...Kaitlyn...

I don't even know where to start this blog.  I am frustrated on many levels about my year with Kaitlyn, especially when up until a week ago I had no idea why Kaitlyn couldn't keep down food.  Now that we do, I am frustrated with the findings as well.

Here is the story.  I really can't pinpoint when Kaitlyn started throwing up and gagging on almost everything. It didn't happen that one moment she was fine, and the next she was having problems.  I know it started in 2011.  I know it was at least by the time Kaitlyn turned 18 months old because I mentioned it at her 18 month well child doctor visit.  I mentioned it at every single doctor visit after that - and there were several of them.  I even switched doctors during that short time to get a second opinion.  Kaitlyn COULD NOT keep food down, and I was not ok with it.

It got to the point I had very few things I could "feed" her, if you can call it that.  Soups were always good.  Yogurt was good, if she would eat it. Noodles, SOMETIMES were ok if I chopped them up into teeny tiny bits. Cheese - yes, most the time.  Baby foods, yep. BUT MOSTLY, she lived off of Carnation Instant Breakfast, Pediasure, Boost,  and V8 Fusion.  Everything else came up.  Meats were a definite NO.  Anything chunky, ha!  Even things like scrambled egg would not stay down.

Kaitlyn was gaining weight  but barely and solely because I power packed all of her foods with extra calories.  I made her drinks with half and half instead of milk. I added sour cream to her soups and dinners.  I was a determined momma to keeping her healthy weight the best way I knew how. 

During this time, I got a lot of well meaning feedback and opinions from friends and family.  What I should try, how to help my 'picky eater,' and other people were less understanding and even made it sound like I was to blame for letting her get away with it for so long.  Often times, I blamed myself for not being able to help my child.  I felt incompetent and helpless. 

Doctors offered little advice.  They thought it was "heightened gag reflux."  Then when it didn't go away with age, "acid reflux." It wasn't until her two year well child check that anyone took me seriously.  Her doctor said we could wait longer, or do an upper G.I. test - and that's what we did. Waiting longer was not an option when I had waited so long already. A month later on June 4th, Kaitlyn had her first upper G.I. test.

I was nervous about that test all night the day before.  Shayne and Dad had given her a blessing, and I felt anxious and ready  to start getting answers.  I KNEW we would find something, I just didn't expect what we found.  One scan into the exam, the radiologist said, "Oh!  We found the problem!"  I was shocked.  A COIN WAS STUCK IN HER THROAT. 

With all the gagging and throwing up over the past YEAR, I wouldn't have known if she did this the night before or nine months ago.  My doctor didn't know how to react either.  He assured me that he thought it had to of just happened.  There was "no way" that Kaitlyn had the coin in her throat for long.

Poor Kaitlyn.  I knew they were going to have to get it out that day.  She was already hungry, cranky, scared, and confused.  It was a hard - LOOOOONG - day waiting for Utah Valley Hospital to call us back and tell us when to bring in Kaitlyn for her surgery.  We played in the pool, took a nap, watched tv - anything to keep her mind off of her milk and food. 

Luckily the time came when we had to bring her in, and we were waiting at the hospital for her time to go back.  It was hard to keep Kaitlyn entertained, so I decided to walk her around the hallways until it was surgery time.  I had to.  I couldn't keep still.  My anxiety was high and I couldn't let her be any sadder than she needed to be.  I walked her around and around.  We took rides in a wagon.  After a short while, they gave her something to calm her down and it really calmed me down too.

 Playing

 Just Out of Surgery

 The Culprit

 A New Beginning

I met her new doctor, Dr. Sutton, around 4:00 that day.  He seemed very nice but didn't believe that the coin had been in as long as I was suspecting.  He also seemed surprised when I told him how much and how long she was throwing up, that even I was second guessing if I was right. When surgery was done though, I could tell he believed me because the first thing he said was, "We found a dime... and it's been in there an extremely long time."

I finally felt validated!  I KNEW IT!  I knew this didn't happen last night or a week ago and I knew there was a serious problem with Kaitlyn not keeping food down.   NOW FINALLY PEOPLE WOULD SEE THAT KAITLYN WAS THROWING UP BECAUSE SHE HAD TO; FOOD WAS NOT GOING DOWN and not because of an allergy, or picky eater, or acid reflux, or gag reflux, or behavioral issue. I wasn't making it up!

He let me know that her esophagus was narrowed from the dime at the top and that she had a pocket from the dime burrowing in, and in her stomach was a hiatal hernia. Another upper G.I. two days later showed an irregular esophagus that was almost twisted in appearance instead of smooth straight like a normal child. However, we did find out she did not have acid reflux so that was good.  Also - there is a good chance the doctors might not do anything about the narrowed part of her throat and watch her over time.  I don't know yet.

One thing I do know is that I sleep better at night knowing the dime is gone.   I am happy to say that Kaitlyn keeps down most of her food now too. We are feeding her soft foods and working our way up to harder foods.  Even her bowel movements have changed with the food going into her.  I am relieved and thankful that she is alright!  I can think of many ways that this coin could have came loose and hurt or killed her.  We are so lucky it was something that can be fixed and not anything worse.  I am peaceful now knowing that she she will be alright.  

It brings joy to my heart and tears to my eyes to see her eating with us as a family now.  I love watching her discover that she can keep food down.  She is not out of the woods because she does have behavioral reservations about food.  She has been scared and untrusting of food for a very long time, but it is improving day by day.  I couldn't ask for anything else... She is healthy and happy and has a new vibrant energy about her.  I love it - and her. <3

Daisy Munn May 13, 2006 - June 5, 2012

I remember first hearing about Daisy.  Mooney's Boxer Rescue called me and let me know they just got a female young Boxer in.  She was nine months old.  They told me she was a "mini" and wouldn't be as big as other full grown Boxer's.  That night, upon first glance of her picture - we knew Daisy would be a special part of our family.  We couldn't wait to pick her up and meet her for the first time.

It took Shayne and I hours to get to Richfeild, Utah.  We were unfamiliar with how to get there and got lost along the way but finally met our destination around 10:00 p.m. on February 23, 2007.  Daisy was so calm meeting us that we knew it really was meant to be.  She wasn't afraid of us and greeted us like we had already met.   I joked later that it was actually a little deceiving because Daisy was always very anxious meeting new friends and often greeted them with a nervous LOUD bark.

I learned within the first week of her being with us that she had a talent.  This dog could "roo."  Whenever I sang, Daisy would sing out "ROOoooooooooo!"  - as long as she could hold the note.  This is how she got her nickname, Daisy Roo Roo Munn.

Danelle and Daisy always had a close relationship.  They were playmates and best friends.  Daisy in a lot of ways was Danelle's first sibling.  Daisy came along just before Danelle's second birthday, and Kaitlyn didn't come until three years later.  Daisy loved Ellie and was very protective of her and every member of our family. Over time, Danelle played with Daisy in a way that kept Daisy young and vibrant.  They were wonderful for each other and Danelle was very proud of her.

One thing I loved and appreciated about Daisy was her ability to match her playfulness to the age of our children.  She played hard with Shayne, but was more gentle with our children and myself. She loved to play rope and with her squeaky toys as often as we were willing and often times by herself as well.

Daisy loved the outdoors and nice hot sunny places in the home.  I remember her laying in her "sunny spot" certain hours of the day, even if it was in the middle of the way.  Whenever Daisy went outside on her leash or taking a walk, it seemed she didn't want it to end.

Daisy also loved going on rides with Shayne and I and being a part of the family outings.  Often times she would get excited when I put on my shoes and head towards the door.  So often, she didn't know how sad I was to have to leave her behind.  Every time I left the house, I said goodbye to her and a reminder to watch the house and we loved her. 

I find myself missing her most at night.  Daisy always made me feel peace with Shayne's work schedule or when he couldn't be at home.  I always knew and trusted that if anything happened, Daisy would protect us.  She helped me sleep at night with peace of mind and was pretty good company too.  We used to relax on the couch together watching shows and snuggling often.  Then before bed and after letting her go potty, I tucked her in on the couch, gave her a pat, told her goodnight, and  said that we loved her.   I miss our morning hugs as well.  Every morning I knelt beside her on the couch and gave her a nice long hug and sometimes kiss on the head.

Daisy loved her Dad too.  Daisy sought his good favor and praise more than anyone in the family.  Daisy loved to snuggle him.  Shayne is the type to hold very still and stay in one place for a while, so if ever given the choice, she was right there next to her Dad.  They also took regular naps together on our bed upstairs.  Daisy was happy to greet him when he came home from work every morning after a long night.

Kaitlyn never knew life without Daisy and calls all dogs "Daisy's" now.  Although Kaitlyn was never at much of an 'enjoyable' age for Daisy, Daisy loved and watched over Kaitlyn.  She stayed near Kaitlyn hoping for a  bit of food to drop out of her mouth or help me clean up after her many incidents with throwing up food.  As gross as it sounds, I really appreciated this about Daisy and told her often, "this is why we hired you!"

A sad thing happened last weekend though. We took her in to be helped by a vet, but regardless of our united efforts to save her - we lost Daisy Tuesday June 5, 2012.  It was sudden and unexpected and every day we are asking ourselves why she left us so early and if we could have done more to help her.  We can't believe that she is gone and the news came devastatingly.

The other night, a couple young boys knocked on our door running away laughing.  Daisy would have normally barked at them with warning but our house echoed silently and I couldn't help but lose myself in tears and sadness of her being gone. Whenever I look outside at our patchy grass coming in and recovering from her urine yellowing it over the winter, I think at moments she will be out there at the end of her leash smiling back at me through the window.  We still put her "stinky blankie" on the couch where she used to lay from habit and memory.  Danelle even slept with her rope toy the first couple of nights after her death. Our home just has a different feeling without her in it.

Despite some other opinions, Daisy was a great dog.  She was perfect for our family and we loved her and treated her as such.  Life is not the same without her protection, comfort, smiles, and unconditional love for everyone.  Daisy gave our life an energy only she could bring.  She is very missed.

So to Daisy: "You're a good girl - praises, praises!!!  Be a good girl and we'll see you soon.  We love you!"  RIP our dear dog, and my sweet canine daughter.  Thank you for your years of devotion and love. I hope you are watching down from doggie heaven and keeping our family safe as you always did.  We will never forget you.

Baby's Shopping List: Part II

The point of this blog is to help new mothers in making their shopping list for baby.  I am outlining the LESS OBVIOUS things I believe would be helpful to the new mom.  This is why you won't find car seat, crib, burp cloths, or diapers on this blog.  If you don't know that you will need those things, then this blog will not help you much.

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Swaddle Me Wraps (or something like it):  I love these blankets.  Unlike regular blankets, these blankets are less likely to end up smothering your baby because they wrap tightly around the baby.  Babies, even young ones, like to kick their sweet feet and often kick off their blankets leaving them cold or WORSE going up near their face.  These blankets are great for taking away some of the worry of baby sleeping.  They come in cooler or warmer fabrics and different sizes as your baby grows.  I found them to be soothing for the babies also to be wrapped tightly, just like they were in momma's womb.

I found myself buying the Summer brand Swaddle Me wraps most often. 

Baby monitor with video: I didn't realize how WONDERFUL these things are until I had my second baby.  I bought a Summer brand monitor that had one camera (with the option of two), night vision, and an electric thermometer to tell me how hot or cool it was where the baby was sleeping.  I am still using it with my two year old!

Babies cry often during the night at times, and sometimes its exhausting to wake up and check on the baby.  Sometimes checking on the baby might just wake the baby up more and then you have no choice but to take them out of bed.  Other times, as a mom, you will sit there and wait it out a few minutes and see if they will put themselves back to sleep.  BUT WHAT  IF the baby lost their binki, or the blanket is wrapped over their head, or any number of things... it's nice to turn on your video baby monitor and check it out.   Night vision helped a lot for this. 

They are also great for nap times when you are busy around the house.  I used to sit on the back porch with my older daughter as she played outside and kept an eye on Kaitlyn sleeping alone in our room upstairs.  I wouldn't have felt as confident just listening to her sleep.

When they are older and sleeping through the night, it's also reassuring to have an eye on them.  For me and my two year old, it puts my mind to ease to know that she is STILL IN her bed because she could easily climb out.  It also helps me to know when she is talking in her sleep if she is really asleep or awake.  I LOVE my video baby monitor!!! 

TIP: GET A GOOD ONE.  Some baby video monitors will pick up static sounds or other baby monitor noises.  It is very annoying from the reviews I have read.  Do your research and you will do great! 

AngelCare Monitor:  This is where I worry I may seem a little paranoid, but I have a sleep apnea monitor for my babies.  When I had my first daughter, I lost sleep at night wondering and worrying that my baby was breathing.  Unfortunately, SIDS happens too often for my comfort - especially knowing people personally who have lost babies.  I found myself lightly sleeping and checking on my baby often, sometimes feeling her chest to make sure it was moving up and down.  This is why when my second baby was born I found peace and comfort with my AngelCare monitor.

The AngelCare monitor is wonderful.  Mine made a "ticky" sound every time my baby took a breath.  I know it sounds crazy but I found these ticky sounds to be comforting and slept better KNOWING that my baby was doing well.  If your baby happens to stop breathing, an alarm will go off after 20 seconds.  If the baby still doesn't breathe after 30 seconds, a bigger alarm goes off.  I used this religiously until my baby was at least six months old.  During that time I DID have the alarm go off a few times.  Some might call them false alarms, but who is to say that it didn't help her wake up a little when the alarms went off and startle her into breathing?  The sleep and peace I had was almost too good for a new mom.  I HIGHLY recommend this to any new mother.

Womb Sounds Bear or Heartbeat on CD:  I have VERY FUSSY colicky babies the first five months of their lives.  Some people call it the PURPLE cry and it goes on hours into the night sometimes and NOTHING seems to soothe them... except this.  I LOVE the idea of womb sounds.  When they are wrapped up tightly and the womb sounds are playing, it helps take them "home" I think.  They seem to quiet down and listen to the soft gentle sounds they are most familiar with.  This was a real lifesaver at times.

A Good Diaper Bag: I know this is considered an "obvious" thing but make sure that you have a good diaper bag, and I suggest having it "packed" before the baby arrives.  Pack it with diapers, wipes, burp cloths, EXTRA CLOTHES (this is a must), baggies for the dirty clothes, pacifiers, or anything else you can think of for baby's first days.  I recall being a new mom and packing my first diaper bag AFTER my newborn baby had come home.  I didn't take into account how much having a baby would slow me down in an of itself so when I had to stop and pack her diaper bag, it made us an hour late to get her PKU levels checked at the hospital the next day.  Having it ready with my second baby made life so much easier!

A Set of Cloth Diapers and know how to use them:  I am not suggesting you use cloth diapers, but have them on hand.   You might be well stocked for your baby now, but there may be a day when your baby is running low and you don't realize you are on your last diaper until the worst possible time.  Cloth diapers to the rescue!  Even if you only have one pack of pins, cloth diapers, and vinyl diaper covers, it will be better than doing without if you need to buy some more and can't at the moment.  They are more unpleasant to use, but better than keeping your baby in a yucky diaper for too long.

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Those are just a few I can think of at this time.  Congratulations if you are a new mom or mom to be!  This is an exciting time of your life and with the proper preparation you can smoothly make the transition and enjoy your baby to the fullest.  Feel free to ask me any questions you might be having and I will be happy to answer them!

Baby's Shopping List - Part 1

With a baby niece on the way and a great-nephew coming to their first time mom's, I have been recalling my first experiences as a mother. I had blankets, clothes, a crib, TWO whole bags of diapers (that I thought would last a MONTH!), bassinet and all the basic essentials (I thought). Looking over my little Winnie the Pooh nursery, it looked ready... Imagine my surprise when baby came and I realized how ill prepared I was to bring home this young one.

For example: my goal was to nurse. My mother in law nursed her four children and my sister in law who was pregnant at the time also was hoping to nurse. I wanted to nurse my baby as well. I just thought that everything was going to go smoothly. I didn't even buy bottles or formula. No one told me I would need nursing pads and I never thought I would need a breast pump my first week on the job. I REALLY didn't know what to expect when it came to nursing. Looking back, I was CLUELESS. This discouraged me to the point of wanting to quit my first couple days into to process. Danelle wasn't nursing well and I had no bottles to give her. All I had for formula were my free samples from the hospital and they didn't last more than a day.

Now - I didn't have breast pads either. Sorry if this is too much info but when my milk came in - it went BIZZERKO. I wasn't prepared or aware that I would "leak." I didn't wear a tight fitting bra and my poor, swollen, sore, and engorged 'girls' were leaking everywhere. I finally had to cut maxi pads in half to use as temporary padding.

I was depressed. I felt like I was a bad mom from the start (which of course was mainly thanks to hormones and some postpartum depression I developed over the next six months). Not having everything I needed nor the money to buy it all at once with made it WORSE.  Preparation before hand would have been best.

This blog is dedicated to NEW MOM'S who are wondering what to buy and maybe some tips on brands and what to watch for - so hopefully you can avoid the mistakes I had learn the hard way.

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EVERY NURSING MOM'S SHOPPING LIST! (I will make a list for all mom's also.)

#1. Breast Pads.  These are next to bottles in the baby aisles.  NOT ALL BREAST PADS ARE CREATED EQUAL and CHEAPER ISN'T BETTER in most cases.  When you are nursing a baby, like I mentioned you will leak... more often then you think.  It will happen when you are thinking of your baby, hearing it cry, watching someone hold your baby, talking about your baby, and sometimes just to be annoying.  Wearing a properly fitting bra and the right breast pad however, you will feel more confident about yourself when this happens.

MY FAVORITE:  They are slightly more expensive then other brands but the coverage is great and they are very discreet.  Let's face it, when choosing a nursing pad, you don't want to world to KNOW you are because of the thick pad shaping through your shirt.  These were very thin and easy to hide.  They held it "all in"  even during my worst leaks or overnights! I never second guessed myself with them.  

 

MY LEAST FAVORITE: While these are CHEAPEST - they are not good... I had to double them up and they STILL leaked.  I used three times as many in a day with these too.  Overall bad choice.  Might be best suited for an extremely light leaker.  

ANOTHER THOUGHT: Lily Pads!  I love Lily Pads.  These wonderful pads are reusable and waterproof - - - that's right - - - you can swim in them.  They are also great if you decide to go bra-less because they stick on without needing help.  They are also great if you run out of regular pads. A couple tips about Lily Pads though; they collect milk in them. The wetness from the milk can lead to yeast infections on your breast which will give your baby thrush. If you wear them regularly make sure that your 'girls' have time to dry too, and wash your Lily Pad every time. Also, in my experience do not sleep in Lily Pads unless you KNOW you will be up to nurse your baby shortly.  Lily Pads are not good overnight pads and are unforgiving if they leak.  You will have milk all over you...  and your bed. :-/ Not cool - especially at five in the morning.

Oh and a word to the wise; WASHABLE nursing pads... are just as bad a wearing a thin washcloth.  It will not protect your clothes from moisture any better than your clothes will.  Sorry to say.

#2. A Boppy or Nursing Pillow.   These help SO MUCH when you are trying to get your baby in the right position for nursing.  Even if you don't plan to nurse, a Boppy is a wonderful thing and holds baby in just the right place for bottle feeding.  They are also fun to lay the baby on, and have tummy time with when they are old enough. Every mom expecting or not would benefit from one. ***Bring this to the hospital when you go into labor - trust me, you will thank me!***

#3. Nursing cover.  I recommend having one in your diaper bag and one for regular use.  Bring one to the hospital; with the amount of in's and out's the nurses, doctors, and visitors make it's nice to be covered rather than exposed.

#4. Lanolin Cream.  Nursing is painful after the first couple days. To make it more bearable, have your cream ready even at the hospital.  Lanolin is safe for the baby and can be applied after every nursing.  It's soothing and prevents your nipples from drying out or bleeding. 

MY FAVORITE:  This stuff lasts a long time and doesn't have a funny smell like some of the others out there. 

#6. Breast Pump.  I would suggest starting with a manual pump, and buying an electric pump if you decide you definitely want to keep nursing or especially if you plan to pump milk if you go back to work.

Here are the benefits of a breast pump (tips a lactation specialist told me):

A. If you don't have enough milk pump for 1-2 minutes AFTER your milk STOPS to encourage your body to make more milk. This is a natural way of telling your body, "hey, baby needs more milk" and your body will take the hint. Just don't go overboard - TRUST ME - I would stop encouraging more milk when you can pump 4oz each side... :-/ It can get pretty uncomfortable with too much milk production unless you can keep up with it.

B. Storing milk.  I am not the type that likes to sit around a nurse all day.  I like the idea of pumping and letting my husband or other family and friends bottle feed the baby too (which of course is probably not the best idea if you are worried about your baby rejecting your breast).  Pumps are also great for those nights when baby decides to sleep soundly through the night but your 'ladies' won't let you sleep until you pump off some milk.

C.  On the go.   If you are ever apart from baby, your milk production will not stop just because baby is with the sitter.  You will need to pump out the milk as you go to avoid painful and engorged breasts and avoid MASTITIS! Mastitis is a infection of your breast.  It it unpleasant, painful, and in a lot of ways makes you sick like the flu and you need an antibiotic to cure it.  My lactation expert suggested to never go longer than five hours between pumping or nursing to avoid this... 

MY FAVORITE MANUAL BREAST PUMP: I LOVED the Avent Isis manual breast pump.  It was comfortable, quiet, discreet, and QUICKLY got the milk out.  It gently massaged out the milk and was effortless in many ways.  I loved it so much, I bought two: one for on the go, and one I kept in my bedroom to pump in the middle of the night if needed.   I loved that it was quiet enough to go to a public restroom if needed and quickly take care of business. I brought it with me in a small case to family dinners and even used it a couple times in the car on long road trips (with a cover  and in the back seat of course) to make things more comfortable.

MY FAVORITE ELECTRIC PUMP:  This is the Bailey Nurture III.   It started out as a rental item, but then I decided to buy one for my own.  This pump may look complicated, but it really does the job and for a fair price as well.  It can be used as a double or single pump.  This is for serious "pumpers" and is considered a hospital grade pump.  I built an impressive freezer storage with its help.  I liked that it came with a carrying bag, instruction video and everything I needed to get started.  The only downfall is that is is a little loud :-/ so it's not your best choice if you want to discreetly pump your milk out.  I am sure there are quiet double electric pumps out there - but this is what I could afford and used with my two girls. 

http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=3236

 #7.  (OPTIONAL)  A bottle warmer/cooler.   Whenever I have a baby, my husband and I plan out a "shift" that we take the baby at night.  We both need our sleep, and at first our babies eat every 2-3 hours.  Shayne usually takes half of the night, and I take the other half.  When it's the middle of the night, the worst thing to interrupt your sleeping is to get out of bed, go downstairs, get a bottle out of the fridge, warm it up, feed baby and go back to bed.  Wouldn't it be easier if the bottle cooler, and warmer were right there by you???  We thought so.  It was nice also because if I pumped any milk in the middle of the night, I could store it back in the cooler for the morning.  No need to get up at all. We all got more sleep with this addition to the family.

This is the First Years Night and Day Bottle Warmer System.

TIP (added January 14, 2013): Breast milk needs to be refrigerated within 4-6 hours after pumping.  If you travel a lot or plan to, and do not like nursing in public, I just found out there are TRAVEL bottle warmers.  I loved my car bottle warmer (with adapter), but they make them cordless as well.  Pictured above (small) is a BambinOZ Instant Bottle Warmer sold at Wal-Mart.

#8.  Tight Fitting Nursing Bra's.  I say tight (not TOO tight, but comfortable tight), because it will keep your milk "in" better. When your nursing, your bra is like your best friend... you will even need to sleep in it so make sure you get some comfortable sleeping bra's too.

#9 and #10.  Bottles and Formula.  Just because you are nursing, does not mean you will not need these items.   There are many bottles designed out there to help your baby with "nipple confusion" so the baby will not reject your breast.  They are even making bottles where the baby has to nurse the bottle just as they would on you.  I don't know the names of these bottles (I have just now seen them at baby stores), but they seem like a helpful idea.  I personally used Playtex Nurser bottles with the drop in liners.  I found my babies were less gassy after I could squeeze out the air and feed the baby.

Formula.  I have tried many as a nursing mom to try to find the right formula closest to my breast milk.  This may be different for each mom and baby, but I found Enflamil Gentlease to be the easiest on my babies tummies. 

TIP (January 14, 2013): There is a new formula I am curious about trying.  Gerber Soothe...


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I have plenty more helpful tips and things I suggest considering buying before bringing home baby but I am going to have to stop for now... Next up - - - the practical list for any new mom.

TO BE CONTINUED.....

Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

I have had a lot of requests for my "Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole" I have posted about on Christmas and Easter. As mentioned in my last blog, one way for me to ruin a wonderful holiday is to fuss over breakfast. This involves bringing out all my skillet pans and large electric skillet pan for pancakes and cooking over them for almost an hour until it's breakfast time. Then you get the fun of cleaning up your fifty dishes, and half of the morning is over already. You need to rest before your day has even begun. Long story short, I am not a big breakfast person but on certain occasions (like Christmas, Easter, or having company over) you want something better than cold cereal or oatmeal. This is why I LOVE this recipe!!!


The mess is out of the way the night before, and you wake up to a delicious meal ready and waiting for you and your family to enjoy. If you are like me, perhaps consider having the table set the night before also so nothing (not even setting the table) interferes with your wonderful smooth running day. To make clean up a breeze use ***Reynolds SLOW COOKER LINERS*** before you bake it and save yourself a lot of scrubbing! I always have the dishwasher ready to be loaded so without fuss or hardly breaking a sweat, our big breakfast is over and I can enjoy my family and day better. The leftovers make DELICIOUS breakfast burritos also! Just throw the warmed up leftovers in a tortilla, put on some salsa and VIOLA!!! Yum. Enjoy! :)


Crockpot Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

1 dozen eggs
1 cup milk
1 package (32 oz.) of frozen hash brown potatoes.
1 lb of bacon - cooked, drained and cut into pieces.
1 lb of sausage, browned and drained
1/2 cup green onions - diced
1 green pepper - diced
3/4 pound cheddar cheese - shredded
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard (only I always skip this and it tastes great!)
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Layer potatoes, bacon, onions, green pepper and cheese in the crockpot in two or three layers.

2. Add cheese.

3. Beat the eggs, milk and mustard, salt & pepper together.

4. Pour over the whole mixture.

5. Cook with slow cooker on low for ten to twelve hours or until eggs are set and thoroughly cooked.

http://www.momswhothink.com/easy-recipes/crockpot-breakfast-casseroles.html

April

It's been so long since I have sat on the computer, my laptop is literally collecting dust. I have been so busy with my little daycare, running errands, caring for my own kids, cooking, laundry, and everything else I haven't had much time for the extra's. Not a lot has changed over the past couple months but for the record books, we better mention Easter and couple other happenings.

I have learned through test and trial that one way for me to ruin a perfectly good holiday is to fuss over a "big traditional breakfast." I am not much of a 'big breakfast' person anyway and I resent the cleanup once it's all said and done. I seldom have bacon and sausage in the house for this reason. I find that when I cook breakfast I usually use more dishes and pans than I would cooking dinner on an average day. This is why I am thrilled when I can whip up a slow cooker breakfast casserole the night before and wake up to a tasty almost mess free breakfast! It was the perfect way to start the day and is quickly becoming a favorite tradition.

Of course Easter Bunny left out some eggs for the girls to find, small ones for Danelle and larger more obvious eggs for Kaitlyn. The girls also had fun finding their baskets filled with a rabbit, colored outdoor bubbles, and a bunch of yummy treats. Danelle and I enjoyed egg salad sandwiches for lunch as part of our family tradition. After church, my mom invited us over for some Easter dinner. Poor Shayne had to work the day before and the day of which meant for a lot of sleeping Easter day, and him leaving again that night but we had a wonderful time anyway.

April was an eventful month. The week after Easter was Ellie's spring break. I planned and hoped to do several fun things with her, but the week went by fast and during which my Dad had a major heart attack. As far as heart attacks are concerned, he was a very lucky man to have everything fall into place just as if it were planned. Even when he went to the hospital, the heart surgeon was preparing for a surgery, and the operating room was already prepped. When Dad came in, they took him right in to put in stints. Dad had two stints put in that day and even though it was a major heart attack, he was back up on his feet and out of the intensive care unit the next day.

His heart attack couldn't have come on a better day that week for me too. I was not scheduled to babysit, Ellie had just been picked up to go mini golfing with her friend, I had dinner cooking in the crock pot, and Shayne wasn't scheduled to work until later that night. It was nice to be where I needed to be. I am happy to say he is doing well now and with some lifestyle changes, he can go on better than before even. We are grateful for this.

I think we redeemed Ellie's uneventful spring break when Ashley (Patrick's fiance') and I took Danelle to her first ballet. Ballet West II was performing THE LITTLE MERMAID, and Ashley was so cute and insisted on taking us for our birthdays. I loved the idea, so Saturday April 14th we went to the show. I didn't know what to expect, and it was different than the Disney version by a long shot, but it was magical and breathtaking all the same. We loved the show and it was a great ending to the week.

April is also a special month for our family because Danelle turned seven. We are having a family party on May 6th to celebrate with our family, but Shayne and I wanted to make the weekend special for her as well. Shayne and I go on date night every Friday and my mom is such a sweetie to babysit for us. This week, we surprised Danelle by telling her that we wanted her to come with us. At first, I think she wanted to stay at home and play with her friends but she soon gave in and we were on our way.

We let Danelle pick anywhere she wanted to eat for her birthday. No surprise, she chose Brick Oven. It has become somewhat of a tradition for her to go to Brick Oven on our near her birthday. We didn't talk about any grown up things, just things we knew Ellie might be interested in. Later on, we went to the party store and played around there, and finally Walmart to pick up her gift.

Danelle, Kaitlyn, and I go on bike rides often. Lately we have been going on a trail close to home but I noticed Danelle falling behind for a lot of it. She needed a new bike... something with bigger wheels so she wouldn't have to pedal twice as fast and still stay behind us. On our birthday date, we let her pick one out and bring it home. She was shocked and happy. She got a pretty 20 inch wheels blue bike. She handles it awesome and I know it will help her out a ton. Danelle really loved her individualized time with us and we enjoyed spoiling her.

This morning, her actual birthday, I made her a little special breakfast, lunch, and Nana and Popo came over with a cake and sang her Happy Birthday. I can't believe she is seven years old already. We can't wait to celebrate her birthday again in a week with our family in our joint party for Ellie, Kaitlyn, and Shayne.

St. Paddy's

Every year on St. Patrick's Day, I tell my girls the story about how the leprechaun visited me in my second grade classroom. My class and I went to the library and came back to a wonderful surprise! There was a window open and little green paper footprints all around the room. Glitter and treats were on our desks! It was magical! A leprechaun visited our class! I was filled with happy excitement and will never forget that day. This is why every year on St. Patrick's Day, a leprechaun comes to visit my girls leaving them with treats and goodies. He knows me from my second grade class.

I usually start this special day with green eggs and ham for breakfast. Some years I get more creative and cook green hash-browns, pancakes, and milk but I will admit I got a tad lazy this year and just cooked green scrambled eggs with bits of ham lunch meat in it. The girls loved it anyway of course.

Later on I noticed that Danelle's bedroom window was left open! I asked Danelle why she opened her window, and she said she didn't. I told her to go investigate and sure enough that sneaky leprechaun left Danelle and Kaitlyn mugs of prizes and green bubbles! They were so excited to try on their green wigs and glasses and see what candy they got. We got another leprechaun visit at our door with green sandwich cookies too. :)

Danelle wanted to go leprechaun hunting for her date that afternoon, but we settled on seeing WE BOUGHT A ZOO because it was raining. Still wanting to celebrate, we picked up a Little Caesars Hot and Ready Pizza and bread sticks and came home to party. The Little Caesars was so friendly, the girls each got a balloon with a Little Caesars logo to make our party complete. Later that night when Shayne and Danelle were teasing each other, Danelle's top front right tooth came out!!! It was a wonderful day.