to be in some part related to fluid retention... and possibly there is more retention than is showing in my legs right now. Who knows?! I just know that it's shocking to not really be doing anything different from pre-pregnancy in terms of eating, and yet I'm packing on the pounds like I'm bulking up to be on the football team in the fall!

 

She listened to Tyler's heartbeat - but didn't tell me the rate or anything - just that he's doing great. Next time will be our last 4 week visit - and we'll switch over to going every two weeks. The same week, we'll have a growth scan done - so we'll get another good long look at Tyler and hopefully have some new pictures to share of his little growing body.

 

It's hard to believe that by the time we go back - I'll be in the third trimester... it's going so quickly!

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Pillow, Please?

After a day with no real air conditioning at the office yesterday - in the 90 degree heat (which really in Houston means that it felt like 105... when you factor in the humidity) ... I find myself still a little wiped out. You just don't realize what that takes out of you until it's too late... and even yesterday - I got a second wind late in the afternoon/evening... so I was able to keep up the pace and not crash out early.

 

I've been having that a lot lately - I am exhausted in the morning... really tired - like accidentally fall asleep at your desk - tired. (No, I haven't done that... but MAN it's a struggle!) Somewhere around 9 AM - I get a little bit of energy back and can forge on through with some work... I'm good until that 2-3 PM slump... get my third wind somewhere around 4 or 5... and I'm okay until around 9 or so... only to start it all over again the next day.

 

I guess James and I are similar creatures right now - because you can sort of tell that by 7:30 he's ready to start his bedtime routine... and by the time he's down in bed - I've got about 30 minutes left in me to sit back and relax before I'm at the point of no return for my own bedtime routine. It's hard to believe I'm only 32 - because I swear I've got the sleeping habits of someone two or three times my age!

 

I was ready last night to sit back with my cranberry spritzer (thanks Danielle W for this gem of a drink idea!) to enjoy the season premiers of The Closer and Rizzoli and Isles on TNT - only to find that I'd fallen alseep somewhere in the later half of The Closer... it's a darn good thing we have DVR... so at least there is a possibility that I could go back and see the end if I wanted to. John woke me up right at the beginning of Rizzoli and Isles - and I just couldn't do it... so we'll watch that another night - hopefully at an earlier time so that I won't crash and burn in the middle of it.

 

Is this a sign that my third trimester is going to be just one big long blur of me trying to keep myself awake enough to function? I don't know, but I certainly hope not. Maybe I'm still trying to catch up from the weekend - it was good, but busy... and I wanted so badly to let John relax on his birthday - so I tried to do as much of the house work to prepare for the work week as I could. Since the cleaning lady will be coming this weekend - maybe that will give us both a little time to relax and catch up.

 

James is starting to become so independent right now - he loves laying on his back playing with things... it's funny because some of the most special times of the day with him are when he's on his changing table... he just becomes the most happy, smiley, charming little boy on the planet. So last night we both got on the floor with him (it's not an easy task for me these days) and played with one of his little gym toys... he even reached out and grabbed some of the toys. Easily one of my favorite times with him is first thing in the morning when we unswaddle him, and he spends a few minutes stretching and talking to us... so cute!

It's amazing to me how quickly time flies - I mean in just another 3 weeks or so - it'll be time for him to start having some rice cereal... we tink that he's going through a little growth spurt right now because he's sleeping a bit more during the day, and is waking up for that middle of the night feeding again. An unofficial weigh in on Sunday night puts him at about 13.4 pounds now... which is about a pound gain since his 2 month doctors visit. Just another month and he'll be headed back to get his second round of shots - and we'll see how much he's grown. I think he's getting taller much quicker than he's gaining weight - but I won't know for sure until they measure him.

 

We head back to the OB this moring to see how Tyler is doing as well. He is certainly more active this month - nothing super consistent, but I feel him off and on throughout the day. Poor John still hasn't felt him kick, it's like he puts his hand on my belly and Tyler instantly relaxes... or just is THAT stubborn. I dread getting on the scale and getting that lecture - but I'm sort of over it too... there isn't much else I can do to stop it. I am excited however to either see Tyler via ultrasound or at least hear him with the doppler... I don't know what she'll do this visit. I do believe there is blood work that I have to get drawn, but other than that - it's a mystery.

 

The one fun thing that John & I get to do every time we go to the OB is have lunch together - we usually pick it up and take it back to our offices, but it's still sort of fun to be able to go grab something with your husband... since we do carpool together, but don't ever meet for lunch. Today - we're planning a trip to Freebird World Burrito - which is a BIG deal from college - it is a chain that started in College Station and is spreading out... it's sort of like Chipotle - but was around long before to those of us that went to Texas A&M and is MUCH better. Yummy!

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Observations

I'm trying something new - to see if I can easily post more often... I'm posting from my email. I know going to the actual blogger site shouldn't be that much harder, but well... cut me some slack people - I'm trying to bring you content. HAHA!

 

My experience yesterday made me think about some things that might have been misconceptions before I had a child of my own. It is simply amazing how much their little tiny personalities can be different - and when they've got an opinion about something - it's usually not a mild opinion. It is typically at one of the extremes.

 

The grocery store experience was just simply amazing to me because one minute there we were happily shopping, smiling, and having a good time looking around at all the stuff... and the next minute - we were on total DEF CON 5 meltdown. There was simply no consoling James in that moment, and I thought back to the times before I had kids - that I just simply didn't understand what the parents were going through.

 

Kids are unpredictable and sometimes that can turn out to be messy. The interesting thing is that you could almost see the sympathy on the faces of the other mothers and fathers (the ones that were involved with raising their kids) - and then the ones that just didn't get it. I for one am NOT someone that would EVER draw attention to myself - so add that on top of the fit... and it makes for one stressful situation.

 

I just never realized how common that phenomenon could be. Now, all of that being said - I will certainly have a different thought process and sympathy when I see someone else going through it in public... or at a restaurant. I can totally relate - BUT there is also a tollerable level of allowing that to go on.

 

We've all been somewhere and seen the ladies standing around talking... ignoring their kids - while those kids tear up everything around them and just completely act like animals in public. I still don't have any patience for that or tollerace... but I don't see that as a problem with the children (never have) as much as the parents. I mean most of us can applaud a mother or father who has a child acting badly in public and tries to deal with it - sometimes that means they have to leave the store to prove a point... but ultimately - no matter what happens - they are parenting.

 

So many these days just simply don't do that - it's almost like their children are accessories instead of little people that need to learn from their parents. Those people are also the ones that drain our teachers of being able to do the things they could be doing in the classroom - because they instead have to spend their time parenting children who are lacking that at home. It's just a sad situation - and unfortunately happens more and more often in today's world.

 

All parents are different, just like children... and react in different ways to different situations. What is critically important to one parent - won't be a big deal to another... but it is always refreshing to me to see the parent teaching the child. Hopefully that is seen in a loving way - instead of like one instance I saw this weekend where a mother slapped her maybe 6 year old son in the back of the head while walking into a movie theater.

 

I guess above all else... I now have the experience to be able to see another mother in a store having a moment like I did yesterday, and completely understand what she's feeling. It might not be with the severity that I was feeling it - but hey... I'm pregnant on top of it all.

 

And, can I just say that I find it completely odd that I live in the South... am pregnant... have an infant... and yet people think it's okay to jump in front of me to get in a check out line... or get a parking place. Or even just backing out of the spot next to me... someone almost took my car door off yesterday while I was putting James' carseat back in the base... really guys? What happened to a little chivalry?! Am I really that spoiled by John, the men at my church, and the rest of our family?

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Christened

I think I've officially been welcomed into the Mommy club now... after a perfectly charming day yesterday - today - we had a moment.

Yesterday - we had a little bit of a tough time with our photo shoot - but in retrospect we didn't schedule it at a good time for James, it was hot, and I think they just pushed him a little too long. Once we left the store though - he was GREAT. Smiley, happy, and giggling for the next several hours while we went to Babies R Us and lunch.

Today, he spoiled me by being a Mama's boy - which is a rare occasion because he is normally the biggest Daddy's boy you've ever seen. We did great at home getting ready for church - little meltdown on the way to church, but I was able to quickly calm him down when we got there. I took him out of his carseat in the parking lot and he relaxed while we walked in. We snuggled through the service, and made it to the grocery store after church... that's when we lost it.

We did our shopping while smiling and being so happy - but about the time that Mom got to the card section to get Daddy's birthday card - we lost it in the biggest way imaginable. He wasn't just crying - he was almost choking himself because of the severity of the fit. So I tried to soothe him for a little bit - while the entire store walked by and looked at us... one lady offered to help me with "her" (nice - since he was in a green and brown outfit)... but in the end, nothing was going to calm him down.

What do you do in that situation? Well, I left my entire cart ready for checkout in the card section... grabbed James, his carseat and my purse and walked out of the store. I did manage to tell a store employee that I left the cart there in the aisle so that they could put the ice cream away. We went to the car, got buckled in... pulled out of the parking lot - and promptly fell asleep. Oiy!

At that point, Mommy lost it completely... and had a moment. It's a good thing we only live like 10 minutes from the store... because by the time we got home... we were alright and he was still sleeping. I was able to come in and get a thing or two done before he woke up for his bottle and big nap of the day. We'll see how the rest of Daddy's birthday goes...

Before I leave you for the day though - I thought I'd give you a glimpse at what he was like yesterday... so cute and cuddly. Enjoy!

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Winner!!

Alrighty - random number generator picked lucky number 34! That means that deezahoney has won the giveaway... contact me with your email address at kbhawkins00 AT gmail DOT com within 24 hours, and I'll give your information to the company's representative to send you your prize. I can't wait to hear how much you love the prize.

If the prize isn't claimed by tomorrow night at 8:30 CST - I will choose another winner.Pin It Now!

Adventures in Baking

Last Saturday, my niece - Brittany - and sister - Cathi - came over to do some baking with me. Brittany wants to start a business making cupcakes and other baked goods for sale, and she wanted to include my cake ball recipe as part of her menu. They can be challenging to make the first time - so I thought it would be best to make them with her the first time around so that I can show her the steps and the tools that I use when I make them. 

We had a lot of fun, and I documented the whole day in photos just for some fun... so here are the photos that I took...

 

Here is Brittany crumbling up the cake in a bowl so that she can mix in the icing.

Getting an arm workout mixing the cake with the icing... here she is making a new flavor that I'll tell you about later.

Putting the cake and icing in the fridge to firm up before forming the balls.

A critical step while things are chilling/freezing... watching Food Network on television for research & development of other products.

Forming the balls to be frozen before dipping in chocolate - she made some strawberry ones as well as cookies & cream... we also made some red velvet for a coworker of mine and some red velvet with pecans for John.

Another good step - while the balls are freezing... play with your adorable baby cousin!

Dipping in the chocolate - it took us a minute to get in a rhythm with this step, but eventually between the three of us - we got it down to a science!

The finished cookies & cream cake ball... soooooo yummy - it's french vanilla cake mixed with crushed Oreos, then you mix in cream cheese frosting and dip in white chocolate... I'd bet that it would be amazing dipped in dark chocolate too. 

They arrived at about 9:30 that morning and left around 2ish to go home... it was a long process of making cake balls - but it is worth the reward! I'll be sure to put information out there when Brittany gets her business going - so that anyone that wants to support my favorite 12 year old niece... you can.Pin It Now!