Baby Girl's First Birthday!

Savi is now one year old! I know it is cliche to say it, but I cannot believe how quickly time flies! It just seems like yesterday that I was holding this 6 pound baby in my arms. I can tell you one thing, though...it's been the best year of my life!

The day before Savi was born, I remember feeling very calm. Working in a Neonatal ICU for over 6 years left me feeling pretty comfortable with what was to come. We checked into the hospital, and Brit was given cervidil. That got things moving pretty quickly.

In the middle of the night, Brit woke up crying, in pain, obviously from the contractions. As we watched the monitor, they were coming pretty close together, maybe a minute or so, lasting for as long as 45 seconds. I don't think she remembers how much pain she was in. I had no sleep that night as I was holding her and helping her through the contractions.

About 6 am they wanted Brit to take a shower, which was very hard on her, as she couldn't stand or sit, because the contractions were becoming too intense. At 7 am they decided it was time for the epidural. Looking back on it now, she probably could have been given that an hour or two earlier. We had thought the contractions she was feeling were the moderate ones, with more intense, painful ones to come. Turns out, she was having the bad ones. Guess there's always something to learn.

So, with the epidural in, and Brit FINALLY able to get some sleep, I crashed on the couch. About an hour later I woke up to the nurse checking how far along Brit was, and she was complete and ruptured. She showed me the blood on her finger, and my immediate comment (half asleep) was, "Is there any meconium?" That's the NICU talking there.

Not 20 minutes later, the OB was in our room telling me Brit was going to deliver. I was shocked! I looked 'down there', and saw Savi's head already poking out! Brit hadn't even started pushing! The epidural was doing a fine job, that's for sure.

When we got ready to push, Brit gave one hard push, and half of Savi's head came out. One more push and she pretty much flew out. The OB actually had to move her hands back as Savi came shooting out. Good job, baby!

Savi was a perfect, happy, screaming baby, and I was so proud. Tears came to my eyes as it finally hit me, I AM A DAD!

There's just no describing how much joy a child brings to your life. Savi has become everything that Brit and I are about. I am so glad I am a daddy, and I cannot wait for the many more years to come!

Here's a few pics of baby girl along the way to her first full year! (Birthday party post to come tomorrow)

Just checked in!

Brit and Savi

3 weeks old

7 weeks old

5 months

6 months

9 months

11 months

1 year old!

Favorite Recipes!

At Kelly's Korner this week, it's all about your go-to recipes! I have two main ones, and here they are! One is courtesy of Paula Deen, absolute goddess of southern cooking, and the other is my own creation, combining some of my favorite elements!

I absolutely LOVE this recipe. I saw this on Paula Deen's show, and it's amazing. Not very healthy, mind you, but amazing! Kids will love this for sure.

I also have a customized twist to it...
Try adding:

• Crushed red pepper to taste (in mac n' cheese), usually about 1 tsp for me
  
• 1/2 cup diced jalapenos added mac n' cheese

Image and recipe can be found at Food Network.

Paula Deen's Fried Mac n' Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 recipe "The Lady's Cheesy Mac" prepared, chilled in the refrigerator overnight, and cut into 15 squares, recipe follows
• 1 pound bacon
• Flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Plain bread crumbs
• Peanut oil, for frying

Directions

Heat peanut oil to 350 degrees F.

Wrap each square of cheesy mac with 1 strip of bacon, and fasten with toothpick. Dredge each square in flour then egg and then bread crumbs to coat. Fry for about 3 minutes until golden brown.

The Lady's Cheesy Mac:

• 4 cups cooked elbow macaroni, drained
• 2 cups grated Cheddar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Once you have the macaroni cooked and drained, place in a large bowl and while still hot and add the cheddar. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and add to the macaroni mixture. Pour macaroni mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Top with additional cheese if desired.

---

Now for my own recipe, which I absolutely love to make. This is easy and simple. Sadly, I don't have a picture up of this, but next time I make it I will be sure to post it!

Pistachio Crusted Chicken

• 3 oz pistachios
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 4 oz shredded colby jack or pepper jack cheese
  
• 1 egg (egg wash)
• flour (for dredging)
• salt
• pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Grind the pistachios in a food processor until coarse to fine. Want them similar to bread crumbs. Preheat stove to a little less than medium heat. In a non-stick pan, eyeball enough EVOO to cover the bottom. Add the chopped garlic to infuse with the oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cut a tiny 1 to 2-inch pocket in the side of the chicken and stuff with cheese. Very lightly dredge chicken in flour, then dip into the egg wash, and finally coat with pistachio crumbs. Place chicken in pan and cook for 3.5 to 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Voila! Pistachio crusted chicken.

*For added flavor, I like to stuff the chicken with diced, fresh jalapenos as well (if the wife will let me).

Daddy and Baby Girl

The joys of being a stay at home dad...I get moments like these! We have spent the better part of today playing, only taking a nap just now to give daddy a chance to blog! I was able to take some pretty good pictures, and a video as well.

I managed to get several of her more recent accomplishments all in one little session! Standing, pretend eating and drinking, and making messes! Well, the messes thing isn't new, she's just mastered it quite well!

The above photo was another photoshop edit to fix a blurry shot that I otherwise would have loved. Not too bad...it's cool to have fun pics like that every now and then!




Playing with our cups!



Standing! (Not walking yet, but we're close!)



Ever the ballerina, always on our toes.



Whugh! We found...a box.



DVDs destroyed...mission accomplished.

Baby Girl and Make Believe

Last night, I fed Savi dinner and gave her a bath. Brit was still at work, so it was looking like I was going to have to put the baby down for bed before she got home. I try to keep her up if I can, so Brit can see her, but ultimately if baby girl is falling all over herself from sleepiness, bedtime is inevitable.

So, after she fell asleep drinking her bottle of milk, I put her down, and no less than 5 minutes later she was up and crying, putting up a fierce resistance to sleep. See, I have actually honed my senses to determine what kind of cry is legit, and what kind of cry is for other reasons. This was a legit cry, so I went and got her out of bed, as she seemed to have caught her second wind. The child was just everywhere!

When Brit got home, she was met by a very happy, and very awake Savi. We decided to have a bit of family playtime, figuring baby girl would get pretty tired pretty fast. We were right. But before we put her down, she did something that both Brit and I thought was absolutely precious.

Taking two of her stacking cups, she crawled over to the coffee table and stood up, placing her cups on the surface to play with. It took us a minute to figure out what she was doing with the cups, but we finally realized she was pretending to drink from them, then was imitating chewing food. She did it over and over. It was sweet and hilarious at the same time.

This is the first time she has actually imitated an event like this on her own, without any prompting from Brit or myself. Of course, me being the proud daddy thought she was just being a creative baby genius! I'm not sure when babies start playing like that on their own, but it looks like our little one has started! Man, I love being a dad!

The Beatles: Rock Band Video Game

So, who out there is going to buy The Beatles: Rock Band? Normally, I wouldn't be posting about a video game, but the potential hype on this product has me curious. I've been watching the news tonight, and it seems there are game launch events with live Beatles music and everything.

Given the popularity of the previous Rock Band games, I'm sure this one will do just as well. The good things I have heard is that it gives a younger generation a deeper appreciation of the Beatles and all they accomplished, given the note charts displayed in the game. The complexity of the songs can be visually seen, allowing for a better relationship to the Beatles music. It is also being whispered that this may create a new wave of Beatlemania. To be determined,I guess.

Ultimately, if you by the game, you will be able to play 45 of their songs from 12 Beatles albums. Here is a list of the songs that can be played (more to be released via download):

• I Saw Her Standing There
• Boys
• Do You Want To Know A Secret
• Twist And Shout
• I Wanna Be Your Man
• I Want to Hold Your Hand
• A Hard Day’s Night
• Can’t Buy Me Love
• I Feel Fine
• Eight Days A Week
• Ticket To Ride
• Day Tripper
• Drive My Car
• I’m Looking Through You
• If I Needed Someone
• Paperback Writer
• Taxman
• Yellow Submarine
• And Your Bird Can Sing
• Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
• With a Little Help from My Friends
• Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
• Getting Better
• Good Morning Good Morning
• I Am The Walrus
• Hello Goodbye
• Revolution
• Back In The U.S.S.R.
• Dear Prudence
• While My Guitar Gently Weeps
• Birthday
• Helter Skelter
• Hey Bulldog
• Don’t Let Me Down
• Come Together
• Something
• Octopus’s Garden
• I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
• Here Comes The Sun
• Dig A Pony
• I Me Mine
• I’ve Got A Feeling
• Get Back
• Within You Without You / Tomorrow Never Knows

The only negative things I have heard about the game is whether or not the game progression is too fast. Apparently you can go through all the songs and 'beat' the game in a couple hours.

I'm not sure if I will be buying it, but the hype definitely has me intrigued.

Wordless Wednesday

Remembering September 11th

This coming Friday is September 11th, and I think it is extremely important for us to remember how important this day is to our country. For the first time in 50 years, there was a devastating attack on American soil on September 11, 2001. We lost 2,973 lives that day. It was a message sent by foreign terrosists with a specific message, aimed straight at our hearts. It was a message of hatred, and it is one we are still fighting today.

Families lost husbands, wives, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, and so many more. It cannot be put into words how utterly devastating and tragic this day was. But from the ashes of this attack, we stood strong as the United States of America and sent the war to the Middle East. Some agree with the war, and others do not. Whichever side of the fence you sit on, there is still an enemy out there that hates us, hates the principles of democracy and freedom that you and I enjoy every day, and have committed their lives to wreaking havoc and destruction upon us.

I am so thankful for the men and women serving in our armed forces throughout the world, protecting our precious rights and freedoms. It is because of them that I am able to sit here today in the comfort of my own home, writing this blog post. Thank you for protecting us, and thank you for putting your life on the line to preserve the freedom of our country.

For those that lost loved ones on September 11, my heart goes out to you, and I will say a prayer for you and yours. At the time of the attacks, I was only 20 years old. I remember I was sitting in my U.S. Government class, when an announcement came on the overhead speakers to turn on the TV and find a news channel. As we saw the smoke from the buildings, a momentary horror filled my thoughts, and I said prayers for all those in harm's way. Classes were promptly canceled, and I went home to watch the events unfold.

Now, I am a father and a husband, and I cannot even begin to imagine what it must have felt like to have a loved one tragically lost to such a monstrous act of terrorism. Many families did not even get a chance to say goodbye. No last kisses or hugs, no last embraces, and no last ' I Love You'. Though wounds can heal, you can never forget.

I now can catch a tiny glimpse of what fear these families must have felt that day. I hope I never have to be put in that situation myself. I love my wife and daughter with everything that I am, and the thought of losing them tears me apart. This is why it is so important to remember this day.

To the firefighters of NYC that battled the destruction of the twin towers, and to the families of those firefighters we lost, thank you for all that you did. You are all heroes, and will forever be tenderly placed in our hearts as you selflessly put your life on the line to save as many as possible from the wreckage and ruin on that fateful day.

This Friday, say a prayer of thanks for the sacrifices of those we lost on September 11th. Pray for them and their families. Say a prayer of thanks for all those that contributed to the rescue and clean-up efforts of the attacks.

Remember what this day means. Put all political and religious agenda aside, and let us once again stand united and strong as Americans, as we remember this day.