Pictures

Here are some pictures of Jagger from Easter and our trip to TN. Also, sad news, I will not be able to post videos until I get a new computer. You have to use a special cord that doesn't hook into Aaron's laptop and it would kill my computer trying to download videos. Hopefully soon!

Sleepy Boy

Me and my little man!

Jagger and "Uncle" Jason

"I love the Easter Bunny!"

Easter baskets

Playing in the jump a roo

On the way home

I am sure he will kill me for this picture when he gets older :)

Hanging out in the Bunbo

Why

Why do all of the houses that we fall in love with already have contracts before we even get to see them? We are going to look at more houses tomorrow and I hope we find one because I am tired of looking.

I have been taking Jagger on strolls the past 2 days, hoping to get rid of this jello belly and so that he can get some fresh air. I am so glad it is finally getting warm out so that we can enjoy these strolls! I take one of the wieners with me when I go and they like it also.

Jagger slept for 7 hours last night and then 4, so not too bad. I hope this continues! I can tell that he is much happier when he sleeps longer at night also. He smiles and talks to me all day!! When I went to get him this morning from his crib, he started smiling as soon as he saw me!!

Here is a another recipe for you:

I love chicken and dumplings, but Aaron always said that he did not like them, so I never cooked them. I finally got him to try them recently and he likes them now. Here is a recipe that is super easy and is yummy!!

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

1. Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover.
2. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

Finally!!

Jagger rocking his fauxhawk :)

Jagger slept for 9 hours last night! That means I got 7 hours of straight sleep and it has never felt so good! I woke up at 4 and looked at the monitor and he was still dead asleep, then I got to thinking is he ok, is he still breathing? I got up and had to put my hand on his chest, up and down, up and down, I felt so relieved! He woke up 45 minutes later and I fed him and he was out again. He slept until 7, so that is 11 1/2 hours that he slept and only woke up once! He never opened his eyes when he woke up to eat, so it was more like a dream feed. I don't think I have gotten 7 hours of sleep since well before he was even born because I would have to get up and pee. Ahhh, sleep :)

Well, we put in an offer on the house that we loved on Friday with a deadline for them to get back to us on Saturday. After we left, our buyer's agent called to tell us that it would be Sunday before we heard anything because supposedly the wife was out of town, but really they were waiting on another offer. They accepted the other offer, but that is ok, that means that house was not for us. We are back on the search now and we will see where that takes us. We are not putting an offer in on the other house because we have decided that it probably isn't for us. It only has 1 closet in the whole house and the stairs seem pretty dangerous for Jagger.

I am going to look for a cord for the camcorder today, so hopefully Jagger videos will be here soon!!

This may be TMI for some, so beware! I had a BIG decrease in my milk that I started noticing at the end of last week and I had no clue why. I started to panic because I was scared that I was drying up for no reason and, as you know, I want to breastfeed for as long as possible. I started taking fenugreek ( an herbal supplement) again, drinking tons of water and nursing Jagger for as long as possible. It sees to be getting better, but I think I know the cause of this decrease, I got my period. This freaking sucks, you are not supposed to get your period while you are breast feeding, but of course I am one of the unlucky ones! I do have to say though, this is the easiest period I have ever had. I got the Mirena IUD almost a month ago, and I am totally loving it now that I see what my period will be like, besides the fact that I don't have to remember to take a pill daily that is not nearly as effective. I would recommend this to anyone that has horrible periods, is very forgetful, like me, and is looking for a long term birth control!! It did not hurt when it was inserted, so don't let that scare you!

We found a house

Aaron and I both love this house! It has everything we both were looking for. It is 3 bedroom, 1 and 1/2 bath, nice kitchen, family room in the basement, 2 car garage, and more I am probably forgetting! We are putting an offer in tomorrow. There is nothing we have to do to move in. We like the colors that it is already painted, even though I am sure we will paint some, it has window coverings already. The things we will have to do is get a new furnace(heater is what we have always called it!), replace a window that is in the garage, a new washer (the front loader I have been wanting) and dryer and eventually continue the hardwood into the living area.

Here are pictures:

Front of House

Living Room

Master Bedroom

Kitchen

Bathroom

House search

Aaron and I went and looked at homes on Sunday and out of 10, we found one that we really like. The one I posted below already had a contract, so we weren't even able to look at it. This home has been completely remodeled, new windows, siding, roof, carpet, kitchen, 2 car garage, and so on. The downsides are that 2 of the bedrooms do not have closets, it does not have an air conditioner, and the stairs are kind of scary for Jagger. We are going to look at another house some time this week and then maybe make a decision on what we want to do. We will definitely be getting an air conditioner if we get the one house! It also has carpet in the living room and dining room, so we would eventually continue the laminate from the kitchen into these rooms.

Here are some pictures of it:


We found our video camera, so if I can find the cord that will let me get the video onto my computer, I will be posting videos of Jagger soon!!

My favorite house so far.

This is by far my favorite house, so far. I just love it! It falls in the upper end of our price range, which we might could work with, but the taxes are $4000 a year :O Why do taxes have to be so much?!? It is 2300 sq. foot, 4 bedroom, 2 1/4 baths, with hardwood throughout, and a 2 car garage.

Here are some pictures:

Dinner Time

I have been searching for recipes that are easy to prepare, but yummy. I like to cook complicated meals, but that is a thing of the past with Jagger, so I have been doing more slow cooker recipes and things that make alot that can be frozen and brought out again when there is no time to cook. So, I am think of starting to post these recipes for other mother's that are looking for a quick, easy, delicious, and nutritious dinner to serve your family. I will also, of course, be including dessert ideas!

First up, stuffed peppers, mashed potatoes, and orange sherbet for desert.

Stuffed Peppers

• 6 large green bell peppers
• 1 pound ground sausage
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans tomato soup
• 2 2/3 cups water
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pound Cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
• 3 cups uncooked instant rice

1. Slice tops off of green peppers; remove seeds and membranes, and rinse well. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add peppers and cook for 15 minutes, or until tender-crisp.
2. Place sausage and onions in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Reduce heat to medium and stir in tomato soup, water, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper; bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to low, stir in 3/4 of cheese and simmer for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Prepare instant rice according to package instructions. Fluff with a fork and then stir into tomato mixture. Simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Spoon rice mixture into peppers.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese on peppers and place under broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly.

I did not boil the peppers first because we like our vegetables crunchy. They get softer when you cook them, but they are not mushy like they would be if you boiled them. This made enough for us to have 12 peppers. I froze enough of the stuffing for four peppers at a time.

Mashed Potatoes

This is all just a guesstimate because I just put whatever I think needs to be in it!

• 4 red skin potatoes
• 1 sitck of butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Cube potatoes and place in a pot of boiling water. Boil until tender.
2. Drain and place into a stand mixer.
3. Place stick of butter, salt and pepper, and milk in bowl with potatoes. Turn on medium to high speed and beat until the desired constancy. I do not like lumps in mine, so I beat for 1-2 minutes on high.
4. Serve with gravy, cheese, or whatever your favorite topping is.

Orange Sherbet

• 7 ounces sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice, approximately 2 to 3 pounds oranges~I used Simply Orange Orange Juice
  
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups very cold whole milk~I used soy milk since I can't have regular because of Jagger

In the bowl of a food processor combine all of the ingredients except the milk and process until the sugar is dissolved, approximately 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and whisk in the milk. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator until the mixture reaches 40 degrees F or below, approximately 1 hour.

Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process until it is the consistency of soft serve ice cream. You may serve now or transfer to a lidded container and place in freezer until firm, approximately 3 hours.

This was fantastic!! It tasted more like an orange dreamsicle and you could not even tell I used soy milk instead of regular.

We're back!

We made it back from TN, safe and sound, but exhausted. Jagger did really well on the ride there and back. He had really bad gas the whole time we were there and is just now getting back to normal. His sleep schedule has been all screwed up and it sucks! He is going to sleep at 7:30 still, but he gets up more than twice like he used to. Hopefully he will get back on schedule soon! We had a great time seeing everyone! Everyone was excited to meet Jagger. I don't know how thrilled he was, though!

Jagger had a great Easter, he is so loved (spoiled)! He got 3 shorts rompers, 3 sleepers, new pacifiers, a bumbo seat, and some candy from the Easter Bunny. He got a basket of frog toys from his grandma, an adorable outfit from Memaw, a frog from Aunt Roberta (his great-great aunt), a duck that quacks from Miss Patsy, a big plush caterpillar from Uncle Bill and Kisha, and money from his Gran and Paw. I will have to post pictures later!

We started working on a daytime routine today. Jagger gets up at 6-6:30 and I play with him until 8:30-9 and then he goes down for a nap. Today he only napped for 45 minutes, I am hoping it will start lasting 1 1/2 to 2 hours, but we will work on that. He gets up to eat around 10-10:30 and we play until 12:30-1 and he naps again. He napped for an hour this time. We play again and then have Ellen time!! He swings in his swing relaxing or taking a cat nap. Ellen is the only show I love to watch!! I like watching Martha Stewart also, but I don't have to watch it. Back to the routine!! He eats at 4 and we play until daddy gets home and then he can help watch Jagger while I prepare dinner. Around 6:30 it is bath time and then at 7 I put him in his swing swaddled and he falls asleep by 7:30 normally. One day I will just put him to bed instead of in the swing, but not right now! Hopefully this routine will work out and he will catch on quickly like he did his bedtime routine. I have always read that it is very important to have a routine for babies because they like them and it makes life easier on mom and dad.

Aaron and I are officially looking for our first home to purchase!! We have been pre-approved, so now we just need to find a house! I am super excited!! I have found a few that I would like to look at and we are going to be getting a buyer's agent that will help us also. We are hoping to close the begining of June, so those coming to see us this summer may get to see our new home also! I can't wait to decorate the way I want, have a garden, a yard for the wieners to play in, plant flower beds, and so much more! I will keep you guys updated on how the process is going.

Giggle

I forgot to add in my other post that Jagger giggled at Aaron on Sunday!! I have been holding him while he was asleep and he has giggled, it is so cute!!

Jagger slept for 7 1/2 hours straight last night! Unfortunately, he goes to bed at 7:30, so I do not get all of that sleep, but that is ok! He gets up at 3 and then 5 and I nurse him for 20-30 minutes each time and then put him directly back in bed. He puts himself back to sleep.

I think I have figured out the spitting up situation with Jagger, dairy. I ate a Wendy's frosty on Monday night and he spit up alot that night and then some yesterday. I did not eat any dairy yesterday and he did not spit up last night and he has not any today, yet. I told Aaron he was going to have to buy me an ice cream maker so that I can make ice cream with soy milk! I have been wanting a small maker anyway!

I am contemplating making this blog strictly private, where only me and Aaron can read it. It is for personal reasons and I would just cancel the whole thing, but I like to use it as a journal. I don't feel like I can post some things that I would like to without being judged or questioned. Maybe things will change one day, but I don't see that happening. So, if one day you try to read this and you can't, you know why.

2 month check-up

We had Jagger's 2 month appointment today. He weighed 9lbs. 15 ozs. and is 22 inches long. He was in the 15% for weight, 20% for height, and 30% for head circumference. The dr. said he looked good. He had what looked like a blister on his penis on Friday evening and I started putting a&d ointment on it and it cleared up. She said that it was probably mucus and that it was fine. He also always seems to have a stuffy nose, but she said that it is normal. Then there were the vaccines :( He actually did pretty good for them. He cried when they gave them to him, but when I picked him up, he was ok. He is now sleeping. I did better than I thought also, I did not shed a tear! While I don't like seeing my little man crying like that, I feel like I should be there for him, since I am his mommy, so I knew I had to be strong for him. He might be getting close to rolling over, too. He was in a postion that the dr. said he would be in when he would roll over. She just gave him a little nudge and he went from tummy to back! We will have to watch close so that he will not roll off of the sofa when I have him doing tummy time on it.

The nurse also recommended that we start putting him down for bed before he is asleep so that he will learn to put himself to sleep. We will see how that goes! I will let him fuss, but he is still too young to cry it out. Heck, I will probably never let him CIO! When I get up to feed him in the middle of the night, I just feed him and then put him back in bed and he does fine with that, but he is still mostly asleep. When we get back from TN I am going to start working on a better napping schedule for him and to take naps in his crib. I can tell that he likes his routine at night, so I am sure he will do fine with a daytime routine also.

Only a few more days until we leave for TN!! I am really excited that Jagger finally gets to meet so many people that have been waiting to meet him! His Memaw (my grandmother) is dying to get her hands on him! She keeps telling my mom that she will keep him while me and Aaron go do something. There are very few people that I would trust to keep Jagger, and she is one of them. I wish my grandaddy was here to meet him. My mom also can't wait to see him again. She isn't going to recognize him when she sees him since he has grown so much! When she last saw him, he was just a little peanut, and now he has gotten to be a big boy! Tim, Holly, Jason, and Tammy are going to come over my mom's on Friday evening to meet Jagger and my mom is going to cook dinner for us. My mom has to work on Thursday, so I think we will spend alot of the day with Memaw, and try to catch up on some sleep! On Sunday, Easter, we may or may not go to church and we will have lunch with my family. I think Aaron and Jason are planning on doing something, but I'm not sure when. We don't really have any other plans set in stone, I just know that I will not be dragging Jagger all over because he doesn't like it and I don't want him exposed to a bunch of people that I barely know. Can you tell I am a little protectvie of him!?! We will not be doing stuff much in the evening either since Jagger goes to bed at 7:30 - 8.

Dr. appointment

We did not see our regular pediatrician yesterday, it was another at the clinic. She said she thought the reason Jagger was spitting up more is probably something I ate, either spicy or dairy related. So, I am glad it is nothing. He seems to be back to normal today, we have had very little spit up in the past 24 hours. It sucks not being able to eat spicy food, but I will do what is best for the little man!

Aaron and I are still trying to figure out what the easter bunny is going to bring Jagger. We bought a pack of pacifiers to put in his basket, but that is it. Who knows!

Jagger and I have been working on the cutest, imo, easter project for his grandma (hutt), Memaw, and gran and paw. I wish I could share now, but I will have to wait! We, also, did a practice run on some cupcakes that I am hoping to make for my little cousins when we are in TN. The look like little bluebirds in a nest, so cute!