Start Soup Weather Off with Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

  Thank goodness Anthony loves soup as much as I do! Most people like to wait until the weather has a crisp to it before they break out the stock pot, but not our fam. Soup is a year round event in the Bianchi home...kinda like flip flops or house robes.
  Like many'a Pinterest user, I often pin recipes without ever taking the time to actually make it. I've been doing my best to start putting these pins to work in the kitchen, and they've all been a win for the most part.
   I stumbled upon the gem below a while back and immediately stuck it in my "Yummy Goodness" folder for later. I finally broke it out last night, and boy-oh-boy was it delicious. I think next time we'll add some slicked Italian sausage to make it a bit more hearty, but it was honestly perfect all on its own with a French baguette.
   It was ridiculously easy to make--which in my experience doesn't happen often with soups due to all the required slicing and dicing. Do yourself a favor and make this STAT!

Recipe Swagger's Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

Milk & Mountains

Not those types of mountains.....

   I'd liken nursing a babe to climbing Mount Everest. It's the challenge of your life, you don't hear of many people successfully completing it, and if you're not careful you could lose a body part. That last part might not be true, but it certainly feels like it's true for the first couple of weeks. Think 8 pound vampire with an appetite like no other.

  Fortunately there's no shortage of literature warning mothers of the perils of breastfeeding. No woman with curiosity and high speed internet can say she didn't know nursing a newborn would be taxing, both mentally and physically. More so mentally.

  But this entry isn't going to give you the gory details. I'll leave that to the other millions of bits about this subject on the world wide web. Of course, if you'd like to hear more details about my personal experience with this, feel free to message me and I'll tell you all about it.

 The purpose of this post is to tell you two things that you absolutely need to know if you're even going to attempt to nurse a baby.

(1) First and foremost, it is absolutely essential to have a cheerleader. Full disclosure, there is no way I would have made it this long without Anthony Bianchi. He has talked me down from the ledge of giving up and dragged me from anxiety-Hades so many times in the last 11 weeks. He has supported me, complimented me, and encouraged me every single day. I've heard comments from others such as, "You've given him a great start. You can switch to formula now.", "It shouldn't be this hard on you", and "Formula fed babies grow up to be as great as breastfed babies." While all statements may be true, we made a commitment to our child while he was still in the womb that we would give him the best start we could, come hell or high water. And there's been both. (Seriously, our apartment flooded the other week. It was grand.) For every one of these statements I hear, it takes five cheers from Anthony to bring me from the brink of switching to formula. Anthony's role is just as important as mine when it comes to nursing. So, mothers, if you're going to climb that mountain, make sure you have a partner to catch you when you feel like you can't go on. Because no matter how determined and committed you are, that time will come--more than once.

(2) The doody will hit the fan when your milk comes in. For me it was Day Four. There was nothing in the handbook for Day Four. Anthony and I both agreed that we have to get the word out for this Dooms Day. Our sweet baby turned into, well let's just say he was unpleasant, when that new milk hit his tummy. He was inconsolable. He wailed and he flailed for 24 hours straight until he got acclimated to his new food source. Just be prepared.

  With these two pieces of intel, I want you to know that I have nothing but respect for any mother who chooses to feed her newborn formula from the start. I have nothing against formula. After all, I never had a drop of breast milk and I turned out okay. It was simply our choice to breastfeed for the first few months of August's life, but there will come a day when I give up the ghost and hand Enfamil my debit card.

Birth Story Part 2

  Okay, so where were we? Oh yes, we made it to the hospital after having to drive back roads due to the phantom train.

  After all my threats tied to missing my window for an epidural, Anthony--smart man that he is--drops me off at the ER. I waddle in, gnashing my teeth and clenching my fists as I battle the increasing contractions while waiting on two thugs to empty their massive collection of cell phones out of their pockets. I tried to be patient, I really did. To no avail. I finally asked the security guard if I had to wait in line since I was in major labor. He--smart man that he is--let me bypass America's Most Wanted and check in.

  Contractions were awful. I mean truly and utterly awful. I thought those little twinges of pain I was experiencing back in Tallassee were uncomfortable. The ones at the hospital meant business. Once we got settled into the room I asked the nurse when I could get an epidural. I'm fairly certain she forgot about me because it was HOURS before I got one. Keep in mind I came to that dang hospital 3 cm dilated, 75% effaced, +1 baby position, and experiencing contractions for almost 3 hours. It finally got to the point where I begged for the epidural. (I have plenty to say about that nurse, but I will keep it to myself.) Fortunately, the original nurse's shift ended and we were assigned a pro. Seriously, if you give birth at Baptist East in Montgomery, Alabama then be sure to ask if Dawn is working. She's an angel in scrubs.

  Things got a lot better after the epidural. I'd been in labor all night long, Anthony and I had gotten 0 hours of sleep, and I was gearing up for the workout of my life. Ironically when I was in the worst shape of my life. With the epidural came sweet rest. We were able to get a little bit of shut-eye in between nurse and family visits.

   I had been worried about how the actual delivery part being too much for me. It usually takes about 2-3 hours of pushing for first time moms, and I wasn't sure I'd have the stamina for all of that. Dawn told me it'd only take twenty minutes; I thought she was being highly optimistic. Fortunately, she meant what she said once the time came. I pushed for twenty minutes, with Anthony cheering me on and helping the nurses, and our sweet August arrived.

   I was so blessed to have an easy and smooth delivery. August was safe and healthy, and Anthony and I were officially parents. It was surreal to have him in my arms. It was....I don't even know the word for it...to see him in Anthony's arms. It was perfect. Heartbreakingly perfect.

  We stayed that way, a family of three, for about thirty minutes before inviting grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins into the room to meet the newest addition to the family.

  We were in the hospital for the customary time and received lots of visits from family and friends. It was wonderful and we were grateful.

I would imagine this was taken after the epidural, 

as I doubt I would have been able to even fake a smile before receiving one.

Anthony anxiously waiting for August's arrival

in his embroidered scrubs, his first Father's Day gift.

Birth Story Part 1

  As mentioned in an earlier post, my body started progressing towards labor at 37 weeks and my doctor said I had shaved 7 hours off of my upcoming labor already due to being 3 cm dilated, 75% effaced, and the baby's position being at +1. When I went for my last weekly appointment at 39 weeks I asked if I should go ahead and make another appointment for the following week just in case. He said it would probably be smart but he didn't think I would need it. For him to make a statement like that spoke volumes, as he usually erred on the side of caution so I wouldn't get my hopes up. This statement was like music to my ears because, again, I was 39 weeks pregnant, huge, and miserable. Oh yeah, and I wanted to meet our baby!

  I went around every single day for the past three weeks telling everyone, "Today is the day. I just know it!" and I'd end the day with a defeated look saying, "Today wasn't the day." And that was before the doc told me he didn't think I'd go over my due date. So you can imagine just how convicted I felt that "today would be the day" each and every single day of my 39th week. So much so that by Saturday (39 weeks and 6 days) I was so defeated that I'd given up on ever having the baby. Ridiculous I know, but again I was very pregnant. Those types of people aren't exactly known for being rational and pleasant. (Sorry ladies. It's not us, it's the hormones.) 

  My sister and brother-in-law came over and hung out in the pool with us all day in an effort to cheer me up. (Although watching them drink beer wasn't exactly the best way to cheer me up.) Kelly gave me a nice little pep talk about the power of thought and how my defeated outlook wasn't going to help the matter. So after getting nice and sunburned--I mean fried to a crisp--Anthony and I retired to watch some television before hitting the hay. 

  At about 11:00 I started having contractions. While these didn't feel like the Braxton Hicks contractions I so rarely felt during my pregnancy, I wasn't sure if these were laborious contractions. We had already been to the hospital a few weeks earlier because I just knew that I was going into labor so I was trying not to jump the gun again. We started timing the contractions and they were about a minute in duration and 3-5 minutes apart at first. Then they started jumping to 7 and 9 and back to 5 minutes apart. Despite the noticeable difference in type of contraction, I decided to just go to bed since they weren't rhythmic and it was now 12:30 in the morning and I was exhausted. Did I mention the hospital was 35 minutes away? No way I was going to make that drive just to be turned down yet again at the hospital. I told Anthony it'd be a different story if I had a clear cut sign like these weird contractions and my water breaking. So we got ready for bed, turned off the light, and I snuggled up to my GIANT body pillow. Pregnant ladies, you know what I'm talking about. It wasn't three minutes after turning off the light that I said, "Uh oh, my water just broke." 

  On came the light, and we got dressed and packed the hospital bag. (I know, I know, we were supposed to have it ready like 5 weeks ago, but whatevs.) Side note, I insisted on straightening my hair before going to bed just in case we actually had to go to the hospital. I knew I wouldn't care enough to put on makeup throughout my hospital stay, but dang it, my hair had to look decent. 

  My contractions got to be a lot more painful during the drive. We were almost to the interstate when we saw that the train rails were down and there was a line of cars....but NO train. We waited for a couple of minutes before turning around to go down back roads to the hospital. This meant adding at least another 20 minutes to our commute. You can imagine I wasn't a happy camper, but it's a good thing Anthony is a trooper. I made all sorts of threats on that ride. You better believe I was adamantly against having the baby in the car, and also, I wanted needed my bleepity-bleep epidural. 

  Fortunately we made it to the hospital in time....

TBC, my baby is sleeping and the clock is ticking until he wakes up again. This mama needs some rest. :)

Attention New Moms!

  There are several baby items that would be hard to live without, but if I had to choose only one item it would most definitely be our Snuza. It quite possibly saved August's life. I'm not being dramatic here--he seriously stopped breathing the other night while we were sleeping. I cannot bear to think of what might have happened had we not had the Snuza to alert us. Just thinking about it sends my heart to my ankles.
  SIDS is a very frightening but very real issue. Yes, there are lots of ways to help prevent it from happening to your child. Put the baby back to bed. Clear the crib of toys. Make sure the bumper is breathable if you choose to have one at all. But what happens if your baby simply stops breathing?
  There are many items you can purchase to alert you if your baby stops breathing. Angel Care products are a popular choice as they go under the crib mattress and monitor a child's movement. We chose not to go that route since August has several pieces of equipment in which he sleeps (none of which is the crib) and we are constantly going back and forth between our hometown and Dothan. We wanted something that could monitor him no matter what he sleeps in.
  Enter the Snuza Hero. It is a small device that clips onto the front side of his diaper and monitors his breathing. If the Snuza does not detect breathing within 15 seconds, it vibrates to stimulate breathing. If the child does not breathe within 5 seconds of the vibration (20 seconds in all), an alarm goes off to alert the parents that their child has stopped breathing.
  We heard that dreadful sound in the middle of the night this week. Anthony ran to August and jostled him awake so he could breathe. There are not enough words to tell you how grateful I am for this product!
  Not to get all doom and gloom on you, but this can happen to any baby--even your own. Be proactive and purchase this item. Best money I've ever spent. Link below.

http://www.amazon.com/Snuza-ILSHER-Baby-Monitor-Hero/dp/B008OJ7C6Y

What's in a Name?

  When first hearing our son's name, people always ask why we chose that particular name. I suppose it is a little different. It's not something you hear every day since the name reached its peak in popularity in the 1800's. For time's sake I usually tell people it's the only name Anthony and I could agree on, which is very true, but I'd like to think we put a little more oomph into it than that.

  Naming your child can be a very daunting task. It's a gift you will give them that they'll carry for the rest of their life. In Biblical times, people's names were indicative of who or what they'd become. For example, Abraham means "father of many". Remember the song Father Abraham? I'd say his mother was right on the money when naming him. Anyhoo, the meaning behind the name Anthony and I chose for our son was very important to us because we, too, wanted it to be indicative of the type of man he would grow to be. 

  We had a few names that we both liked, but the meaning didn't quite fit. For example, Anthony was a big fan of the name Orson, and I was okay with it but I didn't want our son to grow to be a "little bear". I mean, body hair is okay but to be compared to a bear?..... No thanks. ;)

  After considering names like Rivers, Alfonso, and Oso (Anthony's picks) as well as Jesse, Jasper, and Jonah (my picks), we settled on August. It means "great" with moral or wise overtones. Of course we'd like to raise our son to be a great man, full of wisdom and possessing good morals. We liked that it's not a name you hear too often and, for the most part, would be unique to our son. 

  The name also has a personal meaning for us as a couple. Last August marked a new chapter in our relationship with Anthony moving to Dothan and starting medical school. We went from spending every free moment together to seeing each other every other weekend. To say I was apprehensive about a long distance relationship would be an understatement. However, it was a very positive change in that it showed us how much we loved one another and proved to only strengthen our bond. We really liked the symbolism in naming our son August. He, too, marked a change in our relationship that makes our bond stronger. While this is not the reason we picked the name August, I sure do like that it makes the meaning of his name personal to us.

  Once we finally settled on a first name, we moved on to the middle name. Thankfully this process was a lot easier. My dad is the caboose of our family name so we thought it'd be nice for it to be carried on in some way. Also, Anthony's middle name is his mother's maiden name so it fit perfectly.

  So there ya' have it. August Floyd Bianchi. 

Third Trimester Part 2

  We are so fortunate and blessed to have so many wonderful family and friends who helped us get off to a great start in supplies for our little one. Two of our friends threw a diapers and wipes couple's party for us so we've been well stocked in our changing supplies. We also had a traditional baby shower and received a lot of great equipment and clothes.
   True to form, Anthony and I waited until the weekend before the baby came to decorate the nursery. We had put it on the back burner since we figured August was going to sleep in the same room as us for the first few weeks of his life. With school for Anthony and work for me, it just wasn't a priority. I was so glad to have most of it done before August's arrival though. (Mainly because it has been a complete wreck since then and it's the only time we got to see it looking pristine.)
  We decided to do a nautical theme--I'll post pictures when we finish doing the mounds of laundry  piled on the bed and put away some of the unused equipment lying around.
  Anthony finished up school at the end of May, and we moved back to Tallassee for the last few weeks of our pregnancy. My doctor was in Montgomery  so it just made sense to spend the remainder of our pregnancy closer to home.
  My body started progressing towards labor about three weeks prior to my due date. I started dilating 1 cm per week and my cervix started thinning. Those last three weeks were so uncomfortable, and I was so excited that my body was preparing for August's arrival.
  I woke up each day thinking "today is the day" only to go to bed saying in a disappointed voice "today was not the day." Until one day....[Birth Story in next post]