RM's are AWESOME

     I belong to a group called Richmond Mommies (RM), they are part of The Mommies Network (TMN). TMN has forums all over, I bet if you looked they may have one in your area. RM is a group of wonderful moms that all share in raising our kids in the Richmond areas. I may not be able to get to the play dates, mommy night outs, or one of the other many of things we have very often, because right now my family only has one car and my husband takes that to work. But I do visit the message board often and I have found some wonderful women to support me and give me advice.

    I am mommy to a 24 wk micro-preemie and I was dead set against have another child for fear that I would have another baby that early and the outcome would not be what it was like for the first. God had other plans for me, and now I have a second child. My pregnancy with #2 was not an easy one, the mommies of RM were wonderful, if I didn't post someone was sending me a private message (PM) wanting to make sure everything was OK. I managed to make it to 37 wks with #2. There is a 7 year age gap between my children so having #2 was like starting all over, you would think that once a mom you would not forget but after 7 yrs I was a bit rusty and I know I asked a ton of questions that I should have known. Now #1 is a girl and #2 is a boy, so besides the age gap, we have gender differences and they are completely different. I catch myself saying now that #1 was not like this, what do I do? Someone is bound to have gone through the same thing and can give some advice. After having my son, several of my RM friends storked me, that is where they brought me meals 3 times a week for 2 weeks, it was so helpful. After having a new baby and via c-section the meals certainly helped and all I had to do was heat up the food.

     Now a week ago a freak accident happened, one of those things that you say well that will never happen to me. Well it did and I was so scared of what people would think about me, not to mention the fact that I was beating myself up over it. See I had just finished dinner and was lifting my son over the baby gate to get him in his seat and ready for dinner. He was wiggling, my daughter was trying to hand me a diaper and talk to me at the same time, and I guess I just didn't have control of my son as well as I thought I did and he fell out of my arms. When he fell we were in front of the stove and he fell onto the pot of green beans on the stove and when he rolled it pushed the green beans back and his arm landed on the burner. He got 1st degree and partial thickness 2nd degree burns on his upper left buttocks, back, right side, right arm, and right ear. I debated back and forth rather to post for prayers for a speedy healing for my son on RM, because I felt that I would get a lot of flack for dropping my son. Eventually I decided to post about it and the response was nothing that I thought it would be. The mommies were wonderful, they all reassured me, sent prayers and well wishes. They told me accidents happened and not to be hard on myself. I do not think they know just how much that meant to me and really helped me to feel better about the situation.

     I am happy to report that after a week since the burn incident, my sons ear is completely healed, the burns on his buttocks, back and side look wonderful. His arm was the worse, it looks good but will take a bit longer to heal.

     I learned from this incident that we all make mistakes and no matter how hard we try accidents happen and a lot of them are out of our control. I have also learned the saying that a Mother is her own worst enemy is so true.

     I honestly do not know what kind of mother I would be without the backup and support from my Richmond Mommies and I thank them all. We do not always agree about things, but in the end we are all mothers and no matter how one chooses to raise their child no one is wrong.

Thanks Mommies, I love you all :)

**To find out if there is a TMN site in your area visit this link: http://www.themommiesnetwork.org/index.shtml

Brunswick Stew

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fall and one of the things that I love about it is that you can get Brunswick Stew, YUMMY!!

Well since I love it so much, I decided to embark in finding a recipe and there are TONS of them all different in one aspect or another. Finally I found one for Va Brunswick Stew (what makes Va Brunswick Stew different is that it has okra in it). So I ended up combining 2 recipes to get one that suited me. So last night I made it and it was a HUGE pot full, that only got 2 bowls ate out of it. My husband does not like soups and stews and our son seems to be taking after him in that aspect. But Harleyann loved it and so did I, although I think that I will add more tomatoes next time.

The recipe I used is as follows:

Brunswick Stew:

2 whole chickens, cut into pieces

Boil in large stock pot with just enough water to cover chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Remove chicken and let set till cool enough to handle. Once chicken is cool enough turn stock back on and bring to a boil, reduce to low, shred chicken and put into stock. Add:

6 large potatoes, diced
2 large bags of Lima beans
2 large bags of corn
1 bag of cut okra
2 large cans whole tomatoes, roughly chopped (i poured the juice into the stew)


and simmer for 20 minutes. Add:
 
1 cup of ketchup
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 stick of butter
2 Tbsp vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
Salt and pepper to taste.
 
Cover and simmer for 2 hours or longer, stirring occasionally.
 
It turned out great, just really needs more tomatoes if you ask me.

Dear Daddy

Dear Daddy,
     It has been a little over a month since you left us and it has been very difficult. 59 is to young for you to no longer be here. I may be in my 30's but I still need you and it hurts like hell. For a long time the tears would not come. I was angry at you for leaving us, there was so much left unsaid and undone and I was mad because I would never have the chance. I was hurt because my kids will not get to grow up with you around for them, all the promises you made them are now forever broken. I miss you like hell and it hurts way to damn much. I never wanted to feel this way ever. I am heartbroken. I feel like I am a little girl lost in this world without my daddy.
   Any man can be a father, but it really takes a special one to be a daddy, and you were it. You were my daddy. I may have never called you daddy but that is who you were/are. I don't know where to go, where to turn, what to do. A girl needs her daddy, she always needs her daddy and I am to young to be without you. My kids are to young to be without you.
   I keep questioning WHY. Why did you have to leave us? Why did you have to die? Why did you have to get sick? Why didn't you just tell the doctors how bad it was getting so that they could help you? Why did you want to leave us?
   I know that you are in a better place and I know that you are not suffering, but I want you here. I want you with us. I want you to be at home. I want to be able to call you on the phone. I want you to be here for birthday parties and holidays.
   The tears have had a hard time coming since they first told me, except for the funeral. But now they are coming and it is the little things that will make me just lose it and will make me cry. A song. A movie. A story. Anywhere and anytime. I was driving down the road radio surfing and I came to a ZZ Top song and started crying, I never thought that Legs would make me cry, but it did. I cried when I finally changed your phone over to moms name and picture.
    It is hard to deal and I feel so alone. I know I have people around and people who are there for me but I still feel alone. I don't feel like celebrating anything, I don't feel like having fun, I don't feel like being around people. What do I do, how do I get past this? What do I need to do? How do I deal with it? How do I deal with you being gone?
   Through it all I want you to know that I love you so much and I miss you like crazy. I know I will not feel quite this much sadness when Larry and Eddie pass away. And I do not want to feel this much pain and sadness for a long long time, so you have to promise that mom will be around for many more years.
    I know that one day I will see you again and that we will be together when I walk through those Golden Gates, but I just wish with every fiber of my being that you were here with us and that I could talk to you. But I want to know that you are here, I want to know that you are watching over us.
   I will forever carry you in my heart and I will remember you and I will carry all our memories.
   I love you always daddy!!
Love,
Me

French's recipes for mother's day

ZESTY HAM GLAZE

An easy glaze to finish the Easter Ham or Turkey. Serve extra for dipping.

Prep Time: 5 min. Cook Time:

1/2 cup FRENCH'S® Spicy Brown Mustard

1/4 cup FRENCH'S® Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1. MIX all ingredients in small bowl. Brush mixture on ham frequently during the last hour of baking.

2. BASTE on ham frequently during last 30 min. of baking.

3. GOOD with roast turkey or chicken.

Makes 1 cup

 
Mustard Potato Salad
 
5 pound white potatoes, peeled cut into chunks and boiled
3 eggs, boiled, peeled and chunked
1 C. Dukes Mayo
1 C. French's Mustard
2 Tbsp Onion Powder
2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp Paprika
2 Tbsp Pickle Relish
 
1. After you boil potatoes place in a bowl, add boiled egg.
 
2. Add all ingredients and mix well. You may have to add more mayo and mustard until creamy.

One year

1 year ago today I had my son. In this past year it has been so fun watching him go from that little newborn to watching him hit milestone after milestone. It has been just a joy seeing his little personality develop. He laughs, giggles and smiles all the time. He is my bulldozer and always goes goes goes, I am amazed that I can even manage to get him down for a nap because he is always so busy.

He loves to play. He loves when I sing to him, he loves music. He is a big flirt when it comes to the ladies, he will smile and show those dimples that I love. He ADORES his sister and loves to be around her, he just lights up when she walks into the room. He is a mommy's boy, and me leaving the room he is in is not an option, unless it is nap time. He loves his naps and still takes two 1 to 1 1/2 hr naps a day. He loves to explore and can go from 0 - 60 in no time flat. He loves torturing our cat. He LOVES snoopy! He loves his daddy to and likes to play rough with him. He is very vocal and will tell you all about it too. He is not yet walking but that will come in due time and I know that when he is ready he will be off. Right now I think he is like why should I walk when I can crawl and get anywhere I want just fine. So I really think it is the lazy factor going on. Haha. He rearly ever crys, unless he is just waking up or I leave the room.

He goes for his one year checkup tomorrow and I can not imagine that anything will be wrong. He is perfect and I could not be more blessed to have such a wonderful little lamb.

I will leave you with a couple of pictures, the first is from the day he was born and the second one is from today:

And did I mention he has 8 teeth already. And I think that he is trying to get the first of his 1 year molars coming in.