Squash Soup

As the leaves turn and fall swings into full force, I've gotten out an oldie but goodie recipe I want to make this week.

I love this soup. Even my husband likes this soup and he does NOT like squash. My kids even eat this soup, although sometimes I tell them it's cheese soup and let them pour it over a baked potato like cheese sauce. Any way you eat it, it's good.

Squash Soup

6 Tbsp onion, chopped

4 TBsp butter

6 cups squash (such as Butternut) peeled and cubed

3 cups water

4 cubes chicken boullion

1/2 tsp dried marjoram

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 pkg cream cheese

In large saucepan, saute onions in butter. Add squash, water, boullion, spices. Bring to boil and cook 20 minutes or until squash is tender. Puree in blender or food processor with cream cheese until smooth. Return to pan and keep warm until ready to serve.

Oh Yummy. My mouth is watering already.

You can also add in broccoli, peppers, steamed carrots, potatoes or other veggies at the very end for variety or if you like your soups "chunky" but it's really good just as is. You can lower butter and cream cheese amounts to make it healthier and you'll barely notice.

Still head down...

Hooray! Headed to the midwife just to double check that baby is still headdown. She is. She's actually been hanging out in relatively the same position since Tuesday which is a first for her. Typically, she changes position every 20 -30 minutes...constantly from one side, to another, to diagonal, transverse, up, down, rinse, lather, repeat. She seems to have finally settled into a content position. The midwife suggested that perhaps she had been wrapped up in her cord funky, or something was going on that prevented her from feeling comfortable in one position. Hopefully, she is now settled in for the long haul.

Well, hopefully not TOO long. I'd love to have this baby within the next week.

SIKE!

Baby is head down again.

She's gonna give me a run for my money and she's not even here yet!

Prayers that she stays down for the rest of this pregnancy (which is hopefully not too long!) would be much appreciated!

Up, Down, Up, Down, UP

These last few weeks of pregnancy have proven to be filled with drama. This baby has been quite the mover and constantly in different positions. Well, a week ago, we discovered she was breech. I managed to turn her and when we went in for a version she was already head down. Hooray!

However, over the weekend she turned back up. I've been trying all the old tricks (and trust me, I have tried them ALL), but so far it hasn't worked this time, although I realize it's only been 24 hours. It's really frustrating me and making me really nervous. What frustrates me the most is that if I lived 3 hours south of here, no one would give me having a breech birth a second glance. But because I'm in Washington, if I go into labor right now with her head up, they will automatically want me to do a C-section.

I've had lots of opinions expressed to me, and a lot of people don't understand "what is so bad about a C-section?" Well, absolutely nothing if it is needed to save you or your baby's life. C-sections are a wonderul thing when needed. But why in the world would I want to have major abdominal surgery if it's not needed? Why would I want to endanger future births by having an unncessary surgery? Why would I want to go through the recovery and pain for no reason? And at this point, that is what it is for....no reason.

I've been spending countless hours researching breech babies over the last week and I'm not convinced that there is any reason I can't have one. Other than the fact that finding a practitioner who is skilled and experienced in doing so is nearly impossible because they would so much rather cut babies out nowadays.

I'm hoping beyond hope that this little one moves head down before labor starts, but I'm preparing myself for what my options are should she not.

I can:

1) Have a C-section because that's all Dr's know how to do anymore
2) Have an un-assisted birth (uh, no thanks. While that might be right for some, it's not right for me.)
3) Find a midwife around here who will come be with me during a breech birth.
4) Go spend two weeks in Portland where they do breech births.
4b) I could try heading to Portland during labor, but uh, that's a long drive!


I'm leaning towards option 3 right now. I have found a midwife who has experience with breech births and knows how to handle them. She has said that if I get myself in a bind, she will come IF she doesn't have a client of her own in labor. But what if she does? Should I take that chance? Should I just up and go to Portland? But the cost....oh the cost and then baby might flip head down anyway and it would all be for nothing.

I'm so confused. My husband gave me a beautiful blessing the other night that we would not NEED a back up plan. That baby would move into the proper position when the time was right. I'm trying to have faith, but alas, I'm failing miserably.

In all my years as a doula I have had to help countless women as their plans changed. I knew it was emotional for them, but I never truly grasped HOW emotional. All I want is my beautiful, calm, peaceful home birth. My last one was so wonderful. I'm all ready. I just hope baby is.

Just Playing With My Toes

So Melia still loves "This little Piggy" even at 5 years old. She never gets tired of it. I don't know how other families do it, but in ours the last little piggy runs wee-wee-wee all the way home and right up into a nice tickle session, which is REALLY what she wants, I'm sure.

So tonight after a couple of This Little Piggy games she asks me, "Where did you learn this?" I told her I had learned it as a little girl.

She cocked her head to the side and asked with an amused tone, "So you just played with your toes a lot when you were little and liked to tickle yourself?"

I'm still trying to pick myself up off the floor after that one. Hahahahaha.

Apple Cake

We had a Ward Potluck breakfast this morning for the holiday. It was tasty and I got a ton of requests for my recipe, so I thought I'd post it as well!


Apple Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
1 1/3 cup milk
3 eggs
4 large apples (peel and diced)
2 TBS butter
2 TBS Brown Sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon
Streusel Topping (directions below)

Grease 9x13 pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toss apples into saucepan with 2 TBS butter, 2 TBS brown sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon (ok, let me be honest. I just threw stuff in. I didn't measure. I'm giving you an estimate of what I think I put in. So take that for what it's worth) Cook on medium heat for approximately 3-4 minutes until slightly softened. (again. I didn't time it. I'm just guessing on the time. It might have only been 2 minutes. Maybe it was 7. I don't really know. lol You can also use a can of apple pie filling, but I was looking for a way to use up my apples.

In bowl, mix together cake mix, eggs, and milk. Stir in softened apple mixture.

Streusel Topping:
1 cup quick oats
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 brown sugar
1 stick melted butter
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix together to form scrumptious topping!


Pour half of cake mixture into pan. Top with half of streusel topping. Pour the remaining cake mixture and top with remaining streusel topping. Bake 45 minutes. Enjoy!

I have no idea how this tastes cold, but it sure was delicious piping hot! And it was gone in seconds.

First Day of School

Yeah, the first day of school has arrived. The kids have been anxiously waiting for this for quite a while now. Melia has been asking daily if it was time for school yet. They all asked to get ready for bed extra early last night and were up at the crack of dawn because they were so excited.
Of course, Emilee and Megan were too old to have me walk them to class this year. At least I still got hugs (and a kiss from Megan)...on school grounds no less. I feel lucky!

Melia looked really nervous while waiting outside her classroom.


She got even more nervous when we entered the classroom and I wondered if she'd let me go when it was time. Fortunately, she had a seat right next to a little friend from preschool last year so it was only a few minutes before she had warmed up. UNfortunately (for the teacher that is), I have a gut feeling this seating arrangement is going to be a bit.....noisy. This little girl is quite the little outgoing talker, and Melia feeds right off of her. She is SO adorable though and posed for every single picture I tried to take of Melia with a constant "Make sure I'm in the picture too!" ROFL.


Melia
What was your favorite part of the day? Eating Lunch!
What was your second favorite part of the day? Playing Outside
Were you scared at all today? I got used to it
What do you think of your teacher? Um, she's pretty nice and pretty beautiful.

Megan
What was your favorite part of the day? My favorite part was doing the vertical and horizontal project.
What do you think of your teacher? She is SO SO nice.

Emilee
What was your favorite part of the day? Doing Math with Skittles
What do you think of your teacher? She's really nice
Any other thoughts about today? Not really




Oh, and another first for us. Melia lost her bottom two teeth in this last week. Just in time for school! How did my baby get to be so big?